COMMUNIQUE ISSUED BY PARTICIPANTS AT A 2- DAY WORKSHOP ON THE USE OF UNCAC COALITION GUIDE FOR CSO & PRIVATE SECTOR

COMMUNIQUE ISSUED BY PARTICIPANTS AT A 2- DAY WORKSHOP ON THE USE OF UNITED NATIONS CONVENTION AGAINST CORUPTION (UNCAC) COALITION GUIDE FOR CSO AND PRIVATE SECTOR IN PORT HARCOURT, RIVERS STATE, FROM 4^TH – 5^TH AUGUST 2022

Arising from a training session on the use of UNCAC Coalition Guide for CSOs and Private Sector organized by the Africa Network for Environment and Economic Justice (ANEEJ), the anchor organisations of the anti-corruption cluster of the SCALE project supported by USAID through Palladium and her Resource Partners on 4^th-5^th August 2022 in Port Harcourt, Rivers State for CSOs active in Oil and gas producing areas, and impacted communities, deliberated on how the private sector and CSO can work together to ensure the successful implementation of the United Nations Convention Against Corruption (UNCAC) in Nigeria.

Participants were drawn from Private Sector professional groups, the Nigerian Economic Summit Group (NESG), Rivers State investment Forum, Open Government Partnership of Nigeria (OGP), Civil Society, Host Oil Producing Community (Host Comm), Media, Women Groups and Persons Living with Disabilities.

Participants after extensive deliberations on the importance of UNCAC in enabling the business environment for private sector to carry out their businesses, the following issues were identified:

1. Private sector and civil society working in silos does not provide opportunity for collaboration in promoting implementation of UNCAC in Nigeria
2. There was poor knowledge of the UNCAC amongst private sector, some international development agencies/donor, civil society and media
3. Corruption is a huge problem affecting the contribution of private sector to development in the Niger Delta region and Nigeria at large
4. Weak collaboration between the private sector and civil society in holding the government to account in the implementation of UNCAC
5. Poor monitoring framework of UNCAC in Nigeria and the absence of a framework for active participation of civil society as guaranteed in Article 13 of the UNCAC

Base on these issues identified by participants, the following recommendations were made to strengthen the effective implementation of UNCAC in Nigeria:

1. Private sector and civil society should work together inline with the principles of Extractive Industry Transparency Initiative (EITI) and the Open Government Partnership (OGP) to effectively implement the UNCAC in Nigeria.
2. Private sector and civil society are encouraged to collaborate in raising awareness on UNCAC implementation and monitoring in Nigeria.
3. Civil society should develop a collective action to engage the government and private sector using the UNCAC as a reference.
4. Private sector should collaborate with CSOs in holding government to account in the implementation of UNCAC in Nigeria particularly with reference to article 12, 15, 16, 16, 21, 22, 23 and 26.
5. Encourage community engagement and improved corporate governance by ensuring the implementation of the Community Content Guideline in line with the NOGICD Act 2010

SIGNED:

1. Leo Atakpu, Deputy Executive Director, Africa Network for Environment and Economic Justice (ANEEJ), Benin City, Edo State.

2. Ms. Inyingi Irimagha,Programme Officer,  Gender and Development Action (GADA)  Port-Harocurt, Rivers State

3. Ms. Ann Ojugo, Joint Association of Persons with Disability (JONAPWD) Edo State Chapter.

4. Mrs. Onose Martha, Executive Director, Community empowerment and development initiative (CEDI), Warri, Delta State

5. Mr. Adeosun Olusola, Executive Director, Community Heritage Watch for Development Initiative, (KAI) Akure, Ondo State.

6. Comrade Nelson Nnana Nwafor, Executive Director, Foundation for Environmental Rights, Advocacy and Development (FENRAD), Aba, Abia State

7. Mr. Lukman Adefolahan, Executive Director, 21^st Century Community Empowerment for youth and Women Initiative, Abuja

8. Mr. Clinton Ezeigwe, Executive Director, Christian Fellowship and Care Foundation, (CFCF), Owerri, Imo State

9. Ms. Eloho Ekoh, Programme Officer, New Apostolic Church Centre for Development (NCD), Benin City, Edo State.

10. Obialunanma Nnaobi-Ayodele, Executive Director, The Meluibe Empowerment Foundation, Abuja and representative of OGP Nigeria National Steering Committee Non-State Actors