USAID/Liberia Mission Director Jim Wright at Anti-Corruption Day. " Calls for Robust Fight Against Corruption in Liberia"

On behalf of the United States Agency for International Development, I am very pleased to be here with you all on International Anti-Corruption Day.

This day has been set aside by the United Nations to raise awareness around the world about corruption and its devastating effects on the economic, social, and political well-being of nations.

I understand Liberia’s own tailored theme for International Anti-Corruption Day this year is “Promoting a Culture of Excellence: Character building and Integrity for National Prosperity and Development.”

Integrity—meaning, the adherence to ethical values and principles that prioritize the public interest over private interests—is the critical ingredient that breeds good governance and makes prosperity and development possible.

We are all very much aware of the realities of corruption in Liberia. The country is now in the bottom 25 percent of nations globally in the Corruption Perceptions Index. A recent report by the Center for Transparency and Accountability in Liberia showed that 90 percent of Liberians rate the level of corruption as high, and nearly two thirds of Liberians lack faith in the government’s commitment to fight corruption.

Corruption diverts public resources from necessary improvements in the quality and accessibility of crucial services, inhibits foreign investment, dampens prospects for private sector led economic growth, and undermines the rule of law. It also blunts the effectiveness and impact of the billions of dollars of U.S. government assistance provided since the end of the civil war.

I commend the Liberia Anti-Corruption Commission for bringing all of us together today to focus on corruption and how it is standing in the way of Liberia’s development. However, there is much more that needs to be done.

We encourage more robust oversight of all levels of government to uphold standards of accountability as defined under Liberian law. When corruption is uncovered, the responsible parties should be prosecuted – again as defined under Liberian law.

In the end, if we are not serious about prosecuting those alleged to have committed crimes of public corruption and truly holding each other accountable, our collective development initiatives, no matter how well- intentioned and properly designed, will fail to produce sustainable results.

I would like to note that much important work is being done in Liberia to detect waste, fraud and abuse. In particular, I congratulate the Internal Audit Agency and the General Auditing Commission for their diligence in conducting audits and in producing high-quality audit reports. These watchdog organizations play a critical role in identifying irregularities and potential corruption.

Unfortunately, there is no follow-up on these audit reports after they are submitted to the Legislature. The Public Financial Management Act states that the Legislature should debate the reports and where necessary appoint a committee to address the findings. Instead, legislative hearings are rarely held, and there is no accountability for the individuals and institutions that mismanage government resources.

Likewise, Liberian law has established solid financial management reporting requirements for government entities. Unfortunately, many of these requirements – including the production of simple financial statements – are routinely ignored by government entities. These statements are a basic step to account for resources. They are an important first measure to prevent and control financial mismanagement and corruption. The absence of these foundational documents opens the door to corrupt practices.

As I speak today, we are also in the midst of President Biden’s first Summit for Democracy. The summit is bringing together democratic leaders from around the world, including Liberia, to recommit strengthening democratic principles and practices. A key theme of the summit is the importance of combating corruption.

Corruption attacks the foundations of democratic institutions, drives and intensifies conflict, and makes it easier for authoritarian regimes to corrode democratic governance. In his September 21 speech to the United Nations General Assembly, U.S. President Joe Biden stated that corruption is “nothing less than a national security threat in the 21 st century.”

When this week’s Summit for Democracy draws to a close, it will usher in a “year of action” ahead of a second Summit in late 2022. The year of action will be a key opportunity in Liberia for the government – as well as civil society and the private sector - to work together to truly “promote a culture of excellence” and cultivate a democracy based on integrity that delivers for all Liberians. The United States Government continues to be firmly committed to assisting you in these efforts.

Thank you.