(2) Assistance for Governance (Including Anti-Corruption)
In parallel with economic development, corruption, including bribery of civil servants has become a factor impedes the sound economic growth in developing countries. Equitable and stable management of socioeconomic activities is the prerequisite of “quality growth.” It is necessary that assistance to ensure good governance including anti-corruption realizes an equitable and stable society in developing countries.
<Japan’s Efforts>
In 2016, as Chair of the G7, Japan took the lead in developing“G7 Action to Fight Corruption” and G7 leaders reaffirmed the importance of cooperation in the area of law enforcement related to corruption and support for capacity building for countries vulnerable to corruption, etc. Furthermore, Japan contributed approximately $90,000 in FY2015 and approximately $100,000 in FY2016 to the Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice Fund (CPCJF). This assistance contributed to strengthening the efforts to fight corruption, including support for promoting the implementation of the United Nations Convention against Corruption (UNCAC).
Through UNAFEI, MOJ held an International Training Course on the Criminal Justice Response to Corruption, on the theme of “Effective Investigation and Prosecution of Corruption in Government Procurement” for criminal justice professionals in developing countries, mainly in the Asia-Pacific region. This training course selects themes from the key issues of the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime (UNTOC) and the United Nations Convention against Corruption (UNCAC), and contributes to the sound development of the criminal justice system and the strengthening of cooperative relationships in each country.
As regards other efforts, Japan has held an annual seminar called Regional Seminar on Good Governance for Southeast Asian Countries since 2007, with the objective of supporting efforts to establish “rule of law” and “good governance” in Southeast Asian countries and contributing to human resources development in the area of criminal justice and corruption response. In 2016, a seminar was held in Yogyakarta, Indonesia on the theme of “Contemporary Measures for Effective International Cooperation.”