Haiti: Training the next generation to fight corruption

How do you tackle corruption in a country grappling with insecurity, weak institutions and widespread impunity? In Haiti, the Government and the United Nations are betting on the country's youth.

Corruption and related financial criminality come in many forms in the embattled Caribbean island nation, according to the regular quarterly report of the UN Secretary-General. They include:

Recently, 60 students and young civil society leaders – selected from 180 applicants – took part in the first Summer School on Anti-Corruption, organized by Haiti's Anti-Corruption Unit (ULCC) with support from the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC).

During an intensive week of lectures, interactive workshops and practical exercises, participants learned how to identify, prevent and report corruption.

Using real-life scenarios, they confronted ethical dilemmas, deciding whether to report corrupt practices depending on the role they had been assigned. They also practiced filing complaints through the ULCC's anti-corruption hotline (5656), gaining firsthand experience with official reporting mechanisms.

For Adamson Junior Lavéus, the programme was transformative.

“As a citizen, this activity enabled me to understand the phenomenon of corruption through its various manifestations: extortion, illicit enrichment, misappropriation of public assets, and bribery, among others,” he said in a testimonial collected by UNODC.

Beyond expanding his knowledge, the training reinforced his belief that everyone has a role to play.

“Civic education is essential. It contributes to the empowerment of Haitian society and allows us to build our foundations on moral values.”