The Anti-Corruption Day which is marked on December 9, each year, is a day set aside by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) to raise awareness of the impact of corruption and the role of the United Nations Convention against Corruption (UNCAC) in combating and preventing it.

This year’s event, on the theme: "Uniting with Youth Against Corruption: Shaping Tomorrow's Integrity," intended to highlight young people’s vital role in the fight against corruption.

The theme was also chosen to seamlessly fit into the 11th session of the Conference of the States Parties (CoSP11) to the United Nations Convention against Corruption in Doha, Qatar, in 2025.

Corruption-free society

A statement issued by the GII and copied to the media stated that fighting corruption with young people was crucial if the world was going to make any real progress.

"Let us all pledge to live in a society free from corruption, where transparency, responsibility, accountability and openness are the cornerstones of national development," it said.

It said this year’s commemoration coincided with the 2024 general election during which social contracts on youth engagement and anti-corruption, among other policy issues, had been made.

The statement proposed a review of the Public Financial Management Act, 2016 (Act 921) and the Public Procurement Act 2003 (As Amended with Act 914) to prevent conflict of interest and insider dealing by politically exposed persons in the award of contracts.

It also called for the strengthening and enforcement of financial management practices and transactions to reduce corruption in the sports sector.

Again, the GII suggested a review of the Computerised School Selection and Placement System (CSSPS) to address corruption in school placement by making it merit-based.

The statement said in all, the in-coming Mahama administration made 19 anti-corruption promises, 16 of which would remotely impact the youth, and the three directly would affect the youth.

It said Ghana’s population was said to be youthful with about 57 per cent of the population under the age of 25 years, yet very few were represented or played any role in decision-making or specifically in the fight against corruption.

"Therefore, there is a need for a conscious effort to define roles and mobilise the youth around the defined role in the fight against corruption.

"Today, GII urges stakeholders to establish avenues for youth participation in anti-corruption activities to amplify and elevate the voice of young people in the fight against corruption, and will create a platform for the youth to hold the government accountable for their anti-corruption promises," the statement said.