Deal with corruption decisively—UN

United Nations (UN) resident coordinator Maria Jose Torres says government should put in place decisive policies to root out corruption in the country.

Speaking during a media breakfast meeting in Lilongwe yesterday to mark 75 years of the UN, Torres stated that the UN has been engaging government officials, such as the Minister of Finance Felix Mlusu and other stakeholders, in high-level forums to pay attention to resources that are being lost through corruption.

She said: “Accountability systems are necessary, so there is need for strong accountability institutions to follow up on corruption cases.”

Torres added that as the UN commemorates its 75th anniversary, there is a strong call for member States to protect the public purse and ensure that funds for projects or programmes are properly utilised.

The UN resident coordinator also advised government to ensure that funds recovered from corruption and other assets are reinvested into development agenda, further underscoring the need for government to use tax and debt effectively so as to benefit more Malawians living below the poverty line.

On her part, UN communication group chairperson, who is also United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) resident representative Young Hong, observed that issues that affect nations are intertwined and should not be isolated.

She said it is important for government to not only provide education or advocate for girls rights, but understand how girls are affected and what pushes them into situations like early pregnancies or school dropouts.

Said Hong: “We cannot isolate the issues because poverty, which may lead to a girl being a mother at a young age, is linked to climate change which affects a parent’s livelihood leading to failure to provide for their children.”

To mark its 75th anniversary this year, UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres launched a debate to ignite the largest and furthest-reaching global conversation on building the future.