Page 139 - BUKU STRENGTHENING THE INDONESIAN PARLIAMENTARY DIPLOMACY FADLI ZON

It can be also lead to the empowerment of citizens to reject corrupt practices and exposure of
politicians and officials who engage in corrupt activities, which in turn provides parliamentarians
the role to help establishing public standard of appropriate behaviour.

Distinguished Delegates, Ladies and Gentlemen Besides the four ways that I explained, I would
like to emphasize two other strategies that can significantly help Parliaments in its mission
to fight corruption. The First Strategy is improving capacity building for parliamentarians
Improving capacity building is essential for parliamentarians to engage in anti-corruption
efforts. In order to alienate corruption, parliaments can take the first necessary step to create
clean and accountable environment inside the institution.

In this regard, equipping parliamentarians with comprehensive knowledge on anti-corruption
will strengthen the internal structure and prevent parliamentarians from doing misconduct in
their offices.

Inter-parliamentary network

Furthermore, parliamentarians can prevent corruption by participating in the collective inter-
parliamentary network. Fighting corruption can be more effective and taken more seriously if
parliamentarians join together as a group, rather than standing up on its own.

The Global Organization of Parliamentarians Against Corruption (GOPAC) is an example of an
international network of parliamentarians that focus solely on combating corruption. GOPAC
aims to combat and prevent corruption by strengthening integrity in governance.

The central focus of GOPAC is the development of practical tools and training for parliamentarians.
It provides peer support to parliamentarians engaged in combating corruption throughout the
world, information services as well as relevant training and education to promote methods for
fighting corruption.

Since its inception in 2002, GOPAC has been actively promoting the role of parliamentarians to
make progress in deterring corruption through various projects and programs. GOPAC works
with multiple partners and stakeholders in conducting specific anti-corruption programs and
sector-specific anti-corruption interventions, such as:

(i) Improving parliamentary oversight in the management of development aid and implementing
the SDGs; (ii) Developing technological platform to measure anti- corruption performance of
legislators; (iii) Grand corruption campaign; (iv) Strengthening international cooperation in
facilitating the asset recovery efforts; and addressing (v) Women in parliament issues.

126 I Selected Speeches of the Vice Speaker of the House of Representatives of the Republic of Indonesia