Page 249 - BUKU STRENGTHENING THE INDONESIAN PARLIAMENTARY DIPLOMACY FADLI ZON

The central focus of GOPAC is the facilitation of networking among parliamentarians
and international organizations focus to combat corruption and other relevant issues, the
development of practical tools, knowledge resources, outreach and strengthening capacity
programs. It provides peer support to parliamentarians engaged in combating corruption
throughout the world, provide relevant training and education to promote methods for fighting
corruption.

In the elaboration of our work, GOPAC established five Global Task Forces (GTFs), with subjects
that are crucial for parliamentarians in the development of their anti-corruption works, they
are: GTF on UNCAC, GTF on Parliamentary Ethics and Conducts, GTF on Participation of
Society, GTF on Anti-Money Laundering and GTF on Parliamentary Oversight.

SDGs and DEVELOPMENT OVERSIGHT

As I mentioned before, corruption is flourished in the condition of poverty and of weak public
institutions. It is the single greatest obstacle to economic and social development around the
world. Every year US$ 1 trillion is paid in bribes, while an estimated US$ 2.6 trillion are stolen
annually through corruption – a sum equivalent to more than 5 per cent of the global GDP.
4
Instead of pouring more than US$ 1.4 trillion a year —the amount of money needed to end
5
extreme poverty—into low- and lower middle-income countries for health, education,
agriculture and food security, social protection systems, energy, infrastructure and ecosystem
management, in a bid to meet the global goals of development, we lost more than US$ 3 trillion
per year due to corruption in all of its forms.

We are being challenged by corruption.

GOPAC WORKS on PARLIAMENTARY OVERSIGHT

If we are going to meet the SDGs, we should fight against corruption. GOPAC learns that
parliaments and parliamentarians are significant in this fight. We can exercise our oversight
role at the maximum level to ensure that every penny of public funds is delivered and dedicated
to those who are righteous.

It is worthy to note that the goals of parliamentary oversight are not only to ensure the
accountability of public funds but also its effectiveness. An effective delivery of public funds
can guarantee the destitute access on health, education and others including their economic
empowerment.

4 http://www.anticorruptionday.org/documents/actagainstcorruption/print/materials2016/corr16_fs_
DEVELOPMENT_en_PRINT.pdf
5 https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2015/nov/18/14tn-dollars-a-year-needed-to-reach-
global-goals-for-world-poorest

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