“Anti-corruption advocacy in Fiji is urgently needed", says Jofiliti Veikoso, the Board Chairperson of Civic Leaders for Clean Transactions Integrity Fiji (CLCT-IF). "We are deeply grateful for the continued support of both Transparency International New Zealand and Transparency International in expediting our work during this challenging pandemic period."

Transparency International's report: Exporting Corruption 2020: Assessing Enforcement of the OECD Anti-Bribery Convention, finds that active international enforcement against foreign bribery is shockingly low. The report labels New Zealand at “limited enforcement.” and finds that New Zealand is not doing enough to fight foreign bribery.

New Zealand’s commitment towards implementation of the United Nations Convention Against Corruption is ongoing. There has been good progress in several areas, but plenty of room remains to more fully meet our commitments. One area in particular is the need for more transparency of beneficial ownership.

We have a long way to go to redress the imbalance of importing rare earths in return for exporting corruption. New Zealand should consider a law similar to that being introduced in Switzerland. Applying New Zealand’s relatively high standards externally, could go a long way towards helping New Zealand move to a small but influential role in reducing the import and export of corruption.

The 2020 Doc Edge festival "Life Unscripted" is online in New Zealand from Friday 12 June until Sunday 5 July. International documentaries explore themes including political integrity, public sector and private sector accountability, and the challenges of upholding truth in journalism.

As we move past the COVID-19 epidemic and into recovery, there is an ongoing need for legislative and policy innovation. We must not forget our values in the excitement of doing new things.