Three days workshop was hosted from the 16th to the 18th of this month by the UNDP and the Department of Justice and Attorney General to advanced training of trainers on the investigation of administrative complaints for over 30 public sector officials from key anti-corruption institutions in Papua New Guinea. The training was held under the project Preventing and Countering Corruption in Papua New Guinea (PNG Anti-Corruption Project), which is funded by the European Union and jointly implemented by UNDP and UNODC.
The training was a continuation of earlier trainings on investigation of administrative complaints that the participants had joined in October 2022 and May 2023. The participants took part in interactive exercises where they learned to proactively identify potential wrongdoing in their workplaces and overcome common obstacles for conducting effective investigations of administrative complaints. The training also prepared the participants to transfer this new knowledge to their colleagues by teaching them to organize and conduct similar trainings in their respective departments.
“Unless we have robust systems in place for investigating any wrongdoing in our public institutions, we face the risk of both citizens and public servants losing trust in our systems of governance. I hope the skills you will gain from this training will help you in establishing a strong culture in your organizations, where justice and accountability are ensured for any misuse of power or public resources,” UNDP Resident Representative, Nicholas Booth stated.
“This UNDP training on investigation of administrative complaints is crucial for public sector departments because not every malpractice is a criminal offense. This training is important to uncover the administrative malpractice that can eventually lead to criminal investigations. It is also of utmost importance for enhancing integrity across the public sector system,” stated Mrs. Josephine Advent Pitmur, Deputy Secretary from the Department of Justice and Attorney General.
The training was a part of UNDP’s ongoing efforts to support the Government of Papua New Guinea in implementing its National Anti-Corruption Plan of Action. Under output 1.5 of the plan of action, UNDP provides technical advice and capacity development assistance to key national integrity institutions to tackle corruption in vulnerable sectors, such as customs, tax, forestry and natural resources.
