Motion for a resolution | Doc. 14486 | 24 January 2018

Teachers as agents for change and the fight against corruption

Signatories: Ms Zühal TOPCU, Turkey, EC ; Mr Yasin AKTAY, Turkey, FDG ; Mr Volodymyr ARIEV, Ukraine, EPP/CD ; Mr Boryslav BEREZA, Ukraine, EPP/CD ; Mr Roland Rino BÜCHEL, Switzerland, ALDE ; Ms Lütfiye İlksen CERİTOĞLU KURT, Turkey, EC ; Ms Nino GOGUADZE, Georgia, EC ; Ms Rózsa HOFFMANN, Hungary, EPP/CD ; Mr Petri HONKONEN, Finland, ALDE ; Ms Maura HOPKINS, Ireland, EPP/CD ; Mr Akif Çağatay KILIÇ, Turkey, EC ; Mr Orhan MİROĞLU, Turkey, EC ; Mr Asim MOLLAZADE, Azerbaijan, NR ; Mr Killion MUNYAMA, Poland, EPP/CD ; Mr Johan NISSINEN, Sweden, NR ; Mr Suat ÖNAL, Turkey, EC ; Ms Ganira PASHAYEVA, Azerbaijan, FDG ; Ms María Concepción de SANTA ANA, Spain, EPP/CD ; Mr Michael SVENSSON, Sweden, EPP/CD ; Mr Damien THIÉRY, Belgium, ALDE ; Mr Attila TILKI, Hungary, EPP/CD ; Mr Cemalettin Kani TORUN, Turkey, EC ; Ms Nicole TRISSE, France, NR ; Mr Yıldırım Tuğrul TÜRKEŞ, Turkey, EC ; Mr Morten WOLD, Norway, EC ; Ms Serap YAŞAR, Turkey, EC ; Mr Mustafa YENEROĞLU, Turkey, FDG

This motion has not been discussed in the Assembly and commits only those who have signed it.

Corruption is a major problem all over the world that affects all segments of society. From the central government to local governments, from the private sector to the non-governmental organisations, this problem is becoming widespread and permanent. In countries where corruption is prevalent, the economy suffers a great deal of damage and socioeconomic development is interrupted.

There is a debate about the definition and evaluation of the concept of corruption. In addition to problems encountered in defining corruption, “measurement criteria for corruption” cannot be formed because it is mostly illegal and takes place behind closed doors. Corruption directly reduces public confidence in the system by preventing a fair and impartial distribution of limited public resources.

Systemic and proactive approaches and strong government willpower are needed in order for corruption efforts to be effective. For this reason, governments and other institutions should keep their policies and strategies up to date in order to detect corruption practices and reduce the risk of corruption. Corruption is the subject matter of social consciousness, ethics and values ​​education. Teachers have important duties to protect future generations from corruption. Teachers are role models for children and agents of socialisation.

The Parliamentary Assembly should therefore investigate the role teachers can play in the fight against corruption and identify measures that can be taken by member States with regard to education and teachers’ role in order to systematically and proactively fight against corruption.