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Resolution 2192 (2017)
Youth against corruption
1. Many young people have the desire
and capacity to transform the world and have the potential to positively
affect future anti-corruption efforts. As the new generation of
politicians, entrepreneurs and civil society actors, they have an
important role to play in bringing a new culture of integrity to
all levels of society; but they are also the most vulnerable. They
should therefore be taught how to effectively detect, prevent and fight
corruption.
2. To this end, it is very important to devise appropriate empowerment
strategies to raise young people’s awareness and understanding of
corruption and the way it undermines democratic societies, and at
the same time empower them to stand up against corruption.
3. Education is undoubtedly central to preventing corruption.
It should begin from the earliest age – at kindergarten and elementary
school levels – and continue throughout the school career. It should
also include professional training of supervisors and other education
staff in ethical questions in the process of life-long learning.
4. In order for young people to become and remain engaged in
anti-corruption initiatives, they need to feel included as stakeholders
in policy development and the implementation of anti-corruption
strategies, and take ownership of the actions they are involved
in. The more young people take the lead, the more chance policies have
of succeeding. Youth initiatives become even more structured when
integrated into larger anti-corruption campaigns.
5. Young people are more likely to be creative in their approach
to problem solving. Their anti-corruption efforts may be more innovative,
forward thinking and make better use of modern technologies.
6. Young people do not form a homogeneous group; they have different
perspectives, motivations and ways of thinking. Projects and support
provided should be tailored to this diversity.
7. Young people who stand up to oppose corruption and fraud need
proper protection. There is a clear need to set up adequate legal
and administrative frameworks in all member States to ensure the
protection of whistle-blowers.
8. In the light of the above, the Parliamentary Assembly invites
the governments and parliaments of Council of Europe member and
observer States, and the States whose parliaments enjoy observer
or partner for democracy status with the Assembly:
8.1. as regards anti-corruption policy
development and improving the capacity of young people to unveil
and oppose corruption, to:
8.1.1. involve relevant youth
organisations and/or representatives in framing and implementing
anti-corruption policies pertaining to the field where youth are
active, in particular politics, education, sports and media;
8.1.2. uphold youth organisations’ initiatives and actions in
the fight against corruption, in particular through targeted support
for selected youth projects;
8.1.3. set up national networks where young people can share
their experiences and knowledge about corruption, disseminate good
practices and devise proposals for future action;
8.2. as regards anti-corruption education and the fight against
corruption in education:
8.2.1. introduce courses on integrity,
from the earliest age, in national school and university curricula,
including both aspects of personal values and ethical behaviour
and a human rights- based approach;
8.2.2. engage in a strategy to fight education fraud, with the
help of the Council of Europe, by supporting the work of the Council
of Europe Pan-European Platform on Ethics, Transparency and Integrity
in Education and its network of specialists;
8.2.3. foster an approach based on the idea that quality education
will only be achieved, and corruption effectively addressed, if
all relevant sectors of society commit fully to fundamental positive
ethical principles for public and professional life, rather than
relying only on top-down regulatory measures that are applied in
a mechanical manner;
8.2.4. involve young anti-corruption militants in developing
strategies against corruption and unethical behaviour within education
systems through participation in the drafting of ethical charters
and codes of conduct for school and university staff and students,
and/or in the design of integrity or transparency indexes encouraging
educational institutions to be more transparent with regard to their
budget and internal procedures, such as staff promotions and exams;
8.2.5. develop anti-corruption educational materials aimed at
students and teachers at various levels of education, in co-operation
with anti-corruption State bodies and non-governmental organisations;
8.3. as regards the protection of whistle-blowers:
8.3.1. introduce
appropriate legislation or bring national legislation into line
with Committee of Ministers Recommendation CM/Rec(2014)7 on the
protection of whistleblowers and the Assembly’s Resolution 2060 (2015) on
improving the protection of whistle-blowers and Resolution 2171 (2017) “Parliamentary
scrutiny over corruption: parliamentary co-operation with investigative
media”;
8.3.2. support the work of NGOs engaged in providing legal advice,
training and support in reporting and denouncing incidents of corruption;
8.3.3. consider setting up a support fund to help whistle-blowers
cope with the direct and indirect consequences of their revelations;
8.4. as regards civil society organisations and youth associations:
8.4.1. support initiatives and encourage the participation of
young people in activities such as summer schools and youth integrity
camps and training programmes;
8.4.2. support the creation of e-platforms where all citizens
can access information on how to combat corruption and share knowledge
of good practices;
8.5. as regards legislation and public policy in general: introduce
as law in Council of Europe member States, where this has not already
been done, the principles of public access to all official, non-secret documents
kept by a State or other public authority and of public access to
court proceedings and political meetings, because this has proven
to be an efficient means of exposing corruption and related crimes,
and thereby also of instilling confidence in society among the younger
generation;
8.6. as regards public officials: consider introducing an anti-corruption
training and certification system for people engaged in public service,
including local and regional authorities, to be developed in co-operation
with universities, independent anti-corruption institutions, relevant
civil-society organisations and anti-corruption monitoring centres.
9. The Assembly invites the Secretary General of the Council
of Europe to consider the feasibility of establishing a platform
for integrity under the auspices of the Council of Europe, involving
the Joint Council on Youth as appropriate. It also encourages the
inclusion of anti-corruption and integrity issues in the programmes of
the Council of Europe Schools of Political Studies and in the projects
supported by the European Youth Foundation.
10. The Assembly further encourages the European Commission to
support, via the Erasmus+ programme, initiatives for setting up
anti-corruption studies at university, post-graduate and life-long
learning level within the national education systems, and to support
anti-corruption projects by national and international youth associations,
notably by creating anti-corruption platforms.