Haiti Bets on Youth to Combat Corruption With UN-Backed Anti-Graft Training

Haiti's government and the United Nations are focusing on the country's youth to tackle corruption amid insecurity, weak institutions and widespread impunity, according to Mirage News and UN News. Recently, 60 students and young civil society leaders, selected from 180 applicants, took part in the first Summer School on Anti-Corruption, organized by Haiti's Anti-Corruption Unit (ULCC) with support from the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC). During an intensive week, participants learned to identify, prevent and report corruption, practicing real-life scenarios and filing complaints through the ULCC hotline (5656). A second Summer School is now being organized after strong interest, the reports said. Adrian Banu, UNODC's anti-corruption adviser in Haiti, described the initiative as a long-term investment in a country where more than half the population is under 25, noting results might only appear in 20 years. Around 50 integrity clubs have been established in schools. The strategy also strengthens the justice system: in late May, authorities inaugurated two specialized judicial units, one for financial crime and corruption and another for mass crimes, with 25 trained magistrates appointed. According to Banu, the ULCC has referred 68 investigation reports to judicial authorities over the past four to five years, more than during the previous 17 years combined. UNODC is also supporting protections for magistrates, witnesses and whistleblowers.