Managers in charge of 27 public organisations in Samoa are working together with the Ministry of Public Enterprises, Public Service Commission, and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) to improve the performance and governance of state-owned enterprises. They are aiming to implement ethical practices within their boards through training provided by the UNDP’s United Nations Pacific Regional Anti-Corruption (UN-PRAC) project.
The two-day program on Governance, Ethics, and Performance for public bodies is a collaborative effort between the Public Service Commission, the Ministry of Public Enterprises, and the UNDP. Its purpose is to ensure that the public sector is well-informed about the key factors that contribute to good performance and improved public service. Tooala Elita Tooala, CEO of the Ministry for Public Enterprises, highlighted the importance of ethics in performance and emphasised the goal of maintaining a transparent and accountable public service.
The UNDP has been partnering with public bodies in Samoa since 2016 to strengthen integrity, in alignment with the United Nations Convention Against Corruption (UNCAC), Sustainable Development Goal 16, and the Teieniwa Vision, Pacific Unity against Corruption. This workshop at the Orator Hotel builds on the Government’s commitment to public body boards adopting their own Code of Conduct and Declaration of Interests Guidelines.
Taupa’u Joseph Mulipola, Programme Analyst at UNDP Samoa, expressed support for the Ministry’s efforts to promote internal ethics and governance practices and emphasised the importance of sustainable anti-corruption measures.
UNDP also welcomed participants’ commitment to using the workshop’s momentum to finalise a public sector ethics framework, recognising the significance of integrity practices for sustainable development.
The Public Bodies Continuous Learning & Awareness Program is funded by the New Zealand Government through the UNDP Pacific Office’s United Nations Regional Anti-Corruption Project (UN-PRAC). The aim is to foster a whole-of-organisation commitment to integrity, thereby improving economic performance and ensuring the long-term success of integrity actions in Samoa.
