KOICA Shares Korean Anti-Corruption and Integrity Systems in Guatemala

Guatemala KOICA Office Hosts '2020 Guatemala Anti-Corruption and Integrity Seminar'

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Cheol-young] KOICA (Korea International Cooperation Agency) announced on the 17th that it jointly held the "2020 Guatemala Anti-Corruption and Integrity Seminar" on the 16th (local time) with the KOICA Guatemala Trainees Alumni Association, focusing on anti-corruption and integrity.

Although all government agencies in Guatemala are striving to improve government integrity and administrative transparency, Guatemala's Corruption Perceptions Index ranks 146th in the world (according to the 2019 Transparency International report), facing a challenging situation. KOICA organized this seminar to share Korea's efforts and systems for anti-corruption and integrity and to create a platform for jointly addressing Guatemala's issues.

The seminar consisted of presentations and discussions through Q&A sessions, including Korea's anti-corruption and integrity system sharing (Kang Seung-heon, Head of KOICA Guatemala Office), Guatemala's anti-corruption and integrity system (Carlos Lopez, Certified Public Accountant), and anti-corruption and integrity prevention policies (Edgar Casasola, Certified Public Accountant).

Edgar Casasola, President of the KOICA Guatemala Trainees Alumni Association, introduced Korea's advanced public sector audit techniques based on his training experience in Korea. He shared various campaign activities Korea is implementing to prevent corruption and establish a culture of integrity in the public sector and led discussions on how these could be applied in Guatemala.

About 100 KOICA trainees alumni members attended the seminar, which was also open to the general public via an SNS live channel.

Kang Seung-heon, Head of KOICA Guatemala Office, explained, "Anti-corruption and integrity are fundamental social agreements for national development and are not only relevant to public officials and those involved in public duties but also areas where the general public should take interest, participate, and conduct monitoring."