France To Crowdsource Corruption Battle In Mali
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France’s foreign ministry has launched a website in Mali, urging regular citizens to report suspected cases of corruption in any of development projects that the French presently funds.
The site, L’aide française au Mali (French Aid To Mali), lists every development program that the French government presently sponsors in Mali and provides an online form, as well as a number to text, if Malians wish to report any irregularities in the programs.
France’s foreign ministry has launched a website in Mali, urging regular citizens to report suspected cases of corruption in any of development projects that the French presently funds.
The site, L’aide française au Mali (French Aid To Mali), lists every development program that the French government presently sponsors in Mali and provides an online form, as well as a number to text, if Malians wish to report any irregularities in the programs.
The crowdsourcing project is believed to be the first of its kind being utilised by France, which has pledged 280 million euros ($374 million) in aid to Mali after it helped to oust Al-Qaeda-linked groups in the north of the country earlier this year.
The French foreign ministry said that the site will grant “citizen control” back to Malians, while ensuring that the French funds will not go to waste.
[quote]”This site is a promise, that of transparency with regards to the Malians, but also with regards to the French who too often regret not knowing what development aid is used for,” said France’s Development Minister Pascal Canfin, as cited by AFP.[/quote]The site “is accessible to the general public and will allow those people concerned to take better control of the projects being implemented, making French aid more effective,” he added, saying “if it works, we will be able to extend this to other countries.”
Crowdsourcing is the practice of gathering or obtaining much-needed data and services from a large group of people – often online. Internationally, the practice has been increasingly being used to fight corruption.
Anti-graft watchdog Transparency International for instance has used crowdsourcing in various countries to report cases of corruption, such as Zimbabwe and Macedonia.
Meanwhile, according to AFP, well-known Russian opposition figure Alexei Navalny has also set up a website that urges volunteers to report on government corruption while going through public documents on government contracts and tenders.
France’s Canfin said that the new initiative was an “innovation” for the country. “It’s the first time that an information system of this scale has been established,” he said.
Last month, the French also hailed the election of a new president in Mali as a vindication for its decision to intervene in the conflict of a former colony.
Related: IMF Approves $18.4 Million Emergency Loan For Mali
Related: World Bank’s Corruption Blacklist Soars To 7-Year High
Ibrahim Boubacar Keita’s overwhelming victory came with no dispute as observers endorsed the elections to have been largely compliant with international standards.
“What has happened from the French intervention on January 11, 2013 up to the election of a new Malian president has been a success for peace and democracy,” said French President Francois Hollande in a statement.
[quote]”But now everything must be done to ensure the success of the end of the transition, dialogue and Mali’s development,” he added.[/quote]
