U4 Helpdesk Query

U4 helpdesk reply

An initial survey of relevant material on corruption and anti-corruption efforts in Burkina Faso brings to light several documents that offer an overview of the corruption situation. Since the questioner indicated that this information is urgently required, the information provided here is the result of a "first glance" research approach.

Please also refer to a previous U4 Expert Answer:

Corruption Information on Burkina Faso, Côte d'Ivoire, Mali, Niger and Senegal

The documents described here are listed in order of how relevant they are in giving an overview of corruption and anti-corruption efforts in Burkina Faso, beginning with the most relevant. Five reports and sources are listed, from RENLAC, an anti/corruption network in Burkina Faso, from Transparency International and from previous U4 Helpdesk responses to queries.

Each document is referenced and a short summary of its contents is provided.

1. REN-LAC Rapport 2004 sur l'état de la corruption au Burkina Faso (2004 Report on the State of Corruption in Burkina Faso), Ouagadougou: Editions REN-LAC, 2005.

REN-LAC is the Burkina Faso nationwide anti-corruption network of more than 30 civil society organisations that has close links to Transparency International. They publish annual reports on the state of corruption in Burkina Faso which are quite comprehensive.

2. REN-LAC, Rapport 2003 sur l'état de la corruption au Burkina Faso (2003 Report on the State of Corruption in Burkina Faso), Ouagadougou: Editions REN-LAC, 2004.

This is RENLAC's report on the state of corruption in 2003. It is the most recent year for which an online report is available (as of early 2006).

The 2003 Report gives an overview of the corruption situation in Burkina Faso. Here is a copy of the contents, which gives an idea of the areas covered.

Avant-Propos
INTRODUCTION GENERALE
Partie IANALYSE
DES RESULTATS DU SONDAGE 2003
. I.1 Méthodologie et définition des concepts
I.2 Appréciations générales des problèmes de corruption
I.3 Perceptions sur les actions de lutte contre la corruption
I.4 Les principales causes de la corruption
I.5 les principales solutions
I.6. Les secteurs prioritaires dans lesquels il faut lutter contre la corruption
Partie IILES
MANIFESTATIONS DE LA CORRUPTION DANS CERTAINS SECTEURS
II- 1 les secteurs qui tiennent le haut du pavé dans l'opinion des sondés
Les Douanes
Les Marchés publics
La Santé
La Police et Gendarmerie
L'administration publique
II. les secteurs qui tiennent en baisse de classement dans l'opinion des sondés
L'enseignement
La Justice
Les Mairies
Les Impôts
Les Médias
Partie - III
LA CORRUPTION DANS LE COMMERCE ET AU SEIN DE LA JUSTICE
III- 1 Visage de la corruption dans le commerce
III-2 Visage de la corruption dans les cabinets d'avocats et de huissiers
Partie IV
LES ACTIONS CONTRE LA CORRUPTION AU COURS DE 2003
IV-1 Au niveau des structures publiques
IV- 2 Au niveau du Parlement
IV- 3 Au niveau de certaines administrations spécialisées
IV- 4- Au niveau de la presse
ANNEXES
Annexe 1 : mémorandum sur la corruption au Burkina Faso adressé au gouvernement
Annexe 2 : Modèle de tableau de suivi des actions prendre contre la corruption dans les administrations publiques
Annexe 3 : Modèle du questionnaire du sondage 2003

3. Transparency International, Country Report on Burkina Faso in the Global Corruption Report 2005.

Transparency International (TI) is the leading international non-governmental organisation devoted to combating corruption. In the Burkina Faso Country Report compiled each year by a country expert for publication in the Global Corruption Report, legal and institutional changes that have taken place in the past years are described. In the 2005 report, in brief, these consisted of:

• the establishment of a Public Accounts Court in 2002 and the delivery of its first reports to the National Assembly in September 2003 for the period 1995-2000 and for 2001;
• the establishment of a coalition to fight corruption by an all-party group of parliamentarians, which may serve as a link to the African Parliamentarians' Network Against Corruption.
• a summary of REN-LAC's memorandum to President Blaise Compaoré in January 2004, which called for more effective controls on corruption and made a series of recommendations.
• A description of the outcomes of the January 2004 Shell-Burkina workshop on good governance which called for a private sector code of good conduct.
• A description of the April 2004 code of conduct that was adopted by civil society organisations.

In addition, the Country Report describes the role of the High Commission for the Coordination of Anti-Corruption Activities (HACLCC), which began work in April 2003, and describes the content of the first HACLCC annual report and the national anti-corruption policy, formulated under the auspices of the HACLCC, which were both made public after initial reluctance to release them into the public domain.

4. Transparency International, Country Report on Burkina Faso in the Global Corruption Report 2006.

The 2006 Country Report updates legal and institutional changes in Burkina Faso. The main developments described are:

• In March 2005, the National Ethics Committee (NEC) submitted its report for 2003 to the prime minister after a delay of one year. It criticised the corruption in the public service and recommended the adoption of public sector codes of conduct for the departments of public administration, health, education, security and finance.
• In December 2004, the government issued a decree on the conduct of the national police force that sets standards for behaviour and provides disciplinary sanctions for breaches of conduct.

The 2006 Country Report also gives an overview of challenges faced by anti-corruption bodies, including the government's reluctance to disclose reports into official corruption and a culture of relative impunity. The bodies mentioned include the High Commission for the Coordination of Anti-Corruption Activities (HACLC), the National Ethics Committee (NEC) and the Public Accounts Court (PAC).

Analysis of the judiciary's role in handling a string of corruption scandals in 2004-05 as well is provided, as well as details of the judiciary's own role in corrupt practices.

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