The Anti-Corruption Day, December 9, is a day set aside by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) to raise awareness of the impact of corruption and the role of the United Nations Convention against Corruption (UNCAC) in combating and preventing it.

A statement issued by the GII, copied to the Ghana News Agency, stated that fighting corruption with young people was crucial if the world was going to make any real progress.

"Let us all pledge to live in a society free from corruption, where transparency, responsibility, accountability and openness are the cornerstones of national development," it said.

According to the UNODC, the theme is intended to highlight young people’s vital role in the fight against corruption.

The theme was also chosen to seamlessly fit into the eleventh session of the Conference of the States Parties (CoSP11) to the United Nations Convention against Corruption in Doha, Qatar in 2025.

The statement said at the CoSP11 young people would be expected to directly appeal to world leaders, urging them to support a future where they can thrive free from corruption.

It said the year’s commemoration coincided with the 2024 general elections during which social contracts on youth engagement and anti-corruption among other policy issues were made.

It noted that among the anti-corruption policy proposals made by the in-coming administration, which had a direct bearing on the youth include;

The statement called for a review of the Public Financial Management Act, 2016 (Act 921) and the Public Procurement Act 2003 (As Amended with Act 914) to prevent conflict of interest and insider dealing by politically exposed persons in the award of contracts.

It also called for the strengthening and enforcing of financial management practices and transactions to reduce corruption in the sports sector.

It suggested a review of the Computerised School Selection and Placement System (CSSPS) to address corruption in school placement, and make it merit-based.

The statement said in all, the in-coming Mahama Administration made 19 anti-corruption promises, 16 of which remotely impacted the youth and the above 3 directly affected the youth.

According to the 2021 population census conducted by the Ghana Statistical Service (GSS), 35 percent of the population was children between the ages of 0-14 years and 38 per cent were young people between the ages of 15-35 years.

It said Ghana’s population was said to be youthful with about 57 per cent of the population under the age of 25 years, yet very few were represented or play any role in decision-making or specifically in the fight against corruption.

"Therefore, there is a need for a conscious effort to define roles and mobilise the youth around the defined role in the fight against corruption," it said.

"The opportunity to actualize youth involvement in the fight against corruption is presented through the development of the second National Anti-Corruption Action Plan (NACAP 2)."

The statement said the effort would be expected to pay attention to prioritising the youth in order to secure a generation of anti-corruption change agents and champions.

"Today, GIl urges stakeholders to establish avenues for youth participation in anti-corruption activities to amplify and elevate the voice of young people in the fight against corruption and will create a platform for the youth to hold the government accountable for their anti-corruption promises," the statement said.