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Transparency International Vanuatu (TIV) officials, Officers from Ombudsman’s Office and Right To Information (RTI) Office and a Vanuatu Electoral Office (VEO) representative are on Malekula doing public awareness on Voter education, corruption and its effects on the communities and human right to public information. The high point of this community awareness and educational program will include a combined presentation to the MALAMPA Provincial Government Councilors on 31 October, 2025. The topic on focus in this training will be on the Vanuatu National Leadership Code, the mandatory Annual Return that our estimated 500 designated Leaders have to submit annually and other important information about the functions of the Ombudsman Office. According to the VEO, in recent past national and provincial elections, there has been poor voter turnout and this is especially so in urban and semi-urban areas of the country. This awareness must educate the population about the importance of casting your vote, the power of a vote and the fact that a vote can make a change for the betterment of a community. The importance of our estimated 500 Leaders knowing and adhering to the National Leadership Code is crucial to the standards that they maintain in their everyday lives. As elected Leaders, these individuals must live by the national Leadership Code. This is a legal requirement. The Ombudsman is responsible for enforcing this Leadership Code. This program will train our Provincial Councilors to know and live by this Code. Our Leaders are also required to submit and annual return every year. This program will help our Leaders know the importance of this issue. The RTI Office was set up in 2017. Very few citizens in the provinces and rural areas know about the right to public information or how they can access information concerning their communities. The RTI Management team has been doing a lot of community awareness in the islands and this combined program is to support this awareness program. TIV is happy to work with these Integrity Institutions to support their visibility, usefulness and effectiveness. TIV would like to see these institutions being accessed and utilised. The combined awareness is an effort to empower our citizens out there to make better judgements and decision that affect their daily lives. Our Vision - The vision of Transparency Vanuatu is that Vanuatu be a place in which government, politics, business, civil society and the daily lives of its people are free of corruption. Our Mission - Our Mission is to stop corruption and promote transparency, accountability and integrity at all levels and across all sectors of our society. Our Values - Our Core Values are: transparency, accountability, integrity, solidarity, courage, justice and democracy. These Core Values are linked with the six values enshrined in our Constitution: Respect, Dedication, Justice, Honesty, Responsibility, and Concern. CORRUPTION- What is corruption?– Transparency International defines corruption as “the abuse of entrusted power for private or personal gain”.
