The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) - Regional Bureau for Arab States, in collaboration with Global Affairs Canada, is proud to host a regional conference in Amman, Jordan on 19 and 20 March 2023 to officially launch the Regional Women’s Alliance for Anti-Corruption and Integrity in Arab countries (WAIA).

The two-day conference will bring together women leaders from politics and the public sector, civil society and the private sector, as well as academia and the media. The launch will also be attended by experts from regional and international organizations, senior public officials responsible for developing and implementing national anti-corruption strategies as well as sectoral anti-corruption policies and programs and representatives from the Arab Anti-Corruption and Integrity Network (ACINET).

The conference will constitute a space for the WAIA Regional Alliance members to showcase their findings after a series of preparatory regional and national meetings conducted since the launch of the initiative in April 2022. The discussion will build upon the conclusions to develop recommendations for countries aiming to integrate gender perspectives in their national anti-corruption and integrity strategies, policies, and sectoral programs especially in the health, education and social support sectors.

Additionally, the conference aims to activate regional and national platforms that will help accelerate the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), especially SDG 16 and SDG 5. This objective will be achieved by strengthening the capabilities of the Alliance members through research, training, and technical advice, as well as by providing support to decision makers and officials in relevant ministries and agencies.

The panels will reflect upon:

• The Nexus between Gender, Corruption, and the Sustainable Development Goals
• Good Practices and Lessons Learned on Integrating Gender Perspectives in National Integrity and Anti-Corruption Strategies
• The Development of Regional Guidelines on Gender Responsive National Integrity and Anti-Corruption Strategies
• Sectoral Specificities in Understanding and Tackling the Nexus of Gender and Corruption
• Gender Responsive Entry Points and Approaches to Strengthen Integrity and Anti-Corruption in Health, Education and Social Affairs