Our Journey Through Time
Explore the evolution of ITAC conferences from 2021 to 2024, showcasing our commitment to advancing transparency, accountability, and democratic governance across Africa and beyond.
1,250
People Reached
Across all ITAC events
4
Years
Of impactful conferences
200+
Experts
Speakers and panelists
25+
Countries
Represented globally
Previous ITAC Conferences
Each conference has built upon the last, creating a legacy of meaningful dialogue, innovative solutions, and lasting partnerships in the pursuit of democratic excellence.
Fostering Effective Public Procurement Systems for Sustainable Development in Africa
ITAC 2024's central theme, which was demand-driven by the participants of 2023's ITAC, focused on fostering effective public procurement systems for sustainable development in Africa. The theme underscores the vital role that transparent, accountable, and efficient procurement systems play in advancing and promoting sustainable development across the continent.
Global Context
Procurement is a critical area in sustainable development but procurement is a potential risk area for corruption and fraudulent transactions as it also consumes a huge part of the government budgets. For example, in Tanzania, about 70% of the annual budget is spent on procurement-related activities. Globally, about 9.5 USD trillion is spent annually on procurement-related transactions, while in Africa, procurement-related activities consume about 15% of the GDP.
Key Recommendations
Strengthening Accountability on Climate Action
ITAC 2023's central focus was to enhance accountability in climate action, a mission supported by both national and international calls for addressing the impacts of climate change. Consequently, this theme was not only timely but also seamlessly aligned with ongoing global efforts to combat the challenges posed by climate change.
SDG Alignment
The thematic focus of ITAC 2023 is in perfect harmony with a number of significant objectives outlined in the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs 2030), particularly Goals 1, 13, and 16. SDG 1 is oriented towards the elimination of poverty through the promotion of fair and equal access to vital services and economic resources. SDG 13 underscores the imperative for comprehensive international action in response to climate change and for the incorporation of climate-related strategies into policy frameworks. Moreover, among other significant goals, SDG 16 emphasizes on the establishment of accountable and robust institutions.
Meaningful civic participation towards bringing sustainable development
ITAC 2022 was focused on building strong State and Non-state actors engagement that can improve learning and the effort to achieve sustainable development. A consideration was, among other things, the citizens' participation in the decision-making processes from local to national levels. The ITAC 2022 theme mentioned earlier was intended to instigate participants' views and opinions on issues that hinder meaningful civic participation in realizing this transformation.
Key Focus Areas
Moreover, the power dynamics in public participation and the principles of civic participation in the transparency and accountability space in bringing about sustainable development in line with the framework of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), etc. were explored.
Key Discussion Topics
Transformation into a culture of total transparency and accountability
This theme provided a broader platform for participants to explore and discuss on issues that impede the flourishing of the culture of transparency and accountability in the country. The conference provided participants with a platform to discuss issues regarding transparency and accountability in the country and explore further mechanisms that will ensure public resources are effectively collected and utilized to bring a meaningful and inclusive development which will benefit all citizens.
Conference Purpose
The main purpose of the International Transparency and Accountability Conference 2021 in Arusha was to provide participants with a high-level overview of the transparency and accountability global trends and practices in the collection and use of public resources. The topics presented focused on the provision of timely, high quality, cost-effective service delivery for citizens by holding duty bearers accountable for their actions.
Conference Approach
ITAC 2021 was organized to incorporate a variety of well-planned sessions integrating global trends, best practices, success stories, case studies, panel discussions, delivered by highly qualified and competent resource persons from diverse backgrounds in order to promote interdisciplinary learning and help in hastening the transformation process thereby ushering our society into a total culture of transparency and accountability.
Building on Our Legacy
The journey from 2021 to 2024 has laid a strong foundation for ITAC 2025. Each conference has contributed to our understanding of transparency, accountability, and democratic governance, preparing us for the next chapter with the theme "Enhancing Electoral Accountability and Participation for Strengthening Democracy in a Digital Age".