Six years ago, the author questioned whether Asia’s future could break from its past if corruption continued to distort public institutions, development outcomes, and public trust. On the International Day for Anti-Corruption, these concerns remain highly relevant as corruption in the form of state capture, bribery, abuse of power, and embezzlement continues to shape how resources are misappropriated, whose voices are heard, and decisions are made. Such corruption undermines climate resilience, diverts essential services, weakens economic competitiveness, and erodes social contracts.
In 2019, the importance of a systems approach to anti-corruption was highlighted, combining access to information, transparency tools, civic-tech innovations led by civil society, and the role of the private sector in promoting governance standards. In 2025, attention has shifted toward ethical leadership and political will as crucial levers to dismantle entrenched corruption in politics and economic affairs.
Across the Asia-Pacific, examples of integrity-driven leadership show that public integrity is both possible and transformative. Iloilo City in the Philippines demonstrates this with its resilience to extreme weather, which resulted from long-term, corruption-free investment in river rehabilitation, drainage, environmental protection, and sustainable urban planning. Transparent, evidence-based governance and participatory approaches involving communities, civil society, and businesses have strengthened public trust and institutional capacity, illustrating how integrity fosters development, resilience, and long-term planning.
Leadership is becoming polycentric, extending beyond traditional political institutions. In Nepal, Gen Z leaders have leveraged social media, civic tech, and collective mobilization to demand accountability and reshape public expectations. Youth-led initiatives, such as SpeakUp Nepal, Voyager AI in Mongolia, #Politicslk in Sri Lanka, and AI4Gov in the Philippines, are using technology to monitor government actions, enhance civic engagement, and streamline public services. These efforts show that integrity can emerge from new actors and platforms, turning citizen demands into practical governance outcomes.
The private sector also recognizes integrity as a strategic advantage. In the AI-driven digital economy, companies that adopt strong ethical standards gain trust from regulators, partners, and consumers, fostering fair competition and attracting investment. Conversely, firms that compromise on integrity face legal, reputational, and regulatory risks. High-quality data is essential to measure corruption and assess the impact of reforms, making integrity not only a moral imperative but a key business asset for sustainable growth and resilience.
Looking forward, accelerating progress against corruption requires a new governance frontier that prioritizes culture, leadership, and collective behavior alongside laws and systems. Anti-corruption practitioners must amplify leaders demonstrating integrity, leverage digitalization and AI for transparency, build open-government ecosystems, and rebuild public institution systems grounded in meritocracy, evidence-based decision-making, and accountability. By supporting visible and invisible leaders across governments, civil society, youth movements, social enterprises, and businesses, the Asia-Pacific can scale the conditions that allow integrity to flourish. On this International Day for the Elimination of Corruption, the call is not only to diagnose corruption but to elevate the leaders and practices already offering solutions to break the cycle of entrenched corruption.
