Land Corruption and Solutions
Hey Delegates! As this year’s topics have to do with technology and corruption I decided to share a post that reflects on both of these topics.
As the African continent remains an area where many forms of internet technology have yet to penetrate local markets, there are significant opportunities to tackle the region’s many issues through collaboration between private actors and governments. One of these problems has to do with government record keeping; countries like Rwanda not only have constant legal battles over property rights mostly to do with unclear laws regarding property, but also because of the simple task of maintaining clear records, zoning laws, and boundaries. When these documents are written up, they are often illegally modified by corrupt officials or destroyed. New projects such as the mobile phone-based money transfer company M-Pesa in Kenya have demonstrated how to implement low cost solutions to systematic problems by using the internet.
As blockchain technology continues to improve, government record keeping is an area where this technology could be implemented. Blockchain is used to record data; it’s most valuable attribute is that the data is distributed among thousands of computers, so by virtue of design, it is impossible to tamper with or delete the ledger while being accessible to everyone. Since the main issue with property rights is tampering with official documents, this technology could provide documentation that is out of the reach of corrupt government officials. It also everyone to view the records meaning more transparency and less contention between individuals.
The main challenges are bureaucratic; under president Paul Kagame, the economy has boomed, but political freedoms and transparency are threatened by the leader’s government. There has been a willingness to implement technological reforms, but if they come at the cost of maintaining power, it is unlikely the government will participate.
While cybersecurity remains a key concern especially concerning government documents, we must be aware of the sovereign right of nations to possess their official records and consider the backlash to imposing such technology without proper incentives. The Republic of Chad believes that advocating for the implementation of blockchain and cryptocurrency technologies to assist in data protection is feasible if it is done by major companies in our nations prior to an implementation by the government. Numerous companies have taken to using blockchain technology specifically financial firms, that have found it useful to use blockchain to expedite otherwise taxing procedures while upholding security of transactions. With these companies interacting with governments it may be possible for the technology to diffuse once governments realize the numerous benefits that this technology possesses. Chad believes that there is already a sign of hope that such technology be implemented because in October a Swiss cybersecurity company and Microsoft partnered with the land registry of Rwanda along with 17 other African nations to begin investing in such technologies at the municipal level. Such success can be replicated at a national level, if companies continue to keep an open dialogue and partnership with administrations to diffuse such technologies. However, Chad would like to reiterate the threats of international influence and cautions nations to firmly maintain their sovereignty in such processes y consulting national experts to ensure that such technology is safe and its implementation will not adversely impact the wellbeing of the nation. It is also important to note that governments can utilize blockchain technology to hide information and keep internal communications secure, therefore acting against the interest of transparency. This must be addressed if blockchain technology is implemented as a solution via the establishment of local and regional observers who can continue to authenticate formal documents without the technology.
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ReplyDeleteIn many African nations, there is a dearth of open information available about industry profits, government spending, and policy outcomes; this ultimately prevents efficient action from taking place. Nigeria therefore believes that it is crucial for citizens to demand access to the information that they feel is necessary to improving their lives. Unfortunately, catch-22 environments conducive to fraud and secrecy make this not so easy: combating bureaucratic barriers to transparency and fair documentation thus entails taking advantage of the Internet and mobile technology, as these are some of the most powerful and advantageous means of establishing good governance.
ReplyDeleteDigital tools can enlist the eyes and ears of citizens, preventing public problems from coming about with impunity. Ensuring that property rights are protected falls near the top of the list of issues that technology bears the capacity to safeguard. It is not unusual for citizens to pay bribes during land administration processes. Customary laws often deny women their land rights, and land corruption hits the poor and marginalized hardest. Perhaps most concerning is the tendency for land corruption to stunt development in rural areas; for young people, land bribes and unfair laws can sap entrepreneurial spirit and restrict access to employment, driving migration to overcrowded urban centers.
Limited access to land especially affects women, particularly in rural communities where women depend on cash crops for profit. Nigeria sees that blockchain technology would be put to the best use if certain blockchain programs specifically focused on women. Women’s land rights should be brought to the forefront of our overarching objective to take advantage of technology that reduces public sector corruption.
Ultimately, the role of government is to work on the behalf of the people and provide oversight on matters that significantly impact their lives. Nigeria is in full understanding of this. As the Republic of Chad brings up, technology can also act against the best interest of transparency; moving forward, solutions should revolve around safeguarding against such situations while also efficiently progressing in the direction to which we turn our heads. We believe that African governments may most effectively fulfill this role when their activities are open and transparent to citizens.
As the rise of the 21st century occurs, so does come the rise to advanced technologies, such as ICT Technology, agricultural integration, and even the smaller points of digital enterprise. Although a majority of African nations are developing, there is a distinct increase towards technology development, specifically geared towards individual prosperity. But of all of the technological advancements, one key point to devalue technology as a whole is the issue of cybersecurity. Within developing nations, cybersecurity has been as an integral yet undervalued topic considering the high levels of corruption and the increased support to other key topics. As a staunch supporter for technological investments, the Arab Republic of Egypt holds strong support towards the decrease of cybersecurity. With speculative governmental spending, the rise to advanced technologies is heavily needed within governmental systems to ensure greater transparency between the government and the common population. The Egyptian government currently utilizes centralized internet infrastructure and fiber-optic cables as a way to revolutionalize their moments of dire integration. With overall poverty levels impeding within the nation, Egypt has made constant efforts to take technology as a mode of action to diminish levels yet increase availability. All of the telecommunication technologies are state-owned by Telecom Egypt, but with rise to terrorism, is still skeptical of such advancements but believes that for their own policy, technology is the voice of the future. However, in response to it, they have integrated several bodies and organizations, including VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) and the NTRA (National Telecommunications Regulatory Authority). As a result, Egypt remains confident that technology being integrated not only to our governments, but the overall economy, remains imperative towards political and economic improvements.
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