Integrity must for obtaining fund

Transparency and accountability must be ensured to obtain global fund to mitigate and adapt to the threats of climate change, said speakers at a seminar yesterday.

"We need to ensure that there is participation in the accountability process," Iftekharuzzaman, executive director of Transparency International, Bangladesh (TIB) told reporters at a seminar on "Integrity Dialogue on Climate Change Adaptation Finance: Transparency, accountability and Participation".

He said that Bangladesh will not get funds because it is a climate change affected nation and needed to prove that it used the fund responsibly for the victims of climate change.

The accountability process should include all stakeholders including government, private sectors, civil society organisation along with directly-affected communities, he added.

TIB organsied the dialogue which had four sessions and was attended by national and international experts from 12 countries including Bangladesh, at the Bangabandhu International Conference Centre (BICC).

Masud Ahmed, comptroller and auditor general (CAG) of Bangladesh, and the chief guest of the closing event, said that his office carried out 112 audits of climate-related projects.

The CAG said that though most of the audits had observations, the funds in general are being spent with due diligence.

Ahsan Uddin Ahmed, independent member of Green Climate Fund Technical Advisory, however, noted the lack of sufficient public disclosure of funds for climate-related projects.

"There is no information on where the projects are being implemented, why it was chosen and how far the projects have progressed," he said, stressing the need to bring climate related projects under mandatory audit requirement. 

He added that without such practise of public information disclosure, it would be difficult to get any future adaptation funds. 

Annaka Peterson Carvalho from Oxfam, USA, also spoke at the session.

The day-long event also highlighted the need for transparency and accountability on the part of developed countries.

Speakers urged the developed countries to fully implement their commitment abiding by the principle that polluters pay the affected developing countries climate finance as grant and not as loan.

They also suggested using digital technology for disclosure of climate finance-related information to ensure transparency and accountability of all stakeholders.