As we mark International Anti-Corruption Day,

I reaffirm our firm commitment to integrity, transparency, and accountability in public life. The 2025 theme, “Unite with Youth Against Corruption, Shaping Tomorrow’s Integrity” reminds us that the future is built with and for our young people. This theme speaks directly to our shared responsibility to build a future that is fair, open, and prosperous for all.

We are committed to upholding the highest standards of honesty and ethical leadership at all levels of government. We believe that rules, processes, and decisions must be guided by what is right, not what is expedient. We uphold that Government operations, budgets, procurement, and public service delivery must be open to scrutiny. Furthermore, we believe that citizens deserve timely, clear, and accurate information to hold us to account. We also affirm that Public Officials must answer for their actions, with clear consequences for wrongdoing, and we must cultivate a culture that protects whistleblowers and encourages reporting of corruption.

As Leader of the Opposition, I am cognizant that our future lies with the Country’s young people. We must actively engage our youth in anti-corruption education, policy development, and public oversight, ensuring their voices shape the future we build together.

We must promote ethics education in both our Primary and Secondary schools, and in our Community College, to cultivate a generation that champions integrity. Additionally, we have to encourage and participate in youth-led monitoring and transparency initiatives, recognizing our young leaders who exemplify integrity every day.

Let us unite across party lines, across Islands, across communities, and across generations, to reaffirm that integrity is the foundation of trust, democracy, and good governance. By standing together with our youth, we can shape a future where opportunities are earned through accountability, where public resources serve the common good, and where the rule of law guarantees equal rights and fair treatment for all.

On this International Anti-Corruption Day, I invite every private citizen, every public servant, every civil society group, and every young person to join us in this national commitment, as we shape a brighter, more transparent Turks and Caicos Islands for all.

Thank you.

Hon. Edwin A. Astwood
Leader of the Opposition