The Fight Against Corruption is a Common International Responsibility: Strengthening the Cooperation Mechanisms in the Asia Pacific Region
It is indeed my pleasure to be present here today at the Opening Ceremony of the second APEC workshop entitled "The Fight Against Corruption is a Common International Responsibility: Strengthening the Cooperation Mechanisms in the Asia Pacific Region". I would like to thank the Ministry of Justice of Peru and the organizing committee for sponsoring this most important APEC event. Given the topic it is especially fitting that participants of eminent international organizations such as the United Nations, ABD, OECD, IDB, INTERPOL, and representatives of civil society such as the American Bar Association and Transparency International are in attendance.
Globalization is a phenomenon that characterizes the current international scene. It can not be denied that globalization offers significant benefits to the Asia Pacific region. However it also generates challenges as well as new threats. And while the issue of corruption is not new; globalization has resulted in increased levels of exposure and new manifestations of corruption.
Corruption is a major obstacle to economic development, a large contributor to increasing costs of doing business, and a negative influence on business and economic relations between economies. And it affects both developing and developed economies.
Democracy is the only foundation for political stability and transparency. Democracy guarantees people's rights and provides for equal participation in open markets. Corruption - in all its forms - does not contribute to democracy; instead it is disruptive and harmful to the sustainability of democratic institutions. In the fight against corruption special attention should be paid to the modernization of the State, access to technology and education.
APEC Leaders have encouraged member economies to join the United Nations Convention against Corruption (UNCAC) and to work on developing efforts to implement the principles and provisions that this instrument states.
We all recognize that dealing with corruption demands international cooperation. And in order to address this APEC has been developing a series of actions. As noted earlier a major APEC anti-corruption priority is the prompt ratification, by the entire international community, of the UNCAC. It is a measure to deny safe haven to corrupt officials and the recovery of assets, increased international cooperation in processes of extradition, preparation of statements and initiatives on prevention, investigation, prosecution of corruption and illicit acts, bribery law, and law enforcement.
The Santiago Commitment to Fight Corruption and Ensure Transparency was agreed in 2004; the aim - to promote regional cooperation on extradition, mutual legal assistance and the recovery and return of proceeds of corruption. This commitment was an initiative of APEC's Business Advisory Council - ABAC.
APEC has also repeatedly underscored its commitment to prosecute acts of corruption, especially high-level corruption by holders of public office and those who corrupt them. As an outcome of the Workshop on Denial of Safe Haven: Asset Recovery and Extradition held in Shanghai in April 2006 APEC Ministers agreed to consider developing domestic measures, in accordance with member economy's legislation, to deny safe haven to corrupt individuals and also by implementing effective controls to deny access by corrupt officials to the international financial systems.
The importance of public-private coordination to fight corruption and ensure transparency can not be stressed enough. So in 2006 APEC agreed to deepen public-private partnerships by working with the APEC Business Advisory Council (ABAC) and business leaders to strengthen corporate governance with innovative strategies that would assure greater economic opportunities and prosperity.
In addition preventive measures and integrity systems in the fight against corruption were underscored and APEC members were urged to adopt and implement codes or norms of conduct aligned with the UNCAC.
In 2007 the Code of Conduct for Business was developed and endorsed. It provides practical guidance for private sector bodies to combat corruption and is focused on the prohibition of bribery. This was prepared in close consultation with the APEC Business Advisory Group.
Further concrete actions on the business code include a proposal to design a Pathfinder Initiative which would create a practical and effective implementation process. This project aims to encompass the design of a practical implementation plan for the Code of Conduct for Business and it will focus carefully on the needs of Small and Medium Enterprises.
At the same time APEC approved the Conduct Principles for Public Officials. It provides practical guidance for public sector bodies and officials on combating corruption, proscribing bribery, abuse of position and similar corrupt practices, and promotes integrity and transparency in the discharge of official duties.
In addition the Complementary Anti-Corruption Principles for the Public and Private Sectors was also launched. It is a higher level document designed to highlight the complementarity between the Code of Conduct for Business and the Conduct Principles for Public Officials.
In the field of anti-money laundering, APEC Leaders highlight the important role of the United Nations Convention against Corruption (UNCAC) as the first legally binding global instrument specifically targeted to fight the scourge of corruption. It was agreed that the implementation by our relevant economies of the principles of the United Nations Convention against Corruption clearly commit its parties to take appropriate measures to prevent money-laundering and laundering of proceeds of crime.
The APEC initiative - Thai Anti Money Laundering Workshop, which took place in Bangkok last August, is an excellent illustration of the work being done to advance our commitment towards a cleaner and more honest and transparent community in the Asia- Pacific region. The purpose of this workshop was to exchange best practices among relevant authorities in the APEC region and raise awareness by bringing money laundering and corruption to the forefront of APEC's anti-corruption agenda. It set minimum standards for effective implementation that will serve as a precedent and will be followed up in future APEC activities.
APEC's vision on anti-corruption strategies can not be complete without acknowledging that this is an international responsibility that requires joint efforts and sharing of experiences. APEC Ministers have encouraged the Anti-Corruption Task Force to strengthen cooperation with other international and regional organizations, as appropriate, including the United Nations, the World Bank, the Asian Development Bank (ADB), OECD, and INTERPOL. In particular, I would like to highlight the continuous participation and support to this task force of Transparency International and the ADB OECD Anti Corruption Initiative for the Pacific.
I do believe that the involvement of international organizations, as well as the private sector and civil society is enriching APEC's anti-corruption agenda.
In this regard permit me to emphasize that proper implementation of anti-corruption measures requires effective cooperative measures. The emergence of new technologies and the growth of the international flow of people and capital has facilitated the commission of trans-national crimes. As you no doubt know it is now common for evidence and the proceeds of crimes committed in one economy to be located in another. As a consequence criminals are evading justice by crossing borders.
The successful resolution of corruption is one which necessitates the involvement of all stakeholders. Therefore, the prevention and prosecution of serious crimes cannot be achieved without the reinforcement of effective international legal cooperation. By working together, we can do much to successfully fight corruption in all its forms.
Today's event will look to design and identify international measures to fight corruption. Under the Chairmanship of Peru this will continue as a priority. I encourage the Task Force and its members to intensify individual and joint actions to fight corruption, ensure transparency and increase cooperation with other multilateral institutions and exchange of information on implementation of domestic anti-corruption commitments.
International cooperation requires a comprehensive approach to effectively address this matter. Good governance, transparent legal regimes, open markets and comprehensive systems to fight corruption are also vital elements to attaining and sustaining economic development, growth, and prosperity.
In closing I am sure that the efforts deployed by APEC members will prove to be the way forward to develop innovative training and capacity building initiatives to fight corruption and ensure transparency while progressing APEC economic goals.
By working together, I am confident that APEC can make a difference in the fight against corruption and in the effort to ensure transparency, and promote development. The cost of corruption restrains economic growth. Corruption is a global problem which requires a global answer. And it is the responsibility of everyone present here today to help to build a culture of integrity.
Thank you.