Need to move from political declarations to effective action in fighting corruption, says OSCE Chairperson Rama at high-level conference in Vienna
VIENNA/TIRANA, 7 July 2020 - Corruption is an issue that touches us all. We need to move from political declarations to effective action, said OSCE Chairperson-in-Office, Albania’s Prime Minister and Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs, Edi Rama, when remotely opening a two-day high-level conference “Good governance and the fight against corruption in the digital era” in Vienna.
“The only way to achieve zero tolerance is through concerted action at both national and international levels, so there is no weak spot, no chink in our armour. That is the aim of our discussion,” said Rama.
“I welcome the proposals of a number of participating States to update OSCE commitments, particularly in light of new technologies,” said Rama. “However, combating corruption is ultimately a question of political will. Important progress has been made, but we are still well short of the zero tolerance we aspire to.”
OSCE Secretary General Thomas Greminger said that corruption is a complex and ever-changing phenomenon. “One size fits all responses are ineffective and that is why it is so important we maintain an intense dialogue on these issues,” he said. “In the face of COVID-19, anti-corruption measures are urgently needed to increase transparency and introduce preventive safeguards, in particular to crisis-induced procurement. From whatever angle we look at the corruption challenges today, there can be no doubt that our collective action is more relevant than ever.”
Ghada Waly, Executive Director of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), said: “With COVID-19, corruption both large and small is posing new and greater risks to health, finances and the integrity of institutions, and threatening our ability to recover from the pandemic.”
“Measures to stimulate economic recovery and a return to business activity, as well as international assistance to developing countries, will be increasing in the next months,” said Waly. “Greater global vigilance and enhanced international cooperation to tackle corruption and money laundering, as well as to prevent aid misappropriation, are urgently needed.”
Some 200 high-level representatives from OSCE participating States, Partners for Co-operation, UNODC, and other international organizations, academia and civil society participated in the conference, which was held physically at the Hofburg, Vienna and via videoconferencing.