Good News for Iraq UN to Help Rid the Country of Corruption
The UN Development Program has declared its assistance to Iraq in combatting corruption and promoting integrity, with the goal of improving its ranking in periodic corruption assessments. Meanwhile, the Arab Network for Strengthening Integrity and Anti-Corruption suggests persistent efforts to develop and implement cohesive national strategies that encourage community involvement and reflect values such as the rule of law, proper governance of public affairs and assets, honesty, transparency, and responsibility.
Iraq is the 154 least corrupt nation out of 180 countries, according to the 2023 Corruption Perceptions Index reported by Transparency International.
In the end, the Network praised the progress made in developing public policies promoting integrity and combating corruption at the regional meeting held in Baghdad from 3 to 5 June. The concerned parties need to deepen and expand this approach.
At its forum, "Enhancing Cooperation for Successful National Anti-Corruption Efforts," under the patronage of Prime Minister Mohamed Shia Al-Sudani, the Network emphasized the significance of utilizing efficient methods to monitor, assess, and track the execution of national strategies aimed at promoting integrity and fighting corruption. This includes incorporating relevant indicators from both international and national sources.
150 individuals representing 12 countries attended the Network forum, which stressed the need for proactive approaches to combat corruption by building capacity and supporting initiatives to fill legislative gaps in various fields and protect the drafting of legal texts from corruption risks.
It also called for expanding the approach to strengthening ethics and behaviors in the public service to include political, administrative, and judicial fields, as well as more specialized fields as needed.
For his part, Chief of Staff Advisors Siblani, Director of the Regional Anti-Corruption Program at the United Nations Development Program (UNDP), said that "the voice must be loud and clear in the anti-corruption process," noting that "the Arab Network for Strengthening Integrity and Anti-Corruption is the platform through which the Arab region's voice can be heard in this important subject, in the form of political and technical messages."
As a result of the conference, six working groups were formed to create detailed concepts for six teams based on the development of joint cooperation mechanisms between countries, the development of training programs to overcome procedural obstacles, and the integration of integrity issues into health, education, and public transportation."
According to him, the United Nations Development Programme will assist Iraq in combating corruption and promoting integrity through periodic corruption indicators.
