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UNIS/CP/417 |
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SECOND INTERAGENCY ANTI-CORRUPTION COORDINATION MEETING CONCLUDES IN VIENNA VIENNA, 3 July (UN Information Service) -- Steps to improve interagency coordination and ways to enhance the visibility of the United Nations and other international organisations in the fight against corruption both internally and externally were discussed at the second Interagency Anti-Corruption Meeting in Vienna on 1 and 2 July 2002, following the conclusion of the second session of the Ad Hoc Committee for the Negotiation of a Convention against Corruption. The UN Office of Internal Oversight Supervision (UNOIOS), UN Development Programme (UNDP), Office of Drug Control and Crime Prevention (ODCCP), including Centre for International Crime Prevention (CICP) and UN Drug Control Programme (UNDCP), Council of Europe, European Commission, World Bank, Inter-American Development Bank (IADB) and Transparency International reviewed their respective Fact Sheets on past, present and future anti-corruption activities to serve as a basis for future coordination. Participants concluded that the UN and its agencies, in co-operation with other international organisat- ions, must be at the forefront of the battle against fraud and corruption because of the negative impact that corruption has on many aspects of their missions. They agreed that corruption has to be tackled more vigorously both externally and internally as it presents grave financial, operational and reputational risks. Interagency co-ordination needs to be made a high priority to reduce duplication of efforts and increase impact and visibility in the fight against corruption. The meeting concluded that concerned organisations should have a clear and strong mandate for their integrity work, both internally and externally. To serve all of these ends, the Interagency Co-ordination process must be strengthened. In order to raise the profile of anti-corruption co-ordination, DESA, OIOS, UNDP and ODCCP saw the need to enhance mainstreaming of ethics and integrity within the UN. The Interagency Co-ordination Group recommended that the UN should continue managing the corruption risk internally, as well as to increase interagency co-ordination and collaboration needed for division of labour and specialisation. The Interagency Co ordination Group also recommends the elaboration of a UN anti-corruption strategy, anti-corruption action plan and measurable performance indicators, with CICP acting as the Group’s secretariat. The first Interagency Anti-Corruption Meeting took place in Vienna on 5 and 6 February 2002 during which representatives of attending United Nations agencies and other international organisations exchanged views on anti-corruption activities and discussed ways and means for enhanced coordination of anti-corruption activity. Agreement was reached on the continued collection of data on ongoing anti-corruption project with the use of a revised Fact Sheet. Such strengthened co-operation was the result of an initiative taken by Ms. Louise FrJ chette, the Deputy Secretary-General, who convened meetings in New York on United Nations co-ordination of anti-corruption activities on 2 and 26 November 2001. While it was agreed that ODCCP held the United Nations global legislative mandate on anti-corruption, it had become clear that there were a variety of anti-corruption initiatives by different United Nations agencies, which required co-ordination. * *** * |
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