Jordan's PM urges worldwide effort to combat corruption

The Associated Press
Sunday, December 10, 2006
AMMAN, Jordan

Jordanian Prime Minister Marouf al-Bakhit on Sunday urged stepped up international efforts to combat corruption, saying it had reached unprecedented levels and played a significant role in global terrorism.

"Corruption of its various sorts has a strong link to organized crime, including drugs, human trafficking, terrorism, arms smuggling, illegal immigration and the misuse of authority, al-Bakhit said.

"Therefore, international cooperation, experience-sharing, information exchange and consolidating technical assistance between countries, international organizations and civil society institutions is highly significant and a human duty," he asserted.

Al-Bakhit said global corruption reached "unprecedented levels." Quoting World Bank figures, he said bribery is estimated at US$1 trillion (€750 million) each year.

"The money spent on bribery is 10 times the international assistance available for development, which makes us realize the seriousness and gravity of the crime of corruption.

Al-Bakhit made the remarks at the opening of a four-day U.N.-sponsored anti-corruption conference on the Jordanian shores of the Dead Sea.

Some 500 participants from 125 countries are reviewing the U.N. Convention Against Corruption, the first legally binding international anti-corruption tool, which came into force on Dec. 14, 2005.

So far, 140 countries have signed the convention and 80 have ratified it to become full-fledged parties.

It addresses corruption in both the public and private sectors and requires countries to criminalize money laundering, bribery, embezzlement of public funds, and obstruction of justice.

Participants include government ministers, civil society representatives and the private sector, who are examining ways to enforce compliance with the convention, asset recovery and technical assistance to build national capacity to combat corruption.

They are also seeking to strengthen legal cooperation between countries in gathering evidence for use in trials and extradition proceedings are also under discussion.

Conference host Jordan, which ratified the convention on Feb. 24, 2005, is among seven Arab countries that are party to the convention, including Egypt, Kuwait, Yemen, Djibouti, Libya and Algeria.

Last Monday, Jordan's ruler, King Abdullah II, issued a royal decree approving the country's anti-corruption commission law, endorsed by parliament in September. It establishes an official body in Jordan entrusted with combating public sector corruption in line with the U.N. convention.

The commission is expected to have a free mandate to pursue current and former officials who are suspected of being involved in corruption.

http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2006/12/10/africa/ME_GEN_Jordan_U.N._Anti_Corruption.php