Doha: The Doha-hosted United Nations Conference on Anti-Corruption (UNCAC COSP11) represents a consequential milestone in global anti-corruption efforts and has a profound impact on strengthening the efforts of Arab countries in this field, Regional Chief Technical Advisor on Anti-Corruption and Integrity at UNDP Regional Hub for the Arab States, Arkan El Seblani, said.
According to Qatar News Agency, El Seblani stressed that anti-corruption issues and deliberating on them on the broader global stage are very essential, as corruption is linked to development, stability, and peace in the world and the region in particular. This, he highlighted, prompts concerted efforts to advance anti-corruption national strategies and bolster the nations' capabilities to follow up on implementing UNCAC.
El Seblani further noted that the Doha conference contributes to boosting national and institutional capabilities to shift anti-corruption from a narrow technical or technological issue to a core matter which is deeply rooted in public policies and decision-making processes. Speaking about the role undertaken by UNDP in backing Arab countries in the anti-corruption area, El Seblani emphasized that the programme is operating on the field in all Arab countries, supporting an array of programs and initiatives related to governance and combating corruption.
The support UNDP affords is structured into a trifecta of themes, primarily helping advance legislations and build essential capacities for enforcement, including the right to access information, prevent conflicting interests, as well as criminalize corruption and other relevant legal frameworks. The second theme, he noted, is connected with sectoral work, through incorporating the principles of integrity and transparency into critical sectors such as health, education, water, electricity, and transportation, with the objective of corruption-proofing these sectors and strengthening their effectiveness in providing services to citizens.
El Seblani elaborated that UNDP is working on the third theme as part of fostering Arab nations-led efforts in pursuit of backing civil society organizations and the private sector to be an effective part of these efforts and discussions. He stressed that combating corruption is a shared responsibility shouldered by all community members, which broadly requires parties' engagement and forging an all-hands-on-deck approach.