Speaker of the Shura Council H E Hassan bin Abdullah Al Ghanim (centre), Chairman of the Administrative Control and Transparency Authority Hamad bin Nasser Al Misned (left) and Executive Director of the UN Institute for Training and Research Nikhil Seth during the parliamentary dialogue organised by Global Organization of Parliamentarians Against Corruption.
Doha: The Global Organization of Parliamentarians Against Corruption (GOPAC) held yesterday in Doha its 2023 parliamentary dialogue under the chairmanship of GOPAC Chairman H E Dr. Ali bin Fetais Al Marri.
Held on the occasion of the 20th anniversary of the United Nations Convention Against Corruption (UNCAC), the event brought together Speaker of the Shura Council H E Hassan bin Abdullah Al Ghanim and a number of officials and representatives of UN agencies concerned with combating corruption.
In his inaugural speech, H E Dr. Al Marri stressed the importance of the parliamentarians’ role in combating corruption and implementing the convention, by supporting legislation that contributes to fighting corruption and intensifying oversight and accountability. The speaker highlighted the huge effects of the spread of corruption even in the most stable regimes, especially dragging nations into backwardness and ignorance, which incurs heavy losses by future generations.
He touched on live examples and clear evidence of the impact of corruption on development in different countries around the world, triggering poverty, ignorance and backwardness despite their enormous natural resources and wealth. His Excellency highlighted the State of Qatar’s efforts for development, dubbed by a number of international organizations as an economic miracle, alluding to the interest the country attaches to education and healthcare sectors, which was clearly reflected in the budgets earmarked to the two sectors.
H E Dr. Ali bin Fetais Al Marri touched on the 2009 Doha Meeting that reviewed the implementation of the UN Convention against Corruption, and the efforts made to endorse the Doha Mechanisms to implement the Convention and increase the effectiveness of monitoring over state parties to combat corruption.
At the end of his speech, His Excellency extended thanks to Speaker of the Shura Council H E Hassan bin Abdullah Al Ghanim, hailing his presence at the opening of the dialogue as a support for the efforts of parliamentarians in combating corruption.
Chairman of the Administrative Control and Transparency Authority H E Hamad bin Nasser Al Misned appreciated the GOPAC’s efforts to combat corruption and implement the UN Convention, pointing out in this context that corruption is one of the serious threats to the security of societies and leads to obstructing development efforts, due to the association of various forms of corruption with forms of organised crime such as terrorism, money laundering, and drug trafficking.
H E Al Misned said that the UNCAC laid the foundations for addressing corruption through a coherent speech for local, regional and international action, by setting a number of preemptive measures that countries take to prevent corruption, reiterating the importance of parliamentarians’ role in combating corruption thanks to the powers of parliaments and legislative assemblies in terms of accountability at the level of procedures and support for the common goals of combating corruption as a serious scourge impeding growth and progress of countries and threatening international peace and security.
President of the Administrative Control and Transparency Authority touched on the efforts of the State of Qatar to implement the UNCAC, by strengthening cooperation between the states parties to the Convention, and working to take a number of measures and recommendations, pointing out in this context that the State of Qatar will review in mid-March its current implementation of the Convention and the most prominent measures in this aspect.
Executive Director of the UN Institute for Training and Research Nikhil Seth hailed the UN Institute’s role in supporting parliamentarians in combating corruption and implementing the UNCAC. The parliamentarians represent a moderate voice that works to enhance levels of integrity and credibility, reveal corruption and take the necessary measures in this regard, which needs them to show further support and cooperation, he said.
