A two-day anti-corruption conference opened today in Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina, to coincide with the International Day against Corruption, 9 December, and the tenth anniversary of the adoption and opening for signature of the United Nations Convention against Corruption. The meeting is being organized by the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) in partnership with the Ministry of Security of Bosnia and Herzegovina, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the European Commission (EC).
The conference brings together anti-corruption experts and civil society representatives from the region to take stock of anti-corruption efforts, policies and strategies to date, and to identify areas for improvement, particularly in light of the European Union (EU) accession process.
UNODC works in the region through its Regional Programme for South Eastern Europe, which has a strong focus on the “Balkan Route” of Afghan opiates and related challenges, including corruption and bribery. The compliance of legislation of countries in the region with the requirements of the United Nations Convention against Corruption is also being reviewed within the framework of the Review of Implementation Mechanism of the Convention.
“Corruption fuels and enables transnational organized crime and drug trafficking,” said UNODC Executive Director Yury Fedotov in his address to the conference. “UNODC’s partnership with the European Commission and with local governments is an important one, and I hope that we can continue to work together on these and related challenges.”
“Corruption remains one of the biggest challenges for all societies, including in enlargement countries, but EU Member States are also far from being corruption free”, said Joost Korte, Deputy Director General, Directorate General for Enlargement, European Commission (EC).
“An effective fight against corruption is of crucial importance to our country and citizens”, said the Minister of Security of Bosnia and Herzegovina Fahrudin Radoncic. “Strengthening the rule of law, with full implementation of EU standards and the development of regional cooperation, will ultimately have a key impact on the achievement of long-term stability, democracy and economic development in all countries of South-Eastern Europe, as well as on the fight against poverty,” he added.
Corruption also has a severe impact on the economy and increases costs for companies. A recent European Commission-funded UNODC study, “Business, Corruption and Crime in the Western Balkans”, showed that that corruption plays a significant role in the daily business of many companies in the western Balkans. On average, across the region, one in ten businesses that had contact with public officials paid bribes over a 12-month period, at a hefty average price of 880 EUR per bribe.
Ms. Zahira Virani, Deputy Resident Representative, UNDP stressed that corruption directly impedes development and deters people from realizing their full potential. “In survey after survey, the UN has found that corruption-related grievances rank amongst the top concerns of citizens in Bosnia and Herzegovina,” she said. “The UNODC report of 2010 shows that 1 in 5 citizens have paid a bribe. Thus, it is encouraging to see that the countries in this region are committing to liberate themselves from corruption.”
“For continued success, we need the firm commitment of all nations to reject corruption and for all national laws to be in line with the United Nations Convention against Corruption,” said Yury Fedotov. “We also need the voices of governments, civil society, academia and the public to join in the condemnation of corruption wherever it arises”, he concluded.
