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The session of the Conference of the States Parties to the United Nations Convention against Corruption has opened in St Petersburg. Delegations from all countries party to this UN convention were invited to the conference. Russia is represented at the event by Chief of Staff of the Presidential Executive Office Sergei Ivanov, Justice Minister Alexander Konovalov, and officials from relevant agencies responsible for anti-corruption work. The conference will continue until November 6.
The participants will discuss key issues such as the role business plays in fighting corruption, restitution of illegally acquired assets and preventing bribery, public and private sector cooperation on corruption prevention, effective state anti-corruption strategies, and preventing corruption in sports, environmental matters, and the education sector. As well as plenary sessions, the event programme includes meetings, seminars and round tables, and meetings of representatives of organisations responsible for anti-corruption efforts in their own countries.
The event began with a minute of silence to honour the memory of the victims of a Russian passenger plane crash in Egypt.
In his remarks at the opening, Chief of Staff of the Presidential Executive Office Sergei Ivanov noted that it is not enough for the state authorities alone to fight corruption: business also has to join these efforts. “It is not just well-honed legal provisions and decisive measures by the state authorities that are important for fighting corruption. The business community can and must also make a big contribution to this common effort”, Mr Ivanov said.
Mr Ivanov noted that, “In Russia, we have developed a corruption prevention system that is based on our country’s legal culture and takes into account our historical and socioeconomic development, along with society’s actual needs and interests”. Mr Ivanov spoke about some of Russia’s anti-corruption laws and rules, for example, public disclosure of officials’ property and assets, and monitoring of their income and spending. Mr Ivanov said that other anti-corruption measures include removing administrative barriers and red tape, and using modern forms of state service provision, including on-line services, which rule out possibilities for officials’ arbitrary actions or decisions. Mr Ivanov cited too the positive step of establishing a presidential commissioner to protect entrepreneurs’ rights, with the aim of ensuring greater protection for businesspeople.
Mr Ivanov read out a message of greetings from President Vladimir Putin at the session. The President noted in his message that corruption is one of the biggest global problems and an issue that concerns all countries. It destabilises countries’ economies, violates human rights, undermines the principle of justice and creates social tension. “Russia is actively involved in the international dialogue on a broad range of anti-corruption issues and is ready to share best practice and the experience it has gained”, the President said.
The UN Convention against Corruption was adopted on October 31, 2003, and entered into force on December 14, 2005 and is the world’s only universal legally binding agreement on fighting corruption. The 177 countries party to the convention have committed themselves to passing anti-corruption laws and taking anti-corruption measures in state institutions and legal practice.
November 2, 2015, St Petersburg