Statement
by H.E. Dr. Gholamali Khoshroo
Deputy
Foreign Minister of International and Legal
Affairs
Of
The
Islamic
In the Name of
Allah
The Compassionate, the Merciful
Mr.
President,
Distinguished
Delegates,
Ladies
and Gentlemen;
It
is an honor to participate in this highly important Conference dedicated to
signing the UN Convention against Corruption, as the First wide-ranging global
legal instrument against this scourge. May I first take this opportunity to
express my heartiest congratulations to you Mr. President, for presiding over
this high-level political Conference.
I
wish also to thank the Government and people of
My
special thanks and appreciations, on behalf of the Government of the Islamic
Republic of Iran, are extended to the Ad hoc committee for Elaboration of
the UN Convention against Corruption and the United Nations Secretariat for
the great job they managed to accomplish in due time.
Mr.
President,
Corruption
is one of the main feeding sources of organized crime. We are witnessing that
the crime of corruption not only hampers political stability, undermines economic
and social foundations, unravels cultural and moral values but also has devastating
effects on the rule of law and rendering of public services, such as education
and health . Undoubtedly, the crime of corruption
is a global phenomenon which occurs in both developed and developing countries
alike and which requires a global response and strategy.
I
cannot but call this signing Conference a "historic event." The
elaboration and finalization of an international treaty against corruption
indicate that the long overdue desire of the international community to develop
a Global Coalition against Corruption has now become a reality. We come together
to declare, and celebrate, our
Mr.. President.
Corruption
has different forms and manifestations. Although it varies from country to
country according to the level of economic development, and attitudes to it
differ from one culture to another, corruption is fundamentally the same evil
wherever it occurs.
It
is a matter of fact and experience that corruption may lead to dissatisfaction
among citizens which, in and of itself, could prepare the ground for national
upheavals. The spread of corruption among public officials is an indication
that the mechanisms of checks and balances shall be revisited. At the same
time, growing trend in corruption, if unfettered, will pose grave dangers
to democratic foundations of society as well as the fabric of civil society
in general; to put it briefly, corruption is a serious barrier to sustainable
development by undermining the rule of law, weakening the economy and diversion
of public resources.
Mr.
President,
The
links between corruption and other forms of organized crime, particularly
drug trafficking, money laundering and other economic crimes at both national
and international levels are very disturbing.
The international community has, in recent years, viewed with concern
the transnational dimensions of Corruption and its rapidly growing links with
transnational Criminal networks. Nowadays, no state, developed or developing,
can claim to stand immune from negative effects of this menace. Therefore
a collective campaign is necessary to prevent and suppress this scourge.
We
believe that the UN Convention against Corruption shall constitute the cornerstone
of a comprehensive combat against this enemy. Those victimized by corrupt
acts of public officials are most delighted by this convention, not only because
they feel relieved when they see corrupt officials under prosecution, but
also because they are given the possibility to see their stolen wealth returned
home. In this regard the Convention can and should provide the basis for the
widest possible measures of cooperation, including extradition, mutual legal
assistance, investigation and prosecution in relation to crime of corruption.
Above all, the Convention provids a legal framework for recovery and returning of funds
and assets of illicit origin to the legitimate owners.
The
countries of destination shall be held legally responsible to cooperate with
the victim states. We believe that the approach taken by each state towards
this tangible issue shows how serious they are in fighting corruption.
Mr.
President,
The
Islamic Republic of Iran has fully recognized the necessity of fighting Corruption
nationally and internationally;
At
the national level, the Islamic Republic of Iran has adopted and enforced
serious measures against corruption both in the private and public sectors
in recent years. In this context, an eight-point decree has been issued by
the Leader of the Islamic Republic of Iran which entrust the respective bodies
and authorities with the task of countering crime of Corruption throughout
the country.
The
Islamic Republic of Iran is constantly working on the development of new legislative
and executive instruments to make the fight against and prevention of corruption
more effective. Some such measures include:
-
Establishment of code of conduct for public officials,
-Establishment
of a Special Commission within the Parliament for monitoring all activities
of the executive and the judiciary,
-Establishment
of General Inspection Organization within the judiciary to oversee the activities
of the executive,
-Establishment
of a mechanism within the Parliament to record the assets of senior officials
and their immediate family members.
At
the international level, the Islamic Republic of Iran has actively participated
in all phases of elaboration of the Convention against Corruption. This new
instrument spells out how countries can improve their cooperation for combating
corruption and obviously this cooperation would not be possible without reinforcing
the technical cooperation internationally.
Mr.
President,
The
Convention is now open for signature. we have come a long way to demonstrate
our political will that by signing this convention, and its implementation
in the future, we would add a chapter to the history of humankind to mark
our strong determination for a more dynamic approach towards combating this
menace.
I
would like to take this opportunity to reaffirm the readiness of my Government
to enhance its cooperation with the concerned and interested countries and
international organizations on fighting Corruption.
Thank
you, Mr. President.