Speech by the Hon. Minister of State for Ethics and Integrity

At

The signing of the United Nations Convention Against Corruption

Mérida, Mexico,

9-11 December 2003

Office of the President

Republic of Uganda

The President to the Conference

Representatives of states and governments

Distinguished participants,

Ladies and Gentlemen.

I bring you greetings from the Pearl of Africa.

On behalf of the Government of Uganda and on behalf of the delegation, which I lead, I wish to express our gratitude for being part of this historical event of signing the first ever global Convention Against Corruption.

Mr. President, allow me to express our gratitude to the organizers both at the UN and the national organizing committee of our host country Mexico, for a job well done.

As we know, corruption knows no boundaries and cannot be tackled by a single national action alone.

The convention we are signing today is a mark of our recognition of the fact that we need a common understanding and agreement, which is comprehensive and legally binding to deal with the issue that is global and intricate.

Uganda is ready to play its role in ensuring its implementation.

By appending our signatures to the global anti corruption instrument today, we are pronouncing that each country present here, be it big or small, developed or developing, should henceforth undertake to meet its own obligations and to support other signatory States in implementing the various provisions of the Convention.

This is essential if the objectives of the UN convention against corruption are to be achieved.

Appreciating with gratitude that the return of looted property is cardinal to the convention, we have no doubt that all nations of the world, will hereafter rise to the occasion and honor this important clause.

Uganda as any other developing country is confident that our national anti-corruption efforts, will be supported and facilitated by other signatories, through the Convention, to tackle bribery by multi-national businesses, and the use of world financial centers as havens for the proceeds of largescale corruption.

This will help us all, to establish the necessary mechanisms for tracing and returning looted assets.

In the same vein developed nations will use the convention for self-benefit but for assisting us the developing world recover what dully belongs to us, so that we use it, for our own development.

Uganda is aspiring for a self-reliant society, sharing common ethical values, standards and unity of purpose enjoying sustainable development, resulting from good governance and strong effective institutions and systems.

Our mission therefore is to strengthen the accountability systems and to mainstream ethical conduct and Integrity in all sectors of public life.

However, building such systems is a process that takes long and requires a rigorous, consistent and highly motivated approach that tackles many factors in tandem. We are ready for the task.

We are very well aware that corruption diverts resources from poverty reduction programs and also distorts priorities.

We are putting in place mechanisms intended to check on the objective conditions that expose our people to the vagaries of corruption.

We are serious partners in the recently enacted Africa Union Convention against corruption and also committed actors to all other international efforts.

We see anti-corruption strategies as central to the development of Uganda and therefore we look at all Conventions against Corruption as a real opportunity to further our collective efforts.

It is against this backdrop that we wholeheartedly append our signature to the United Nations Convention against corruption today.

It is our sincere conviction that when what we are endorsing today, is put into practice tomorrow, there is no reason why all the nations of the world, should not get value for their resources and make it possible for its poor countries to get out of their poverty.

I thank you all for listening to me.

For God and my County.