Remarks
on the Convention Against Corruption
Paul
Balukas, President
Association
of Inspectors General
Mr. President, honored delegates and
members of the audience.
I would like to thank the United
Nations for this opportunity to make observations and comments regarding the
Convention against Corruption and of how the association of inspectors general
can assist in its implementation.
I am the President of the Association
of Inspectors General, a voluntary assembly of officially appointed Inspectors
General and their top staff members. Our membership includes inspectors general
in the
Some words about Inspectors General.
Offices of inspectors general are typically provided broad powers that allow
the Inspector General unlimited access to information needed to conduct a
thorough investigation - which is often backed up with authority to subpoena
the information through the courts. also, some
inspectors general are provided with police powers to make arrests and work
with local prosecutors.
The title, Inspector General, is not
accidental - it is given to a person of unquestioned integrity and
qualifications. An inspector general must be given total independence, free
from all political influence, to conduct investigations and audits on matters
which require scrutiny. "Inspector General" is meant to convey a
powerful position - one who will protect the interests of citizens. Most
inspectors general are given a specific area of responsibility. For example, I
am the inspector general of the New York State Department of Social Services -
the agency responsible for protecting and assisting the most vulnerable in our
society - when corruption strikes here it takes away from those most in need. I
have noted that some other nations have used the term ombudsman or have
commissions to deal with the problem of corruption. Our association welcomes
all entities devoted to investigating and exposing illegal acts in government.
With respect to the subject of this
conference, the Association firmly supports the Convention against Corruption
and has adopted a Resolution which states: "Therefore be It resolved, that
the association of inspectors general commends the united nations and the
participating governments for development of the convention; encourages all
nations to implement effective anti-corruption measures; recommends that such
measures include the implementation of the inspector general concept as a key
anti-corruption agency; commends to all nations the generally accepted
inspector general principles and standards developed by the association of
inspectors general, and offers to work with nations engaged in establishing and
strengthening anti-corruption measures". We believe
passage of the Convention
against Corruption represents a major event in pursuing the elimination of
corruption in governments around the world
The Association is well aware of the
pervasive nature of corruption as our members routinely investigate corrupt
officials in their role as investigators, auditors and inspectors of
governmental operations at all levels of government. A major role of an
Inspector General's office is to identify and provide useful recommendations
for the removal of corruption when it is discovered.
There has been much discussion here
about how best to implement the articles of this convention. It is easy to
preach on such a corrosive subject but how many nations are taking the steps
necessary to end the horrible effects of corruption on society? It is essential
that to make this convention meaningful, we must be willing to implement strong
proactive measures to prevent and root out corruption at all levels of
government along with establishing appropriate monitoring and oversight
functions. An inspector GENERAL also monitors and reports to the proper
governmental authorities (including prosecutorial authorities) on the success
and failures of the programs it oversees.
It is imperative that we stress the
oversight function in the war against corruption. It must be an integral tool
in the process developed to eliminate corruption where ever it occurs in
government. That includes internal governmental operations as well as well as
the policies and procedures governments use to acquire goods and services and contract
for capital construction projects. We believe the Convention against Corruption
will provide additional leverage in assisting Inspectors General where ever
they are based in the conduct of their work.
Our Association was formed to support
the work of inspectors general and, when requested, other oversight
organizations related to governmental operations. In pursuit of this goal we
have developed and adopted a set of professional principles and standards which
our membership is encouraged to follow as a condition of membership.
The association meets regularly to
discuss areas of mutual concern through conferences and seminars. Our
Association also provides networking opportunities, communications between
functioning oversight bodies and training to improve the oversight profession.
Lastly, we also assist governments, both in the
We believe that our Association may be
uniquely suited to materially assist in the implementation of the Convention against
Corruption and wish to be on record as offering to provide such assistance as
might be considered helpful. Therefore, please accept this statement as the
means by which that offer is extended.
We look forward to working with the
various organizations charged with the implementation of this convention.