EMBASSY OF THE PRINCIPALITY OF LIECHTENSTEIN

HIGH-LEVEL POLITICAL CONFERENCE

FOR THE PURPOSE OF SIGNING

THE UNITED NATIONS CONVENTION AGAINST CORRUPTION

STATEMENT

BY

H.E. MS. CLAUDIA FRITSCHE,

AMBASSADOR OF THE PRINCIPALITY OF LIECHTENSTEIN

MERIDA, 10 DECEMBER 2003

Mr. President,

Excellencies,

Ladies and Gentlemen,

At the outset, I would like to thank the Government of Mexico for convening this conference. The signing of the United Nations Convention Against Corruption marks the end of an intense process of negotiations in which Liechtenstein took an active part. We welcome the constructive and innovative spirit that all the delegations involved have shown in this process: It sets a prime example for what can be achieved within the United Nations if all actors involved work towards one goal. The result is a comprehensive, multi-disciplinary legal text which enjoys great support from the States involved and which has the potential to become a real landmark document of the United Nations. This is a result which we can all be proud of, and I have been authorized to sign this Convention on behalf of the Government of Liechtenstein.

Mr. President,

Today is a day of celebration, but the real work still lies ahead of us. The Convention offers an array of tools for the fight against corruption which are waiting to be used, not only for the sake of fighting corruption as a criminal phenomenon, but also for the sake of fighting its detrimental consequences relating to democratic institutions, the rule of law, the fight against poverty and sustainable economic and social development. With respect to the latter in particular, the principle contained in the Convention that stolen assets have to be returned to the countries that owned them is a remarkable achievement which needs to be put in practice and marks a new level of cooperation in this field. Furthermore, this principle is a reminder of the global implications of corruption which place considerable responsibilities on all countries concerned, be their economies developed or in the process of developing. Let me assure you that Liechtenstein is fully committed to live up to this responsibility on all levels.

In this connection, it is worth mentioning that the Government of Liechtenstein has recently decided to provide financial support to the UN Interagency Group for Anticorruption Coordination with a view to establishing an electronic database designed to facilitate the coordination of activities of international organizations in this field.

Mr. President,

The fight against corruption is part of a global response to a set of interrelated criminal phenomena which also encompass money-laundering, transnational organized crime, drug-related crime and terrorism. We are very pleased to note that a remarkable degree of multilateral cooperation has been achieved in these fields, which in our view is crucial for the long-term success in these struggles. These developments are of particular importance for Liechtenstein's financial center which, in recent years, has undergone thorough legal and administrative reforms in order to protect it from criminal activities of any kind, in particular money laundering and the financing of terrorism. Various international monitoring mechanisms have confirmed the success of these reforms.

Mr. President,

The preparation of the ratification and implementation of the United Nations Convention Against Corruption will complement these efforts. The Liechtenstein Government will do its best to prepare the necessary measures in a thorough and speedy manner. It is our sincere hope that many other States will do likewise in order to allow for an early entry into force of the Convention and to ensure its full implementation.

I thank you, Mr. President.