UNDER- SECRETARY-GENERAL FOR INTERNAL OVERSIGHT SERVICES
DILEEP NAIR
Mr. President, Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen,
I am honored to
participate in this landmark Conference for the signing of the United Nations
Convention Against Corruption, hosted by the Government of Mexico. This
Convention is the culmination of years of committed negotiations characterized
by cooperation and consensus building. The result is a truly universal
instrument that efficiently addresses all aspects of the problem of corruption.
A global consensus is
urgently needed to fight the scourge of corruption, which cripples the quest
for economic development and progress and leaves the poorest of the world defenseless
against the looting by their leaders. The Convention effectively addresses a
wide range of measures in the fight against corruption, such as money
laundering, bribery, embezzlement, abuse of functions, obstruction of justice,
and other important areas needing attention.
The Convention also
focuses on prevention - perhaps one of the most important strategies available
to fight corruption both in the public and private sectors. Among the
preventive measures prescribed in the Convention are model preventive policies,
such as the establishment of anticorruption bodies. The Convention urges States
to ensure that their public services are subject to safeguards that promote
efficiency, transparency and recruitment based on merit. Once recruited, public
servants should be subject to codes of conduct and appropriate disciplinary
measures.
We expect the highest
standard of conduct for our public servants and for that reason the Convention
calls on countries to promote the involvement of nongovernmental and
community-based organizations and to raise public awareness of corruption and
what can be done about it.
As an international
Organization, the United Nations is concerned with ensuring the highest
standards for the governance of its staff and resources. This is after all the
reason Member States now almost ten years ago decided to establish the Office
of Internal Oversight Services, known as OIOS.
The different
oversight functions - internal audit, inspection, evaluation and monitoring --
were strengthened and placed under the Office. In addition, for the first time,
a professional investigations capacity was established. The Office was granted
operational independence under the authority of the Secretary-General in the
conduct of its oversight activities. In total, these activities deter fraud,
waste and abuse, and instill a greater sense of accountability throughout the
Organization.
One year ago, the
Office of Internal Oversight Services decided to follow the approach being
negotiated under the new Convention and therefore proposed a preventive
strategy to reinforce professional integrity, as a core value, internally in
the Organization. This strategy, entitled the United Nations Organizational
Integrity Initiative, reflects a holistic approach to oversight, thus mirroring
the measures under the Convention. The Initiative aims to strengthen the system
of professional integrity and creating a common ethos in the Organization
through a comprehensive programme of needs assessment and capacity building.
Launched in May 2003,
the Organizational Integrity Initiative consists of ongoing training for
executive managers and staff at large and an outreach communications strategy
to raise awareness among external as well as internal audiences. Reinforcing professional
integrity and ethics in an Organization is not a one-stop approach but requires
sustained efforts over time to ensure that policies and ethics are ingrained in
the activities of all staff members.
From the outset, the
Initiative has picked lessons from government institutions as well as other
large international and corporate organizations.
Perhaps the most
important factor determining the success of any anticorruption and integrity
building effort is the `tone at the top' in an institution. As is the case in
corporate as well as in public institutions, the support of the senior
leadership is crucial for creating an ethical culture. The consistent and
overwhelming message from managers in these institutions is that corruption
prevention strategies require thought, effort and commitment from the leaders
of the organization.
Indeed, the
Secretary-General has expressed his unwavering support for the Initiative and
senior managers have made commitments to ensuring its success.
It is important to
underline that the Organizational Integrity Initiative was not launched as a
consequence of excessive corruption or malfeasance in the Organization. The
incidences of fraud and corruption are probably no different from those in
other comparable international organizations. However, given the United
Nations' unique position and what it stands for, the Organization should be
setting high standards in this area.
Let me congratulate
the
Thank you very much.