A road map to combat corruption
International Anti-Corruption Conference (IACC) called for an end to illegal funding of political parties in the greater interest of democracy, writes Shahiduzzaman, Financial Express,6/25/2004

ILLEGAL financing of political parties and electoral corruption must be stopped because it generates corruption in many sectors in Bangladesh, thus creating a serious negative impact on public mind about the country's politics and development.
Experts had the above view in the 11th International Anti-corruption Conference (IACC) held in Seoul on May 25-28.
"Appropriate provisions to regulate the financing of political parties should be incorporated into both the UN and the OECD Conventions. Governments must be shielded from falling under corporate control," participants at the IACC conference declared.
They said political parties must themselves engage in internal reform efforts, practice transparency and demonstrate commitment to ethical standards.
Hosted by the South Korean government and organised by Transparency International, the conference was attended by some 900 representatives from around 108 countries. It was inaugurated by South Korean President Roh Moo-Hyun.
Some 24 findings and recommendations to combat corruption around the world came from the conference. For global campaign and advocacy to fight out corruption, the findings were immediately put forward to the conference of Global Forum III on Fighting Corruption and Safeguarding Integrity (GFIII) held in Seoul from May 29 to 31 after the conclusion of IACC. Policymakers, including ministers, parliamentarians and high officials from 123 countries participated in the forum. Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Barrister Moudud Ahmed represented Bangladesh at the GFIII conference. This year's theme of the Forum was "Ongoing Challenge, Shared Responsibility".
The IACC findings touched major sectors, which are generating corruptions making public life miserable. The findings including, corruption in development projects, water and energy resources, protecting whistle-blowers, bribery of public officials in international business transaction, cooperation between existing international agencies, human trafficking, health and pharmaceuticals, judiciary, party financing, electoral corruption.
Regarding corruption in development projects it said, "If information could be made available to the poor and vulnerable it would greatly enhance their ability to assert their rights. There is a particular role for non-governmental organisations carrying information to those who need it. It would greatly assist our efforts if development agencies could apply the same standards of transparency and accountability in their own operations that they require for their development partners. Similarly, the operations of lending agencies would benefit if those are made open to effective external review".
About energy resources, it said these should be considered public property, access to which is a fundamental human right. If privatised, the decision-making processes should be fully transparent and strict conditions must be applied. These include a cap on profiteering, strict performance standards and so-called 'take-or-pay' contracts should be prohibited.
When it appears that officials in privatised water or energy utilities may have engaged in corrupt practices, an independent commission should investigate them together with any public agencies, including international financial institutions and export credit agencies that might have financed the transactions. When international agencies are found to have financed such corrupt transactions, they - not the consumers - must bear appropriate responsibility for outstanding loans and credits," the IACC said in its findings.
It found corruption in health and pharmaceutical sectors pervasive from which no country is exempted. In the sectors, researches are manipulated, undue influence distorts licensing and listing, bribery is strong in promotional activities, counterfeit medicines and relabeled expired drugs are all having a devastating impact on patients and the costs of health services alike.
The conference called for developing standards by and between companies in the pharmaceutical industry, dealing with issues such as political and charitable donations, sales representatives and distributors. The governments must ensure that the patients, not the suppliers, are the focus and beneficiaries of health care provision; that doctors and other health professionals abide by code of conduct requiring them to disclose gifts and benefits received from the pharmaceutical industries.
About judiciary it said many potential reforms would be frustrated in the absence of a just, honest and independent judiciary and called for meeting the needs of the judiciary.
The IACC also underlined the importance of raising the standards of transparency and accountability within civil society itself, in particular the need for effective code of conduct, including principles for the selection and recruitment of their staff as well as high standards of financial accountability. It said there is also an urgent need for civil society to pool resources and work collectively and in a broader coalition in order to reopen debate over international regulatory structures.
Regarding media, the conference said, "Needs in the media include both a diversity of ownership and addressing problems of corruption within the profession."
On human trafficking, it said many people, especially women and children, are at risk when preventive measures in a country are inadequate. The IACC called for establishing multi-disciplinary groups at national level to ensure coordinated action against trafficking.
It urged all governments to launch effective campaigns in their own countries to make the private sector aware about its responsibilities, encourage their people to report instances of violations, compile public information on prosecutions and take steps to include civil society in the monitoring processes.
The conference acknowledged the critical importance of peer-review mechanisms to bring about reforms necessary to comply with international legal instruments and noted with satisfaction the consolidation of these mechanisms in the OECD and in the Council of Europe (GRECO). It called for an intensification of their actions to ensure a more complete and effective implementation of standards in the anti-corruption area.
The findings of the conference recognised the potentials of e-government to effectively deal with corruption by increasing accessibility and transparency. But, it said, all these need to be aligned with wider public sector reform.
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