Madam Chairperson,
Let me begin by expressing our sincere congratulations to you, Madam, on your excellent stewardship of this important Conference. Our deep appreciation goes to the Government of Panama for hosting this session in this hospitable city and for the wonderful arrangements made for our participation.
We thank, in particular, His Excellency the President of the Republic of Panama for his very thought provoking address at the Opening Session yesterday.
Madam Chairperson,
As we celebrate the 10th Anniversary of the Convention against Corruption this year, I would like to take this opportunity to assure the continued support of the Government of Sri Lanka for the objectives of the UN Convention against Corruption and for practical, meaningful collaboration in effectively combating corruption.
Corruption is a major malaise that affects development and growth. Addressing this scourge and helping to release the funds that are diverted, is a priority for all countries. These are resources that need to be invested in human development and for the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals. A strong commitment from all States Parties, followed by concerted action, is imperative to make our efforts a success.
Madam Chairperson,
Sri Lanka, as a State Party to the Convention, remains committed to effectively implementing its provisions, consistent with the principles of sovereign equality and territorial integrity of State. It has put in place an enabling legislation, which seeks to give effect to the Convention, with the Independent Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption, charged with investigation and prosecution of offenders. Sri Lanka has submitted the Comprehensive Self Assessment Check List to the Secretariat of the Convention and has recently completed the Country Visit of the reviewing State Parties. Sri Lanka looks forward to working cooperatively with State Parties in bringing the review process into fruition.
Madam Chairperson,
The role of effective policies and practices in preventing corruption cannot be over -emphasized. The implementation of the provisions of the Convention on ‘prevention’ becomes all the more important in this context. Calls for strengthened cooperation among Governmental entities and relevant stakeholders at the national level, particularly in areas such as awareness creation, dissemination, education and promotion of good practices in preventing corruption are key to success.
The recommendations of the Open-Ended Intergovernmental Working Group on Prevention of Corruption held in August 2013 in Vienna set the pace for further progress in combating corruption. Through useful work, the WG provides a significant platform for the exchange of information and experiences among States on measures and practices in this important arena.
Madam Chairperson,
Assisting State Parties in effectively implementing the Convention is important and for this, a transparent, efficient, non-intrusive, and impartial process which does not intend to produce any form of ranking among State Parties is the utmost priority. The Implementation Review Mechanism and its process must remain intergovernmental in nature.
Madam Chairperson,
Technical cooperation is vital for the effective and efficient implementation of the Convention at all levels. To help meet the growing demands of State Parties, the ready availability of technical assistance on their request is essential.
The Convention provides for States Parties to afford one another the widest measures of technical assistance, especially for the benefit of developing countries and their efforts towards its implementation. For this, a sufficient and stable funding to UNODC needs to be assured.
Madam Chairperson,
There is a considerable body of good practices and experiences learnt during the First Cycle of the Review Mechanism. This is useful asset in our hands. We would like to underscore the continued importance of this asset and of promoting the exchange of information, as we look forward to the commencement of the Second Cycle of the Review Mechanism and to the review of Chapters II and V of the Convention.
Madam Chairperson,
To realize the fundamental principle enshrined in Article 51 of the Convention, it is imperative that States Parties afford one another the widest measures of cooperation and assistance thereby manifesting political will and commitment to genuine action. We note in this regard that the Open-Ended Working Group on Asset Recovery is facilitating an exchange of ideas and experiences among States on ways and means to expedite the return of stolen assets.
Collection and systematization of good practices and tools in the cooperation for asset recovery, as deliberated on by the Working Group, will greatly facilitate efforts towards asset recovery. This includes the use and expansion of secure information-sharing tools with a view to enhancing timely information exchange.
Madam Chairperson,
Repatriation of public assets is an international obligation under the Convention, and accordingly, elimination of safe havens for stolen assets and overcoming the bureaucratic procedures and legal barriers should remain our key priorities in the fight against corruption.
Mutual Legal Assistance and cooperation among law enforcement services is essential for the effective implementation of the Convention. Such cooperative measures would harness efforts towards suppression of criminal networks of corrupt officials in countries of origin and criminal networks of financial experts in the countries of destination, who are working hand in glove benefiting from illegal transfers of funds.
In conclusion, Madam Chairperson, I would like to once again express our deep gratitude to the Government of Panama, which, assisted by the UNODC, has made substantive and logistical preparations for hosting this conference in an exemplary manner.
I thank you.