OSCE emphasizes civil society role in fighting corruption

VIENNA, 5 July 2011 – Raising awareness of the importance of building a well-informed and engaged civil society in the fight against corruption is the focus of a roundtable meeting today, organized by the Office of the Co-ordinator of OSCE Economic and Environmental Activities (OCEEA).

The meeting will bring together some 100 participants from public institutions and civil society organizations in the OSCE region, including the Asian and Mediterranean Partners for Co-operation, in order to exchange information and experience on innovative practices, models and co-operation frameworks in the fight against corruption. OSCE participating States have made commitments to promote transparency, combat corruption and improve the management of public resources.

The participants will discuss the necessary legal and regulatory frameworks for building an engaged and knowledgeable civil society; the need for a free and open media in uncovering public and private sector corruption, as well as regulatory reforms and initiatives which introduce transparency and accountability in both public procurement and the management of strategic natural resources.

In his opening statement Andrius Krivas, the Deputy Head of Lithuania’s Permanent Mission to the OSCE, said: “We believe that engaging civil society organizations as a strong partner in the fight against corruption is essential in order to ensure a well-informed and responsive dialogue.”

Goran Svilanović, the Co-ordinator of OSCE Economic and Environmental Activities, stressed: “For us to be effective in preventing and fighting corruption in all its forms, but especially grand corruption, we need strong political determination, courage and the formation of close partnerships between governments, civil society and the business community.”

Ambassador Omar Zniber of the Permanent Mission of the Kingdom of Morocco to Vienna said: "This is a great opportunity to discuss the challenges and progresses made by OSCE participating States and Partners in the implementation of Article 13 of the UN Convention against Corruption, including the identification of measures for the empowerment of NGOs working in this field."

The roundtable discussions are expected to result in substantive suggestions for the continued engagement of the OSCE in this area. They are also expected to contribute to advancing the aims of Article 13 of the UN Convention against Corruption regarding participation of society and to the preparations being made in connection with the Fourth Conference of the States Parties to the United Nations Convention against Corruption, to be held in Marrakech from 24 to 28 October 2011.