UAEG STUDYING UN CONVENTION AGAINST CORRUPTION

UNCLAS ABU DHABI 000800 SIPDIS DEPT FOR NEA, NEA/ARP DEPT FOR INL -- VERVILLE AND BRANDOLINO E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: KCRM PREL KCOR TC SUBJECT: UAEG STUDYING UN CONVENTION AGAINST CORRUPTION REF: STATE 56570 ¶1. UAE MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS (MFA) DIRECTOR OF THE INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS OFFICE YACUB AL-HOSANI TOLD ECONOFF ON MARCH 21 THAT THE UAEG HAD FORMED AN EXPERT COMMITTEE TO REVIEW THE UN CONVENTION AGAINST CORRUPTION. AL-HOSANI SAID THAT THE UAEG PARTICIPATED IN THE FINAL SESSION OF THE CONVENTION NEGOTIATIONS, AND HIS OFFICE HAD RECOMMENDED THAT UAE DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER AND DE FACTO FOREIGN MINISTER SHAYKH HAMDAN BIN ZAYED AL-NAHYAN SIGN THE CONVENTION ON BEHALF OF THE UAE. THE MFA, NEVERTHELESS, IS REQUIRED TO DISTRIBUTE THE CONVENTION TEXT TO OTHER RELEVANT MINISTRIES FOR COMMENT. AL-HOSANI SAID THIS PROCESS SHOULD TAKE NO MORE THAN 60 DAYS AND HE EXPECTED SHAYKH HAMDAN TO SIGN THE DOCUMENT SOON THEREAFTER. ¶2. AL-HOSANI REITERATED THE UAEG'S COMMITMENT TO ELIMINATING AND PREVENTING CORRUPTION AMONG GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS AND INSTITUTIONS, AND NOTED THAT THE UN CONVENTION AGAINST CORRUPTION IS CONSISTENT WITH THE MORES OF EMIRATI SOCIETY. THERE IS NO EVIDENCE THAT CORRUPTION OF PUBLIC OFFICIALS HERE IS A SYSTEMIC PROBLEM; HOWEVER, THE FORMER HEAD OF DUBAI CUSTOMS AND PORT AUTHORITY -- ALONG WITH FIVE OTHER CUSTOMS OFFICIALS -- WAS TRIED, CONVICTED, AND SENTENCED IN APRIL 2001 TO 27 YEARS IN PRISON ON CHARGES OF CORRUPTION AND EMBEZZLEMENT. HE WAS PARDONED FOUR MONTHS LATER BY THE DUBAI GOVERNMENT AND RELEASED. WAHBA