USG ANTI-CORRUPTION WORKSHOP IN AMMAN LEADS NATIONS TO

UNCLAS AMMAN 001157 SENSITIVE SIPDIS FOR NEA/ELA AND EEB/ESC TREASURY FOR OFFICE OF TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE, ATTN: CARLOS CORREA JUSTICE FOR OFFICE OF OVERSEAS PROSECUTORIAL DEVELOPMENT, ASSISTANCE, AND TRAINING, ATTN: JAMES SILVERWOOD CAIRO FOR USAID JAMES WRIGHT E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: EFIN ETRD PGOV PINS SOCI SNAR XF SUBJECT: USG ANTI-CORRUPTION WORKSHOP IN AMMAN LEADS NATIONS TO HIGHLIGHT PROBLEMS AND PROPOSE SOLUTIONS REF: AMMAN 414 SENSITIVE BUT UNCLASSIFIED. NOT FOR INTERNET DISTRIBUTION. ¶1. (U) The U.S. Treasury's Office of Technical Assistance (OTA), the Department of Justice's Office of International Assistance (OIA),and the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) recently delivered in Amman the workshop "Addressing the Challenges of Corruption" to explore and discuss methods to combat corruption in the region. Funding for the April 20 - 22, 2009 workshop was provided by USAID. Delegations from Bahrain, Jordan, Morocco, and Yemen participated, sending 33 senior-level government officials involved with championing and drafting legislation as well as implementing anti-corruption policies and programs, and senior members of institutions involved with prosecuting economic crimes such as corruption, procurement fraud, money laundering and similar offenses. Presenters and commentators from the Department of Justice's and Office of Overseas Prosecutorial Development and Training (OPDAT) and the UN Office of Drugs and Crime (UNODC) also took part in the program. After two days of discussions, each delegation presented an assessment of its national needs to improve anti-corruption measures and offered recommendations for regional needs to combat corruption. ¶2. (U) As event hosts, the Jordan Anti Corruption Commission (JACC) and the GOJ Ministry of Justice have played an active role in the initiatives of the UNDP Programme on Governance in the Arab Region (UNDP-POGAR) relating to combating corruption. Jordan currently holds the chair of the Arab Anti-Corruption and Integrity Network (ACINET) of which Bahrain, Morocco, and Yemen are members. ¶3. (U) The seminar agenda included: - Good Governance for Development in the Arab Countries Initiative (GfD) - Arab Anti-Corruption and Integrity Network (ACINET) - The Corruption Dilemma: A Global Overview - International Instruments to Fight Corruption - A Discussion of Current Initiatives in the Region - Key Laws and Institutions Necessary to Establish Effective Anti-corruptions Systems - Codes of Ethics and Standards of Conduct for Public Officials - Integrity Training, Financial Disclosure, and Conflicts of Interest - Legal Frameworks - Enforcement Measures and Techniques - Sources of Information - International Cooperation ¶4. (U) All delegations presented an assessment of the needs of their countries and the region in addressing corruption. Common points drawn from these presentations were the need for: - Enhanced national legislation in keeping with the United Nations Convention of Corruption; - Anti-corruption regimes with better international cooperation mechanisms providing for the ability to offer mutual legal assistance and extradition; - Better anti-corruption laws, codes of conduct, accountability standards, and transparency for public officials; - Greater public awareness of anti-corruption programs and standards of conduct of public officials and their interface with the private sector; and - Better information technology infrastructure that enhances accountability and simplifies business. ¶5. (SBU) During the delegations' presentations, all revealed the need for country specific requirements or technical assistance to advance anti-corruption efforts. A list of these follows for each country: Bahrain - The anti-corruption legal framework must keep pace with the level of criminal activity consistent with the UN Convention against Corruption. - Corrupt activities must be criminalized to the maximum extent. - Legal protection must be provided for witnesses and experts. - International cooperation mechanisms must be established for mutual legal assistance, exchange of information, transnational asset forfeiture, and extradition treaties. - Investigative standards must be set to actively pursue cases. - Judges and public prosecutors must be trained in addressing investigation, prosecution, and adjudication of corruption cases. - Specialized courts should be created to address corruption cases. Jordan - Establish measures to prevent corruption such as closing loopholes in laws and procedures. - Raise public awareness about corruption. - Foster integrity by including anti-corruption training in the curriculum of schools and universities. - Coordinate anti-corruption efforts between the various government institutions and law enforcement. - Increase international cooperation and benefit from other countries' experience in implementing relevant UN conventions. - Improve legislation to address lack of asset forfeiture provisions and extradition. - Create specialized courts for corruption cases. - Improve civil society, institutional, and media awareness of anti-corruption practices and role of the Anti-Corruption Commission. - Increase regional and international cooperation and exchange of mutual legal assistance. - Create a manual for anti-corruption legislative drafting. - Provide additional technical assistance for the Anti-Corruption Commission staff and law enforcement in the area of information management and database connectivity. Morocco - Increase awareness of the impact of corruption and create an effective anti-corruption partnership with civil society that inculcates integrity and transparency through use of codes of conduct and financial disclosure by public officials. - Ensure a business environment free of conflicts of interest by controlling the contracting process through better financial control and simplified procedures and encouraging the private sector to prevent bribery. - Evaluate anti-corruption legislation, policies and preventive measures and complete the legislative process to pass important laws that meet international standards. - Encourage whistle blowing. - Seek technical assistance to improve investigation of allegations by authorities specialized in economic crime investigations. - Coordinate anti-corruption efforts on local, regional, and international levels through cooperation and use of legal assistance. - Improve local and financial governance through stricter employment standards and hiring criteria. Yemen - The lack of governmental and social understanding of corruption and lack of coordination and exchange of information are challenges. - Conflicts and deficiencies in various laws must be resolved, such as those that give immunity to senior officials. - Due to substandard technical capabilities, officials must be trained in anti-corruption efforts. - Fruitful and effective regional and international cooperation and networking must be established. ¶6. (SBU) Participating delegations showed a notable degree of candor and sincerity during open discussions and country presentations. The outcomes of the discussions will be captured in a document that will be prepared by UNDP and circulated to all countries in the region to share these ideas and plans with other ACINET member countries in an effort to encourage similar activities region wide. Now that delegations from countries that have taken significant steps to address corruption on a national level have been brought together and identified areas for further improvement, posts in the region should feel free to review the information and common areas of needed assistance identified in para 4 above and actively engage host country counterparts to maintain momentum and to provide technical assistance as appropriate. ¶7. (U) The Department of Justice's Office of International Assistance attach in Cairo and USAID in Amman have cleared this message. Visit Amman's Classified Web Site at http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/nea/amman BEECROFT