NEWS

H.H The Emir Sheikh Hamad Bin Khalifa Al Thani has inaugurated the 6th global forum on fighting corruption and safeguarding integrity at the Sheraton Doha Hotel here on Saturday morning. The inauuration ceremony was attended by H.E Abdullah Bin Hamad Al Attiyah, the Deputy Premier and Minister of Energy and Industry. The opening ceremony was also attended by a number of their excellencies sheikhs , the ministers , the forum distinguished guests and a number of T.E the heads of the diplomatic missions accredited to Qatar.

HH the Emir delivered a speech at the inaugural session of the forum in which he asserted that high level participation in such a forum reflects the world states' concern of the topics raised for discussion at the forum and the importance of the role the previous global forums had undertaken at the national and international levels in fighting corruption.

HH the emir pointed out that these forums had achieved lots of accomplishments since the first global forum held in Washington in 1999 despite the several challenges which should be met and repulsed.
HH the Emir made clear that these forums embody the importance of international cooperation to repulse such a dangerous phenomenon which scope has extended worldwide, since it is affecting the rich, poor, developed and underdeveloped nations.

HH the Emir referred to the topics to be discussed during forum deal with several issues related to fighting corruption inter-alia for example separation of powers, independence of judiciary , enhancing culture of integrity and safeguarding it , partnership between the public and private sectors in building institutions for fighting corruption .

HH the Emir further said that the forum agenda reveals the various aspects of the problem and its complexity, since the corruption phenomenon has several dimensions, namely social, economic, moral, educational, cultural, religious and political.

Thus fighting corruption is not confined to one side, but it is an integrated mechanism which should surround all those elements and find appropriate solutions to all of them. Otherwise our efforts will remain insufficient to deal effectively with this phenomenon, HH the Emir noted.

HH the Emir warned that once the political, social and economic systems of the states fail to provide the least rate of political rights, social welfare and care and the adequate standard of generous living to their citizens, any talk about fighting corruption would be a sort of luxury which would find deaf ears.

HH the Emir Sheikh Hamad Bin Khalifa Al Thani has made clear that corruption in itself hinders development as it impairs criteria upon which institutions are based and substitutes integrity and efficiency with nepotism, replaces public interest upon which public projects are based with private interests that lead to adopting decisions harming public interest.

HH the emir pointed out that the growing increasing risk of corruption at the international and local levels of the United Nations has led to establishing the UN Convention against Corruption (UNCAC) in 2003 with a view to coordinating international efforts related to fighting corruption and consolidating the related national systems.
HH the Emir further said,// we in Qatar have adopted several important steps to respond to the international endeavors in this respect and we initiated to endorse the aforesaid UN Convention against Corruption (UNCAC), and adopted lots of steps to put such a convention into operation.

HH the Emir referred that first of these steps were the establishment of the national committee for integrity and transparency (NCIT) for which we have showed much keenness to provide it with all potentials which enable it to assume its mission with complete objectivity and independence.
The State of Qatar has occupied an advanced position among nations in fighting corruption as per the 2007 and 2008 classification of the Transparency International (TI) and has come in the first position at the Arab level, HH the emir told the participants.

HH the Emir has underscored the religious , cultural and moral aspects of the corruption problem and said,'' unless we act for building the open-minded and productive man armed with religious and moral values and perceived the duties of citizenship and its rights , our efforts would remain short of realizing its cherished targets and the corruption fighting process would remain a mere criminal operation linked to the ability and force of the judiciary and the prosecution to arrest the culprits'', said HH the Emir.

It is the nature of the Qatari society and its adherence to the moral values and principles of Islam which reassures the taboo and sanctity of the public money or fund and the un-exploitation of public job for personal interests, the matter which was among the key factors that made Qatar occupies such an advanced position as per the TI classification, HH the Emir added.

Elaborating HH the Emir said,''this is in addition to the role of the educational institutions in upbringing the coming generations to these values, traditions and principles.

HH the emir voiced confidence that the results and recommendations the forum would adopt would be a key addition for the seek of all to bring about appropriate solutions to such a scourge which become a stumbling block hindering the human progress and advancement and to provide a decent life for the peoples of the world at large and wished the conference's success.


Addressing the opening plenary of the 6th global forum on fighting corruption and safeguarding integrity which opened at the Sheraton Doha hotel earlier today, was US Secretary of Justice and Attorney General, Eric H. Holder.

On his remarks he expressed his thanks and gratitude to the State of Qatar to host such a Forum on Fighting Corruption and safeguarding of integrity, emphasizing the prominent role played by the State of Qatar in the field of combating corruption at the local and international levels.

The US Secretary said that "We are here to celebrate what has been accomplished since Global Forum one, and more-important- to recommit ourselves to the task of fighting corruption".

Corruption hinders all development, slows all progress, impedes all advancement, Holder said, noting that this phenomenon strikes hardest at the poor and vulnerable and erodes trust in governments and private institutions alike.

The US Attorney General warned of the sobering results of Transparency International's 2009 Global corruption barometer , a global public opinion survey of more than 73,000 people in 69 countries.
More than 60 percent of respondents said that political parties, parliaments and government civil service were corrupt.

The US attorney general pointed out that the Doha Forum's purpose is not simply to acknowledge that our achievements, but to chart away forward that will make our efforts to fight corruption more effective.
For her part, the World Bank Managing Director, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala stressed on the importance to stand together in the fight against corruption, referring to the role, which must be played by various bodies in the public and private sectors as well as to the role of civil society for fighting corruption.

Dr. Iweala called to find collective and international solutions to eliminate the phenomenon of corruption, noting that the current economic crisis has proved the inability of the developing countries to address the crisis ' effects because of the weakness of their financial capacities.

In this context, she pointed out that the World Bank has to intervene and provided nearly USD 59 billion to help the 35 poorest countries in the world.

H.E Qatar's Attorney General Dr. Ali Fetais al Marri has delivered a speech at the at the opening plenary of the 6th Global Forum on Fighting Corruption and Safeguarding Integrity, where he has welcomed the participants.
On the occasion, H.E Dr Al Marri has praised the great efforts exerted by hh the Emir of Qatar Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani on fighting corruption and safeguarding integrity at the national and international levels