Amman - Arab countries are teaming up to fight entrenched
corruption through the establishment of the first dedicated pan-Arab
anti-corruption body, agreed during a conference held in the
Jordanian capital Amman.
But experts on Friday cast doubt on the effectiveness of the move,
saying it lacked the prerequisites required to successfully tackle
corruption, an issue that threatens most Arab countries.
'We look to this step with hope as the beginning of a systematic
campaign for fighting rampant corruption, but we think it lacks the
required degree of seriousness,' Hani Dahleh, Chairman of the Amman-
based Arab Organization of Human Rights, told Deutsche Presse-Agentur
dpa.
'Such a move will falter if it is not coupled with the required
transparency and the legal mechanism that governs the process of
fighting corruption, and if the job is not assigned to people of
integrity,' he said.
'Putting an end to the illegal attrition of public wealth and
other forms of corruption is an integral part of any democratic
system of government,' Dahleh said, adding that the 'dissatisfactory
status of democracy in the Arab world' meant the new initiative ran
the risk of being a 'mere slogan.'
State-run anti-corruption institutions from 19 Arab countries on
Thursday ended a two-day regional conference with the establishment
of a pan-Arab network aimed at combating corruption across the
Arab world.
The participants said in a statement that the step was taken to
'boost the welfare and progress of Arab societies and help push
forward with development.'
The conferees said they were 'aware of the fact that corruption
represented a stumbling bloc for human development and runs counter
to the pillars and values of Arab culture.'
'Corruption also wipes out national wealth, impedes investment,
lowers the standards of basic services, weakens citizens' confidence
in the authorities, blocks the rule of law and threatens the
stability and security of communities,' the statement said.
The conference underscored the importance of cooperation with the
Arab League in implementing Arab and international anti-corruption
agreements, and also in establishing 'effective and continuous
exchange of information and expertise' among anti-corruption
institutions.
The meeting appointed the head of Jordan's Anti-Corruption
Department Abd Shakhanbeh to chair the panel for one year. Shakhanbeh
is also tasked with informing Arab League Secretary General Amr
Mussa on the progress of the network's mission.
Global anti-corruption watchdogs, foremost Transparency
International, have painted a gloomy picture for the Arab world over
the past few years, suggesting that its rapidly expanding oil wealth
is set to provide corrupt officials in the region with fresh
ammunition.
They contend that the process of change in the region had been
made difficult by non-democratic government structures in several
Arab countries, where administrations lack accountability.
Jordanian media meanwhile suggested that anti-corruption
conferences should not be confined to Arab countries, but should
involve participants from foreign countries, particularly European
states which possess a remarkable experience in fighting corruption.
'By doing so, we can count on a pool of experience for addressing
this peril,' said Taher Adwan, editor-in-chief of the independent
daily newspaper, Al-Arab Al-Yawm.
He contended that the battle against corruption 'lies in copying
the definition of corruption as developed by democratic European
countries, in the same way we import technology,' Adwan said.
USA
Your Talkback on this Story