UN official praises China for action taken against corruption

Nation's adoption of mutual assistance means more foreign legal collaboration

China's significant role in advancing sustainable development as well as its proactive involvement in building international rules against corruption have been praised by an official from the United Nations.

"This is an important year as we mark the 20th anniversary of the UN Convention against Corruption," said Ghada Waly, executive director of the UN Office on Drugs and Crime. "I'm pleased to see that China has taken important steps to further align its anti-corruption framework with UNCAC requirements."

She made the remark during an exclusive interview with China Daily on the sidelines of the Thematic Forum on Clean Silk Road at the third Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation, which was held in Beijing on Wednesday.

Waly commended China for adopting the Mutual Legal Assistance Law in criminal matters in 2018 to ensure compliance with the UNCAC, providing a solid legal foundation for collaboration with foreign counterparts on transnational corruption.

She also praised China's active participation in the UNCAC Implementation Review Mechanism and its engagement in policy discussions.

"This involvement not only demonstrates China's commitment but also its role and contribution in shaping international policies to combat corruption," she said.

Waly welcomed several deliverables formed during the Thematic Forum on Clean Silk Road as new efforts initiated by China to promote transparency, integrity and ethical business practices within the context of the Belt and Road Initiative.

"The deliverables represent the commitment of BRI participating countries to eradicating corruption in investment projects and to enhancing international cooperation and strengthening partnership," she said.

In recent years, the UN Office on Drugs and Crime has strengthened its capacities to combat corruption. In 2020, it started a project to foster sustainable development by supporting the implementation of the UNCAC in countries along the Silk Road Economic Belt, including safeguarding the integrity of international investment projects under the BRI.

So far, such support has been provided to 16 member countries from across Central Asia and Southeast Europe, where the UNODC has conducted workshops and online sessions to facilitate the exchange of best practices.

Waly added that while some progress has been made, the international community is still facing challenges in areas of asset recovery and combating cross-border corruption.

She said that there has been an increase in the number of countries engaging in asset recovery, but pointed out that many continue to rely on outdated policies and laws or bilateral treaties for international cooperation.

In addition to gaps in legislation, she added that other obstacles include inadequate technical skills and capacities, limited resources and a lack of trust among partners to cooperate globally.

Therefore, she encouraged more international cooperation and dialogue, noting that the UNODC has taken measures to support policy and technical discussions around those issues.

The UNODC has been working on setting up anti-corruption platforms and hubs in Latin America, Asia and Africa, with a deep commitment to supporting countries to build up their capacities to prevent the flow of the proceeds of corruption and recover stolen assets, primarily through the joint World Bank-UNODC Stolen Asset Recovery Initiative.

It also provides tailored technical assistance activities, produces a wide range of manuals, tools and training materials, and offers dedicated on-site guidance and advice through strategic partnerships with other international and regional organizations.

"But our work is not limited to engagement with 'requesting' countries," Waly said. "Very importantly, UNODC through the stolen asset recovery initiative supports international efforts to end safe havens for corrupt funds."

She emphasized that the initiative has brought together the strengths of both the UNODC and the World Bank, saying that it has worked with financial centers to prevent the laundering of proceeds of corruption and to facilitate the more systematic and timely return of stolen assets.

"Looking ahead, we're keen to drive these changes forward, and we're fully dedicated to working hand in hand with our partners and member states to combat corruption, end impunity, recover stolen assets and promote integrity on a global scale," she added.

Waly, with 28 years of work experience in the field of poverty reduction and social protection, has held her position at the UN since February 2020. She is the first woman, first Arab and first African to lead the UNODC. Prior to joining the UN, Waly was minister of social solidarity in Egypt.