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RI to lead G20 talks on anticorruption
Despite its poor record in eradicating corruption, Indonesia has been elected as co-chair of the Group of 20’s (G20) Working Group on Anticorruption for the group’s summit meeting in Seoul next week
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espite its poor record in eradicating corruption, Indonesia has been elected as co-chair of the Group of 20’s (G20) Working Group on Anticorruption for the group’s summit meeting in Seoul next week.
Deputy Trade Minister Mahendra Siregar said in Jakarta on Monday that the Working Group (WGAC) would meet on the sidelines of the G20 summit from Nov. 11-12 in Seoul, South Korea, with the main agenda to discuss efforts to improve the accountability, credibility and transparency of the global financial system.
“The recent global financial downturn has warned us that efforts to improve the accountability, credibility and transparency of the global financial system are necessary,” he told a press conference at his office in Jakarta.
He said Indonesia was happy that the upcoming G20 summit included a discussion on anticorruption as its prioritized agenda. Global cooperation on corruption eradication would strengthen the country’s efforts in combating corrupt practices among its institutions.
“The war against corruption will not succeed without good global cooperation,” he said, adding that the working group would be chaired by France.
The WGAC was among the most significant outcomes of the G20 summit in Toronto in June 2010.
The working group attempts to strengthen the implementation of the United Nations Convention Against Corruption (UNCAC) by adopting and enforcing law and other measures against international bribery and promoting the implementation of rules to protect whistle blowers.
According to Transparency International’s latest Corruption Perception Index (CPI) 2010, Indonesia’s score remained 2.8 out of 10, the same as last year. It ranked 110 out of 178 countries. In 2009 it placed 111 out of 180 countries.
Mahendra said the G20 summit in Seoul was the first summit held in an Asian country that was also an emerging economy. The summit took “Shared Growth Beyond Crisis” as its theme, he added.
Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono will be on hand to lead the country’s delegates at the summit.
“Besides anticorruption, the summit will also discuss development issues,” he told reporters, adding that Indonesia would push the discussion on the issues because developing and low income countries were the groups worst affected by economic crises.
“Their economic structures aren’t strong yet and they don’t have proper safety nets to deal with crises.”
He added that he hoped the summit would strengthen the commitment of member countries to continuously boost developments in developing countries.
The summit would also be the right kind of momentum to promote necessary economic reforms, particularly in developed countries, that would address the main causes of the global financial meltdown in late 2008, Mahendra said.
