I

refer to an article titled 'The fight against corruption and the role of lawyers' (The Jakarta Post, May 17)

There is no doubt that, as rightly asserted by Tony Budidjaja, corruption can be fought off when all of the players and stakeholders in the legal system (including judges, prosecutors, police and advocates) share the same commitment.

In this regard the United Nations Convention against Corruption which entered into force on Dec. 14, 2005, and has been ratified by 166 countries , including all ASEAN member states, offers useful guidelines for appropriate action at the national, regional and global levels.

In accordance with this comprehensive legal instrument, all state parties shall inter alia take measures to promote the active participation of individuals and groups outside the public sector, such as civil society, non-governmental organizations and community-based organizations, in the prevention of and the fight against corruption and to raise public awareness regarding the existence, causes and gravity of and the threats posed by corruption.

This participation should be strengthened by practical steps for enhancing the transparency of and promoting the contribution of the public to decision-making processes; by ensuring that the public has effective access to information; by undertaking public information activities that contribute to non-tolerance of corruption, as well as public education programs, including school and university curricula.

The 14th International Anti-Corruption Conference, hosted in Bangkok on Nov. 10-13, 2010, which brought together over 1,200 representatives from 135 countries provided a useful occasion to focus on the fundamental contribution of youth in promoting integrity through values education, in preventing and curbing corruption and strengthening accountability. Engagement and solidarity were highlighted as crucial tools for facilitating the mobilization of people in grass-roots campaigns and for the empowerment of others, including the younger generation.

In the official outcome document of the Conference entitled 'The Bangkok Declaration: Restoring Trust' it was emphasized that the rules of the corruption game won't change unless people are willing to stand up and demand integrity from their leaders, and demonstrate integrity themselves.

Young people themselves will be able to discover that there is a need to integrate anti-corruption efforts to work toward the achievement of the United Nations Millennium Development Goals by 2015, with a focus on engaging citizens in monitoring of financial assistance and on local accountability projects, the right to information on aid, and the need to promote access to information.

Fighting corruption remains a priority task at the global level and a more active contribution of the young people in this complex process of gradually cleaning national societies of such a dangerous plague may prove to be a successful example of advancing toward a better human order.

Ioan Voicu
Bangkok