PAM participated in the General Debate of the 9th session of the Conference of the States Parties to the United Nations Convention against Corruption. The high-level gathering was organized by UNODC, with the kind hospitality of the Government of Egypt. More than 120 stakeholders, among States, international and civil society organizations were attending the event in-person.
Hon. Gennaro Migliore, PAM President, addressed the Conference on the impacts of corruption in the PAM region. Corruption is a priority in PAM’s agenda and over the years the Assembly has strongly supported its member parliaments in the struggle against this persistent phenomenon in our societies.
He stated: “National parliaments have the duty to prevent and combat corruption through legislation and government oversight. Parliamentarians, as representative of the people, are the first who must set examples of personal integrity and highest standards of ethics in their daily work.”
PAM has devoted its efforts to fight corruption since its Plenary Session in Istanbul in 2009, when the PAM Special Task Force on Organized Crime was established. In 2014, PAM Plenary Session adopted unanimously the Report and the Resolution Strategies to Combat Public Sector Corruption in the Mediterranean. These documents are milestone for the work of the Assembly against corruption.
Today, PAM President will also participate in one of the Conference side events The role of national parliaments and other legislative bodies in preventing and fighting corruption, organized by UNODC Corruption and Economic Crime Branch.
Furthermore, on the 16 December, in Sharm el-Sheikh, he will sign an important Memorandum of Understanding with UNODC Executive Director, Ghada Fathi Waly. Next year, PAM will organize a conference on The Review of the Status of the effectiveness of the Legislative Implementation of the Palermo Convention in the PAM Region.
PAM, together with UNODC and other strategic partners, is committed to promote specific legislative actions to strengthen criminal justice response to corruption and transnational organized crime in its member states, in a new environment characterized by dual applications of Artificial Intelligence and IT, as well as criminal use of virtual financial instruments and the dark-web.//