Baghdad – IA – Rasha Muhammad
Today, Monday, the head of the Integrity Commission, Haider Hanoun, explained the details of the six-party strategy to combat corruption, and while he indicated that it would rely on technology with the involvement of the private sector, he called for the establishment of a special council for integrity bodies in Arab countries.
During his visit to the headquarters of the Arab League in Cairo, Hanoun said in his speech to the correspondent of the (INA): “The Federal Integrity Commission in Iraq is completely independent from the rest of the authorities and institutions,” indicating that “the Commission has the decision-making power, so independence gives it the ability to combat corruption.” It also monitors the government and its institutions without pressure.
He added, “We are trying to convey this impression and successes to the anti-corruption agencies in the Arab countries so that they can benefit from them,” pointing out, “We must create, even in the Arab League, an independent atmosphere for the anti-corruption and integrity law enforcement agencies.”
Hanoun called for “establishing a special council for integrity bodies in Arab countries that will be independent from the rest of the councils.”
He stated, “The Iraqi Integrity Commission has oversight bodies within the governorates that monitor local governments, and its work will be very serious and broad,” stressing the need for “anti-corruption bodies not to be a tool against other institutions, but rather a neutral body that represents the people.”
He stressed, “The National Strategy for Integrity and Anti-Corruption, which was chaired by the Integrity Commission, is distinguished and has achieved great successes. It began in 2021 and will end this year. We are currently working on a six-year strategy that begins in 2025 and ends in 2030.”
He pointed out, “The new strategy will have starting points that differ from the current strategy. We will use technology to combat corruption, with the participation of the private sector, civil society, and investigative journalism, and by twinning and working with the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, which will be a major supporter in this new strategy.”
He stated, “Just as we need a strategy inside Iraq at the national level, we need it at the international level, because the crime of corruption has become cross-border with Iraq, and we in Iraq have smuggled our money abroad and with it major corrupt people, and they are currently enjoying our money that they stole in different countries of the world.”
He stressed the necessity of “striving to build a strategy with international organizations to help us in this field,” pointing out that “the new strategy will adopt new rules for participation with the state institution and expand that by participating with ministries and entities not affiliated with a ministry, and involving oversight bodies within the governorates.” “.
He stressed, “The Commission has set out to cooperate and participate with nearby Arab strategies that have a long history in combating corruption, as well as creating and implementing strategies, the most important of which are in the Arab Republic of Egypt and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.”