ACTA President to QNA: Sheikh Tamim Bin Hamad Al-Thani ACE Award Acclaims Huge Regional, International Interest
Doha, December 19 (QNA) - HE President of the Administrative Control and Transparency Authority (ACTA) Hamad bin Nasser Al Misnad said that Sheikh Tamim Bin Hamad Al-Thani International Anti-Corruption Excellence Award has great importance and a significant role in highlighting anti-corruption efforts regionally and internationally by encouraging the efforts made and honoring individuals and institutions who have made exceptional efforts in fighting corruption.
In his remarks to Qatar News Agency (QNA), HE Al Misnad indicated that this recognition inspires others to engage in this field and repeat successful efforts. He added that the award highlights successful projects and initiatives to fight corruption, contributes to increasing public awareness about this important issue, and helps draw attention to the effects of corruption and the need to address it. It also contributes to enhancing international cooperation by collecting ideas and good practices from around the world, encouraging the exchange of experiences and knowledge, and cooperating in developing effective strategies to combat corruption.
His Excellency noted that the successes recognized by the award inspire others to participate and contribute to anti-corruption efforts, in addition to the winners submitting detailed reports on their projects and efforts in fighting corruption, which encourages transparency and enhances the accountability of concerned parties.
His Excellency pointed out that the award also calls for the importance of fighting corruption and encouraging the implementation of decisive measures stipulated in the United Nations Convention against Corruption, adding that it aims to shed light on exemplary and noteworthy measures and good practices globally.
His Excellency said that this award recognizes anti-corruption models from all over the world, enhancing their role and disseminating it at all levels, in addition to increasing awareness, support, and solidarity in this field and encouraging similar and new initiatives and exploiting them with the aim of establishing a society free of corruption.
Regarding the reasons for presenting the award to several categories, His Excellency explained that this came in recognition of the various efforts in many distinguished fields within the framework of the global fight against corruption, as these categories include (Lifetime / Outstanding Achievement, Academic Research and Education, Youth Creativity and Engagement, Innovation / Investigative Journalism, and Safeguarding Sports from Corruption).
HE Al Misnad highlighted ACTA's mechanisms to support these anti corruption efforts, indicating that it plays a tangible role in supporting anti-corruption efforts at both regional and international levels, and also continues to cooperate with the United Nations Office and other countries in efforts to strengthen international cooperation to fight corruption, as a representative of the State of Qatar.
In the same context, His Excellency pointed out that the ACTA had signed memoranda of understanding with counterparts from many countries to exchange more knowledge and experiences and transfer the successful experience of the State of Qatar in fighting and confronting corruption to countries around the world. He reiterated ACTA's keenness to launch effective regional initiatives, the most prominent of which was the "Arab Youth Anti-Corruption Hackathon," launched in 2023.
On the "Arab Youth Anti-Corruption Hackathon," His Excellency told QNA that the hackathon brought together young programmers from 17 Arab countries and provided them with a unique opportunity to cooperate and develop innovative technological solutions to confront challenges related to corruption, noting that such initiatives contributed in implementing innovative projects to enhance transparency in public procurement, protect whistleblowers, protect sports from corruption, fight corruption in the private sector, report corruption related to water management, and support the digitization of educational systems. He noted that these projects would play a significant role in achieving sustainable development and promoting transparency and integrity in the Arab region.
Regarding the multiplicity of cities that hosted the award ceremony, HE Al Misnad indicated in this regard that the multiplicity of cities that hosted the award ceremony of the Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani International Anti-Corruption Excellence Award carries several important implications, including enhancing the cultural and geographical pluralism of the initiative; expanding the scope of influence so that the award can direct its message and influence to a broader and more diverse audience to include government officials, civil activists, media representatives, and interested individuals from different cultures and communities; and highlighting local and regional challenges.
In a related context, His Excellency stressed that the challenges related to corruption differ from one region to another and vary from one city to another, so directing the award ceremony to multiple cities can highlight local and regional challenges and enhance cooperation to address them. He pointed out that holding the award ceremony in multiple cities could increase public awareness about the problem of corruption and its importance in various countries.
His Excellency pointed to the countries that hosted the award ceremony for the Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani International Anti-Corruption Excellence Award, as the competition was hosted in its first edition in 2016 in Austri, Vienna, then in Geneva, Switzerland at the United Nations headquarters in 2017, followed by, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, in 2018, Kigali, Rwanda, in 2019, then in Tunisia in 2020, in Doha in 2022, and recently in Uzbekistan in 2023.
HE Al Misnad said that the number of winners of the award during previous years reached 42 winners, as seven winners received this award in 2016, six in 2017, and eight in 2018, while the number of winners for (2019, 2020, and 2022) reached seven winners for each year, bringing the total number of winners for these years to 21.
In another context, HE President of the ACTA Hamad bin Nasser Al Misnad said that more than two-thirds of the world countries suffer from a serious a issue with corruption, as they recorded scores of less than 50, while the average of Arab countries in 2022 index decreased to 33 out of 100. Three Gulf countries - including the State of Qatar - ranked first in the Arab world in fighting corruption, according to the latest Transparency International report issued at the end of January 2023.
His Excellency pointed out that the Transparency International report added that corruption levels are still at a standstill in most parts of the world, as 86 percent of countries have made little or no progress at all in the past ten years. Transparency International found that countries that violate civil freedoms consistently score lower on the Corruption Perceptions Index, as indolence in the fight against corruption exacerbates human rights violations and undermines democracy.
On the other hand, HE Al Misnad told QNA that awarding the Sheikh Tamim Bin Hamad Al-Thani International Anti-Corruption Excellence Award is very consistent with the efforts made by the State of Qatar at the regional and international levels to achieve peace and stability around the world, especially since corruption may be a source of instability and conflict in different regions of the world.
His Excellency indicated that the award could contribute to promoting peace and stability by reducing harmful effects related to corruption, especially since corruption can be a major obstacle to achieving sustainable development and economic and social prosperity, and in supporting efforts to combat corruption. He stressed that the State of Qatar seeks to achieve the goals of sustainable development at the national and international levels. In addition, the fight against corruption promotes basic human values such as justice, integrity, and equality.
His Excellency also pointed out that the State of Qatar plays a prominent role in fighting corruption at the regional and international levels, as it plays a pivotal role in the Gulf region and the Middle East, encourages dialogue and regional cooperation in fighting corruption, and participates in regional initiatives and forums to enhance integrity and transparency.
In this regard, His Excellency added that Qatar seeks to exchange experiences and knowledge with other countries and international organizations to enhance anti-corruption strategies, provides funding and humanitarian contributions to support projects and initiatives that work to enhance transparency and fight corruption in different regions around the world, and plays an effective role in international organizations such as the United Nations, the Arab League, and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC).
Regarding the role of the ACTA in fighting corruption, His Excellency stressed that the ACTA plays a vital role in fighting corruption, as it encourages increasing the level of transparency in institutions and bodies and calls for disseminating government information and data and ease of access to them. He noted that the ACTA directs awareness and educational campaigns for the public on the dangers of corruption and its impact on society, encourages community participation in fighting corruption, and directs young people towards honest values.
His Excellency explained that the ACTA is submitting proposals to develop laws and regulations related to fighting corruption. The Code of Conduct and Integrity of Public Officials has been issued, which aims to achieve the highest indicators of transparency and integrity in the public service and enhance the protection of public funds. He pointed out that the Penal Code has been amended to criminalize bribery of foreign public employees, amending the Criminal Procedure Code to strengthen mechanisms for international cooperation and mutual legal assistance, and issuing a law for the protection of victims, witnesses, and the like.
In the same context, HE President of the ACTA Hamad bin Nasser Al Misnad noted, at the conclusion of his remarks with QNA, that Law No. 9 of 2022 had recently been issued regulating the right to obtain information, which is an important tool for enhancing the investment climate in the State of Qatar and responding to the trend towards a knowledge society. (QNA)
