The Foreign Minister inaugurated the International Seminar on Corruption and Human Rights, co-hosted by the Government of Pakistan and the OIC IPHRC. The focus of the two-day International Seminar was “Combating Corruption – A Prerequisite for the Full Exercise of All Human Rights and Sustainable Development.”
In his keynote address, Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi emphasized Pakistan’s efforts to combat corruption, particularly illicit financial flows, as well as to promote and preserve all human rights. He highlighted that inclusive and sustainable development would be impossible without transparency and accountability. He also presented an actionable agenda to the OIC group to combat corruption.
The Minister of Human Rights, Shireen Mazari mentioned during the session that Pakistan is the first South Asian and the third Asian country which has launched National Action Plan on Business and Human Rights. She said this action plan is a vital tool to protect human rights as well as fight corruption at the state and business enterprises level. She stressed the fact that to address this transnational challenge, coordinated national and international actions are required.
The declaration adopted at the end of the session mentioned the need for integrating the role of technology in promoting increased transparency, accountability, accessibility, and citizen participation. It urged all OIC member nations to strengthen their judiciaries, prosecution services, and law enforcement authorities to combat corruption. It also requested that they develop properly equipped, empowered, and independent accountability structures capable of conducting independent and impartial investigations of the crimes.
The International Seminar is being jointly organized by the Government of Pakistan and the Independent Permanent Human Rights Commission (IPHRC) of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), in collaboration with the United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).
