G-20 countries begin brainstorming on greater international cooperation against corruption
By Arun Pratap Singh
Narendra Nagar, 25 May: Union Minister of State for Defence and Tourism, Ajay Bhatt, held a media briefing at Hotel Westin, here, which is hosting the three day ‘Second Anti Corruption Working Group Meeting of G-20’ that began today.
Bhatt asserted that it was a matter of great fortune that the 2nd Anti Corruption Working Group of G-20 countries is being hosted in Devbhoomi Uttarakhand. He said that, in the meeting, efforts to control corruption at the global level would be discussed and brainstorming done on how to combat the problem at the international level. Bhatt claimed that, by hosting the meeting in Devbhoomi, a positive message would be sent across the world.
Bhatt added that intensive discussion and brainstorming on how to jointly fight the menace of corruption will produce outcomes that will pave the way to greater transparency and international cooperation in fighting corruption. The whole world will get positive guidance in this global fight. The Union Minister of State stressed that international cooperation and solidarity is very necessary to end the menace of corruption at the global level. He indicated that crimes are now increasingly committed at global level and with the due cooperation of the participating countries the fugitives hiding in other nations can be brought to book and also extradited.
Bhatt said that the issue of fighting a joint global war against corruption is an initiative taken by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who had in 2018 at a past meeting on this topic held in Argentina, raised this issue and had sought international cooperation to fight corruption. Once the issue of fighting corruption has been brought on the agenda, it will be pursued in future meetings as well.
In India, the first Anti Corruption Working Group meeting was recently held in Gurugram and the second meeting in Narendra Nagar would also mull on greater use of technology in the global war against corruption. A third meeting of the group will soon be held in Kolkata. It is hoped that some major outcomes will result from this continuous brainstorming.
He reminded that nine major points were raised by Prime Minister Modi in Argentina in 2018. Modi had urged the countries to agree to strengthen the institutional framework in the fight against corruption and to implement modern technology like Information Technology (IT) and Artificial Intelligence to effectively tackle corruption.
He disclosed that the countries feel the side effects of corruption are so much widespread, that there is a need to urgently strengthen the institutional framework in this regard. The discussion on these points will be carried forward in the current G-20 meetings and the G-20 summits to be held in the future. The countries had in the last meeting agreed to share information and technology tools with each other to fight corruption, he claimed.
In response to a question, Bhatt said that, since the time when Modi had raised the necessity of greater international cooperation to fight corruption in 2018, India has signed extradition and cooperation treaties with several countries. This will help in bringing more economic and criminal offenders back to the country and prevent their escape.
During this three-day event, more than 90 representatives of 20 member countries, 10 invited countries and 9 international organisations are participating and will take forward the discussions already held in the first meeting of the ACWG in Gurugram.
Bhatt also reminded that the manner in which India is chairing the G-20 Summits as its present head, Modi has been successful in emphasising the need for One World, One Remedy and One Future for all.
Rajat Kumar, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Personnel & Training, Government of India, was also present on the occasion.
