Remarks by Ambassador James F. Moriarty At the International Anti-Corruption Day 2009

December 9, 2009

Honorable Chairman of the Anti-Corruption Commission, Mr. Ghulam Rahman; Divisional Commissioner for Rajshahi, Mr. Hafizur Rahman Bhuiyan; My colleague and USAID Bangladesh Mission Director, Ms. Denise Rollins; Chief of Party of the Promoting Governance, Accountability and Integrity (PROGATI) project, Dr. David Pottebaum; Distinguished Guests; Ladies and Gentlemen:

Assalam-u-Alaikum, Namashkar and good morning.

Thank you for joining us today to observe International Anti-Corruption Day. In 2003 the United Nations designated December 9 as International Anti-Corruption Day following the adoption of the UN Convention against Corruption (UNCAC). Throughout the world, governments, citizens and the media are coming together today to raise awareness about the damage corruption causes to governments, economies and societies.

It is no secret that, like many countries, Bangladesh's lack of transparency and accountability hampers its growth and development. Bangladesh's accession to the UN Convention Against Corruption in February 2007 marked a great step forward in the nation's commitment to eradicate corruption. Your presence here today demonstrates your commitment as citizens to supporting transparency and accountability in Bangladesh. For that, I commend you.

Bangladesh has made progress in improving governance and strengthening democratic institutions. It is remarkable that more than 80 percent of eligible voters participated in last December's parliamentary elections, an outstanding feat in any democracy. Voters elected candidates from eight political parties to the Ninth Jatiyo Shangshad. Bangladesh's independent Anti-Corruption Commission maintains investigative capacity. Bangladesh now has an Information Commission, a Human Rights Commission, and of course, as we all have witnessed, a very successful Election Commission.

These efforts helped Bangladesh make some progress in the annual in Transparency International Corruption Perceptions Index. While it is heartening to see that Bangladesh is one of the nine countries that improved most in their rankings in 2009, the country still ranks near the bottom at number 139 out of 180 countries. This latest report indicated that Bangladesh still has a long way to go before it can declare victory in its fight against corruption.

Corruption is not unique to any one country or institution. Corruption weakens democratic institutions – and ultimately harms most the weakest and most vulnerable members of society. Fighting corruption requires awareness and continual vigilance from all sectors of society.

All governments have a responsibility to their citizens to fight corruption. We fully support Bangladesh's efforts to combat corruption and its government's pledge to eradicate corruption. The United States commends the Government of Bangladesh for passing key laws, including the Right to Information Act 2009 and anti-money laundering legislation.
Government efforts alone, however, are not enough. The fight against corruption requires the commitment and support of all sectors of society - government, civil society, business, the media, and an informed public.

Bangladesh's media continue to raise awareness and build public opinion on important issues, including corruption. For example, media organizations reported on recent revisions to the Public Procurement rules. Ensuring transparency and accountability in the tender and procurement process is critical. Perceived lack of transparency undermines the positive steps that government has already implemented. In addition, donor countries and organizations may limit their assistance to vital projects without adherence to international standards.

There is no denying that corruption has a trickle- down effect, negatively affecting all citizens, and especially the weakest and most vulnerable groups. Corruption discourages business and foreign investment, costing the country billions of dollars worth of much-needed capital investment. This investment is not just about statistics - capital investment translates into job creation and income opportunities for the people of Bangladesh.

Many experts project that corruption reduces Bangladesh's GDP by about 2 percent per year - 1.5 billion dollars annually. As a direct result of corruption, tens of thousands of Bangladeshis remain unemployed, uneducated and impoverished.

The United States Government is committed to combating corruption. From the first minutes of his presidency, President Obama has made fighting corruption a priority. In his inauguration speech, President Obama stated that those who cling to power through corruption and deceit"are on the wrong side of history."

We are committed to helping Bangladesh combat corruption. A leading example of that commitment is the Promoting Governance Accountability Transparency and Integrity" project or PROGATI, funded by the U.S. Government through the United States Agency for International Development (USAID).

The PROGATI project has two main goals. First, PROGATI is helping to improve transparency and accountability in public resource management. It does this by strengthening institutions that provide public sector oversight. The project works closely with the Bangladesh Jatiyo Shangshad, its oversight committees, and the Office of the Comptroller and Auditor General. These efforts encourage other important institutions, such as civil society and the media, to have a voice.

To this end, the PROGATI project will soon launch a Budget Analysis and Monitoring Unit housed within the Parliament Secretariat. This unit will provide financial analysis to Members of Parliament, assisting them to better oversee national budgets and monitor government expenditures. The PROGATI project works closely with the Auditor General's Office to strengthen the capacity of the country's primary audit institution to increase transparency and accountability of government expenditures.

PROGATI's second goal is to enhance the watchdog capabilities of civil society and the media. In partnership with the Institute of Governance Studies at BRAC University, the United States Government established an investigative journalism center, JATRI or Journalism Training and Research Initiative. JATRI is now training journalists on investigative reporting and commissioning research to complement other anti-corruption initiatives.

The United States will continue to support Bangladesh as it works to eliminate corruption in Rajshahi, in Dhaka and throughout Bangladesh.

In closing, I would like to thank today's Chief Guest, the Chairman of the Anti-Corruption Commission, Mr. Ghulam Rahman, for joining us here today and for the excellent support the ACC extends to USAID and PROGATI. I thank the organizers for planning this event to celebrate the International Anti-Corruption Day 2009 and thank you all for your participation and support.