November 21, 2004
Today Australia, Canada, Chile, China, Japan, South Korea and the United States announced their commitment to provide critical support to help Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) developing economies fight corruption under the newly announced APEC Leaders’ initiative.
The Anti-Corruption and Transparency (ACT) Capacity-Building Program will include technical assistance targeted at helping APEC economies meet their commitments outlined in the Santiago Commitment and the APEC Anti-Corruption Course of Action endorsed earlier by Leaders. Canada’s $12 million contribution includes a training program to strengthen the Vietnamese justice system.
It is expected that innovative tools, practical workshops and training programs will be developed, including in areas dealing with investigatory and prosecutorial techniques for building corruption cases, judicial reform, anti-money-laundering, asset forfeiture and recovery, terrorist financing and implementation of the APEC Transparency Standards. Development of an APEC Web site devoted to anti-corruption public awareness and e-governance tools will also be a part of the APEC ACT Support and Capacity-Building Program. Support will include cooperation with multilateral banks and international organizations to support relevant activities in APEC developing economies.
Under the judicial Development and Grassroots Engagement Project (JUDGE), Canada will support training of judges and other legal officials. As well, an additional component will strengthen the functioning and administration of Vietnam’s courts in support of its Supreme People’s Court comprehensive reform efforts.
This kind of initiative — sending Canadian judicial experts abroad to work with their counterparts on the rule of law — is part of the Canada Corps Program. First announced in the spring Speech from the Throne, Canada Corps will mobilize more Canadians to get involved in governance efforts abroad and seek greater public engagement at home.
In launching the historic anti-corruption initiative, APEC hopes to reduce the cost of corruption to economies in the region and to promote a culture of integrity and lawfulness. The APEC anti-corruption initiative is designed to strengthen the collective political commitment within the region to fighting corruption and ensuring transparency within the framework of the principles and provisions of the United Nations Convention against Corruption.
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