Baghdad, Iraq: On International Anti-Corruption Day, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the European Union (EU) support the Government’s efforts to combat corruption and encourage it to continue the path of ambitious reforms.

Reform is key to ensure the Government’s drive to end corruption is successful and sustainable, said UN Resident Coordinator Ghulam Mohammad Isaczai. “Strengthening Iraq's anti-corruption legislation, investigation capacity, advancing fiscal accountability, and improving transparency and public reporting are necessary tools for achieving results.”

“Ending corruption will ensure everyone has equal access to basic services like justice, health, education, transportation, water and electricity. To turn the tide against corruption, there needs to be strong political will to build responsive institutions,” said Auke Lootsma, Resident Representative, UNDP Iraq.

“We stand committed to working with Iraqi federal and Kurdistan Region state institutions to improve their transparency and public accountability through anti-corruption reforms, strengthening the rule of law and restoring the public's confidence in the institutions.”

The Ambassador of the European Union to Iraq, Ville Varjola, said, “Everyone - citizens, civil society, private sector, media and the government - has the responsibility to tackle corruption. Through this EU-funded initiative, we are working closely with all of them to respond to this call for change. We are looking forward to joining a united front to fight corruption to benefit the people of Iraq.”

The EU and UNDP are currently collaborating on the 'Anti-Corruption and Arbitration in Iraq' project, which builds on Iraq's efforts to improve transparency and accountability across state institutions. The project supports Iraq's fight against corruption by supporting institutions to revise its anti-corruption laws and providing specialized on-demand training for corruption investigators and integrity judges. 

About International Anti-Corruption Day: 

On 31 October 2003, the UN General Assembly adopted the Convention against Corruption and designated 9 December as International Anti-Corruption Day to raise awareness of corruption and the Convention's role in combating and preventing it. 

Media enquiries:

Mrinalini Santhanam, Communications Specialist, UNDP Iraq

Al-Sadiq Al-Adilee, EU's Press and Communications Officer