[Press release] New administration’s anti-corruption policies to be introduced at the UN

Vice-chairperson Park Kyung-ho of the Anti-Corruption and Civil Rights Commission will speak about Korean government’s anti-corruption policy directions and Korean society’s strong resilience to corruption at UN High-level Political Forum on Sustainable Development Goals.

□ Korean people’s strong resilience to corruption, proven in the process of addressing the political corruption of intervention in state affairs by former president’s confidante and the newly launched government’s strong will to fight corruption will be introduce in the global community.

   Anti-Corruption and Civil Rights Commission (ACRC, Chairperson Pak Un Jung) said on July 10 that its Vice-chairperson (Anti-Corruption) Park Kyung-ho will introduce Korea’s new administration’s anti-corruption policy direction and major policy tasks at a side event of UN High-Level Political Forum(HLPF) on Sustainable Development which will be held on July 11th in New York(July 10th in local time).
 

□ HLPF is United Nations central platform for follow-up and review of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Sustainable Development Goals provided for all State Members of the UN and States member of specialized agencies. HLPF has been held every year since its launch in 2013

   HLPF 2017 will be held from July 10th to 19th in the UN headquarters in New York under the theme of “Eradicating poverty and promoting prosperity in a changing world.” UN Secretary-General, high ranking government officials from countries around the world and representatives from various UN organizations will attend the forum.
 

   Vice-Chairperson Park will make a presentation at the side event of HLPF 2017 “Integrity of Public Institutions as a Pre-Condition and Accelerator for Attaining SDGs” which is co-organized by the Permanent Mission of the Republic of Korea to the United Nations and the UNDP* Seoul Policy Centre. The side event will be attended by representatives of governments of countries around the world and major international anti-corruption institutions and civic groups. Especially, Transparency International Chair, Jose Carlos Ugaz will patriciate in the event as a discussant, indicating high expectations from the international community to Korean government’s efforts to enhance public sector integrity.

   * United Nations Development Program

□ Vice-Chairperson Park will emphasize during his presentation that even though Korea went through a crisis because of the severe political corruption of intervention in state affairs by the former president’s confidante, and its national image in and out of the country was severely damaged, Korea overcame the crisis in a peaceful and democratic manner thanks to the capacity to fight against corruption from the entire society including the executive, legislative, and judiciary branch of the government and civil society. He will also stress that by actively reflecting Korean people’s strong aspiration of a transparent nation shown in the process of tackling the corruption, the new administration will make its all out efforts to eradicate corruption and become an advanced nation in the area of anti-corruption.
 

   Vice-chairperson Park will also introduce ACRC’s anti-corruption measures implemented in line with the new government’s anti-corruption strategies. They are (a) re-establishment of  Consultation Council of Anti-Corruption related Agencies, (b) development of comprehensive and systemic anti-corruption policies, (c) implementation of Act on the recovery of illegal profits and stronger prevention of conflict of interest for public officials, (d) further protection of public interest whistleblowers, (e) stronger regulation against improper solicitation by public officials to non-public officials, and (f) active public-private cooperation on anti-corruption efforts.

   He will also share the ACRC’s experiences and lessons learned in the introduction of its Anti-Corruption Initiative Assessment to  Vietnam which has been successfully completed in partnership with the UNDP Seoul Policy Centre.

□ Following the meeting, he will meet with General Counsel David Apol of United States Office of Government Ethics and Dr. Farid Abolfathi, Senior Director of Risk Center of Information Handling Services Markit* and introduce change in and major achievements of Kora’s anti-corruption policy of the new administration.

    * Information Handling Services Markit is a research institution that produces country risk index including corruption level that affects business environment

□  An official from the ACRC said that ACRC expects that the Vice-chairperson Park’s upcoming meetings and presentation at the UN HLPF will contribute to enhancing the nation’s integrity by introducing Korea’s new government’s strong will to fight corruption and its people’s mature citizenship.