Cambodia’s Anti-Corruption Unit (ACU) and the United Nation’s Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) are hosting the Regional Meeting on Curbing Foreign Bribery in ASEAN Economic Committee in Siem Reap, Cambodia from 2nd – 4th October. This meeting aims at discussing the common issues in the areas of foreign bribery legislation, enforcement and compliance faced at the national level by ASEAN member countries, and at strengthening international cooperation in the investigation and prosecution of foreign bribery cases.
Foreign is of particular concern to member parties in dynamic economies of Southeast Asia. On the one hand, multi-national and foreign corporations have established an important in Southeast Asia as a result of growing foreign direct investment in the region. On the other hand, companies from the region are increasingly present and competitive in international markets. With the creation of the single market within the ASEAN economic community in 2015, as well as the increasing level of outward trade and investment from the region, the need to establish effective foreign bribery frameworks and mutual legal assistance mechanisms is particularly acute.
The implementation of the United Nations Convention against Corruption (UNCAC) provides countries with an opportunity to adopt and enforce their foreign bribery policies within a broader national anti-corruption framework. In the follow-up to this regional meeting, UNODC in collaboration with ACU aim at providing an opportunity for countries in the region to collectively address their technical assistance needs and fill the gaps of implementation identified in the review process.
TI-M’s Executive Director (ED), Mr Terance Chan attended the meeting, alongside TI-Cambodia’s ED, Mr Kol Preap, and the TI-Secretariat’s Regional Coordinator for Southeast Asia Ms Samantha Grant.
