PM Hun Sen's Remarks at the Opening Ceremony of the Seminar on the Draft Law on Anti-Corruption

in Cambodia and International Standards--Edited comments

17-18 August 2005

Today, it is my great pleasure and honor to join you all ... in the opening of the

seminar on the Draft Law on Anti-Corruption ...

Taking this opportunity, I would like to highly appreciate the great efforts of the

Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs and Inspection in preparing this draft law on anti-corruption

...

1. From now on the public will be aware that the draft law on anti-corruption that

the Royal Government of Cambodia has solemnly committed to create is now being formed.

...

2. This earnest and important seminar today, joined by national and international

experts, law makers as well as experts from countries that have tremendous experiences

in combating corruption, will provide this draft law with comprehensiveness and transparency.

3. It is clear that straightforward comments and ideas emerged from this seminar

will provide encouragement and support to the Royal Government's commitment in having

an accurate and good law on anti-corruption.

We are all clearly aware that corruption is the factor that entices individuals to

act in opposite of their duties by using promises and bribes. Corrupt activities

can be compared to illegal collection of fees from the people. Moreover, corrupt

activities are complicit between individuals in carrying out malicious and illegal

actions. For this reason, many countries have identified these kinds of activities

as illegal and classified them as crimes ...

Talking about destructive capability of corruption, we all are aware that corruption

in different levels - small, medium or large scale - always has a negative impact

on society. Corruption affects efficiency in production as well as implementing law.

Without virtue in their conduct, some individuals and public servants involve in

activities that are against their duties. ... With the above mentioned reasons, it

is not difficult for us to see the importance to combat against corruption which

leads to the success of economic development of our country. ...

First - Experiences in economic management in our days have shown evidences reflecting

clearly reactive impact of governance on national economy. In many cases, corruption

is the main cause of revenue lost, quality of investment, public services, public

confidence in government actions and losses of investment inflows....

Second - A lot of studies confirm the strong relation between the successful combating

of corruption and economic growth....

Third - Globalization needs good governance. The free flow of capital and economic

and trade liberalization require clear rule of law and a serious and responsible

government to work in the transparent, accountable and reliable way. ...

Fourth - Another important factor requiring special attention, especially on combating

against corruption, is foreign aid. ...

Obviously, we haven't obtained the expected results in fighting against corruption

since we do not have strong basis to effectively fight with corruption. ...

At present, we are talking about fighting against corruption. ... To free the society

from corruption, I believe that we should have enough good quality of law and good

governance in public management and private business.

As a result, the core of Rectangular Strategy of the Royal Government is Good Governance

which focuses on (i) combating corruption, (ii) law and judicial reforms, (iii) public

administrative reform, and (iv) military reform. In the core of the Rectangular Strategy,

fighting against corruption is an inter-related factor and necessary to forge a common

strategy toward development entailing Good Governance. ...

Within this framework, public administrative reform, in direct terms is mainly about

establishing good governance in public administration. This reform is an effort to

enhance public services within our means to ensure sustainability of public service

provision and continuity of government institutions. Public administration reform

requires government to provide an improved service to population by ethical and professional

civil servants. These require an increase of civil servant salaries, development

of human resource capacity and institutions as well as promoting application of information

technology. Without doubt, legal and judicial and public administrative reforms are

the reforms that vigorously contribute to combat against corruption, in particular

the public administrative reform aiming at reducing corruption, red tape and gradual

prevention of rent seeking behavior. In this sense, I would like to appeal to all

people, national and international, to actively support these reforms.

On behalf of the Royal Government and on myself, I have declared to combat against

corruption in my addresses. Once again, I would like to emphasize that combating

corruption, in all forms, is a firm commitment of the Royal Government of Cambodia....

Finally, I would like to wish this seminar to have fruitful outcomes during discussion

to contribute in comprehensive formulation of Anti-Corruption Law ...