G20 hails India's ratification of UN graft convention

New Delhi: The ratification by India of the UN Convention against Corruption (UNCAC) won praise at the G20 — a summit of the world’s 20 leading economies — at Cannes and was hailed as one of the “most significant” individual achievements in the fight against graft.

A note circulated by the French Presidency at the just concluded summit mentioned this while noting how G20 member countries have begun work in areas including the recovery of assets, the fight against money laundering, whistleblower protection and the functioning and independence of anti-corruption agencie.

The Indian action figured in the list of eight “most significant” individual achievements that was carried out by the G20 members and mentioned in the note titled “Fighting Corruption.”

On the sidelines of the Summit, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said India’s concerns on corruption were reflected in the communique.

“If you go by the communique these are concerns which are shared by all the members of the G20. The communique reflects those concerns on corruption. And they welcome our ratification of the UN convention on corruption,” he told reporters.

India ratified the Convention in May this year.

The decision by Russia to join the OECD Convention on Combatting Bribery of Foreign Public officials in International Business Transactions and the entry into force in China of a law criminalising international corruption also figured in the list.

The French Presidency noted that the G20 has made major progress in the fight against corruption since the Seoul Summit in November 2010.

PTI