Delegation from Iraq Commission of Integrity meets Korean experts to share Korea’s anti-corruption policy tools

August 30, 2018

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Delegation from Iraq’s Commission of Integrity (CoI) participated in a technical study mission co-hosted by UNDP Seoul Policy Centre (USPC) and Anti-corruption & Civil Rights Commission (ACRC) of Korea on 27-30 August 2018. The delegation, led by Mr. Mudher Turki Abed, Director-General of the Legal Department of CoI, included officials from relevant departments of CoI and UNDP Iraq country office. The main objective of the study visit was to share Korea’s experiences and lessons learnt in developing and implementing ACRC’s Anti-corruption Initiative Assessment (AIA), among others.

The study visit was organized based on a request from the UNDP Iraq country office and within the framework of USPC’s mandate to share Korea’s development experiences and tested-and-proven policy tools with other countries. The mission also came under the framework of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) Iraqi government signed with UNDP Iraq in 2016 and an MoU signed between CoI and ACRC in April 2018.

AIA is one of the anti-corruption policy tools implemented and operated by ACRC that encourages public institutions to make initiatives to combat corruption and promote integrity. Since 2002, ACRC has been conducting annual AIAs based on specific criteria and indicators to evaluate how the institutions are implementing various measures to prevent corruption and how those measures are being effective, based on the policies and guidance set by ACRC. Other anti-corruption policies tools of ACRC – namely, Corruption Risk Assessment (CRA), whistleblower protection, and anti-corruption training – were also shared during the study mission.

Series of technical presentations on ACRC’s policy tools and interactive discussion during the program allowed for the Iraqi delegation to identify most relevant and feasible elements of AIA to be applied in Iraq and to discuss the development of concrete action plans. At the end of the three-day study visit program, the Iraqi delegation showed their commitment to reflect knowledge they have gained throughout the mission and feedback from ACRC on pilot-testing a contextualized AIA-like tool in Iraq. The delegation also recognized the need to mobilize necessary resources and political support for a successful implementation of the tool.

This mission was also the first knowledge-sharing activity between CoI and ACRC organized since the two parties signed the MoU. Throughout the mission, officials from both institutions expressed their commitment to continue and expand the bilateral cooperation for fighting corruption. 

USPC’s Development Solutions Partnership (DSP) is a programmatic approach to share Korea’s innovative policy tools with other countries through the UNDP’s global network. In the period of 2015-2018, USPC has implemented a total of three full-fledged DSP projects on anti-corruption in Vietnam, Myanmar, and Kosovo, which share ACRC’s effective anti-corruption policy tools. In addition to activities with official DSP partner countries, USPC organized this study visit for the Iraqi delegation upon their expression of keen interest to benchmark ACRC’s AIA methodology.