Mr. Chairman,
We took note of the report on the work over the past year of the Special Representative of the OSCE Chairmanship-in-Office on Combating Corruption, Ms. A. Ramasastri, as well as the recommendations contained therein. Admittedly, I would like to have more time to study in detail the document that was distributed only yesterday. Let’s share our preliminary estimates and considerations.
Unfortunately, the failure of the North Macedonian Chairmanship in Office to coordinate the parameters of the 30th OSCE Economic and Environmental Forum largely undermined the possibility of conducting full-fledged work within the framework of the economic cycle events, including on anti-corruption issues. At the same time, we note the constructive exchange of information on national efforts to combat corruption, including in the field of environmental protection, held during the OSCE Meeting on the Review of Commitments in the Economic and Environmental Dimension, which became the only coordinated OSCE event this year, not counting the Council of Ministers in Skopje.
The devastating scale of corruption is global. That is why the fight against corruption should be transnational in nature, conducted on a systematic basis by consistently strengthening international cooperation with the central coordinating role of the United Nations and based on the UN Convention against Corruption. We are convinced that it is possible to cope with large-scale corruption challenges only together, adhering to a creative agenda and common approaches in the anti-corruption sphere. Russian relevant agencies are actively involved in multilateral anti-corruption efforts, including the work of the Interstate Council for Combating Corruption of the Commonwealth of Independent States and the Global Network of Anti-Corruption Law Enforcement Agencies.
At the same time, we are concerned about the increasing politicization of anti-criminal cooperation. The Russian competent authorities note that there is no reaction from a number of States to requests for legal assistance in corruption cases, including on issues of applying to the state income of property of unexplained origin. Since the beginning of 2023, 37 Russian requests for legal assistance have been refused by foreign states, 33 of them for political reasons.
This practice not only indicates a direct violation by individual countries of their obligations arising from applicable international treaties, but also allows criminals to avoid criminal liability. We consider this categorically unacceptable and call on all States to engage in depoliticized cooperation.
We support the strengthening of the international legal regime for asset recovery, also to ensure the repatriation of funds to the countries of origin and their use for development purposes. We condemn the selective approach of the States in whose jurisdiction the stolen funds are withdrawn when making decisions on their repatriation. We consider unacceptable the practice of imposing conditions for the return of assets to the countries of origin, as this contradicts the principles of respect for sovereignty and non-interference in the affairs of other States.
The OSCE, within its mandate, also has an important role to play in international anti-corruption efforts. The participating States have accumulated a solid set of obligations in this area. Its significant addition was the adoption of Decision No. 6/20 on prevention and combating corruption through digitalization and increased transparency at the Council of Ministers of Foreign Affairs in Tirana in 2020.
Mr. Chairman,
In Russia, the issues of prevention and combating corruption are given priority attention. As in many other OSCE participating States, comprehensive, systemic measures are being implemented in our country to curb corruption. Consistent work is underway to implement the National Anti-Corruption Plan for 2021-2024.
The improvement of anti-corruption legislation is of key importance in the fight against corruption. In this context, amendments and additions to the Federal Law “On Combating Corruption” of 2008 are being adopted in Russia. In particular, in 2022-2023, the law was supplemented with mechanisms for the circulation of funds of officials to the state income, the legality of whose origin has not been confirmed.
As before, we are open to an equal and mutually respectful dialogue on ways to build broad interstate cooperation in combating corruption, and we are ready to share our best practices in this area.
Mr. Chairman,
Our meeting is taking place on the eve of the International Anti-Corruption Day celebrated on December 9. Also this year marks the 20th anniversary of the signing of the relevant UN Convention. We hope that this important anniversary will be a good reason not only to summarize the work done, but also to set new tasks to overcome the remaining difficulties in the fight against corruption.
Thank you for your attention.
