New Delhi, May 24: Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) Dr Jitendra Singh on Wednesday said that the G20 Rishikesh meeting will reiterate India’s resolve against economic offenders to ensure zero tolerance against corruption.
At the Second Anti-Corruption Working Group Meeting (ACWG) of G-20 beginning Thursday at Rishikesh, Uttarakhand, India will seek a deepening of G20 commitment towards countering corruption globally, he said.
In a pre-event media briefing here at the National Media Centre, Dr Singh said that under Prime Minister Narendra Modi, India has taken a very decisive position to prevent economic offenders from fleeing out of the country and taking refuge in other friendly countries with liberal laws.
He recalled that in 2018, during Argentina’s G20 Presidency, Prime Minister, Narendra Modi gave a Nine Point Agenda for Action Against Fugitive Economic Offences and Asset Recovery to G20.
“Based on the above, the G20 countries committed to exploring the links between corruption and other economic crimes and ways to tackle them, including through cooperation on the return of persons sought for such offences and stolen assets, consistent with international obligations and domestic legal systems. G20 countries affirmed to continue practical cooperation to fight corruption and deny safe haven to persons sought for corruption and their proceeds of corruption,” he said.
The Union Minister said that India’s present priorities take forward past agreements to enhance international cooperation for strengthening the fight against corruption and the return of corruption offenders and stolen assets to their countries of origin. This is the concern of all the G20 countries and therefore, we expect substantial agreement on proposals of India, he said.
Talking about the unique elements of the G20 ACWG meeting, Dr Singh said that India is organizing a unique event on exploring “G20’s perspective on synergizing gender sensitivity with anti-corruption strategies” on 25th May 2023 on the sidelines of the second G20 ACWG meeting in Rishikesh, Uttarakhand. “This event will have the participation of high-level keynote speakers and governmental experts of G20 countries and international organizations. Indian voices of grassroots shall also be represented during the event. India would highlight its own experiences where anti-corruption efforts have helped in the empowerment of women,” he said.
The Minister further said that India is also preparing a compendium of good practices of G20 ACWG members regarding enhancing the role of auditing in tackling corruption.
Moreover, India is preparing an Accountability Report for 2023 with a unique focus on the analysis of the efficiency of Mutual Legal Assistance (MLA) procedures for corruption and other criminal offences, he said.
The minister hoped that the G20 ACWG meeting would serve as a platform for India to engage with other countries, exchange knowledge, shape policies, and foster international cooperation, all of which can contribute to strengthening India’s anti-corruption framework.
