Under the Theme ‘Uniting with Youth against Corruption: Shaping Tomorrow's Integrity’ Sultanate of Oman Joins the International Community in Marking the International Anti-Corruption Day 2024
Under the Theme ‘Uniting with Youth against Corruption: Shaping Tomorrow's Integrity’ Sultanate of Oman Joins the International Community in Marking the International Anti-Corruption Day 2024
Date of Publication: Dec 9, 2024, 12:24 PM
The Sultanate of Oman, represented by State Audit Institution, joins the international community, peer SAIs and international authorities concerned with promoting integrity and combating corruption on the International Anti-Corruption Day, which falls on 9 December every year, the day on which the United Nations General Assembly adopted the United Nations Convention against Corruption (UNCAC) in 2003.
This year’s theme for the International Anti-Corruption Day is ‘Uniting with Youth against Corruption: Shaping Tomorrow's Integrity’. The campaign focuses on the significant role that youth play as integrity advocates and defenders, as they play a major role in raising awareness about corruption and its impacts on their communities, as well as actively participate in activities and debates and find innovative solutions to fight corruption.
On this occasion, Shabeeb bin Nasser bin Khalfan Al Busaidi, Director General of Legal Works and Head of the Integrity Promoting and Anti-Corruption Committee at State Audit Institution, stated that this year's international message carries the theme "Uniting with Youth against Corruption", which reflects the role of youth as leaders of integrity in all societies to express their aspirations, be heard and take their views and ambitions. He added that developing a system of integrity and transparency can only be achieved through hard work and cooperation with youth to establish values that are originally part of our Omani identity.
Al Busaidi highlighted that since the Sultanate of Oman joined the United Nations Convention against Corruption in 2013, the State Audit Institution (SAI), in collaboration with relevant stakeholders, has been diligently working to develop an integrated system aimed at promoting integrity within society. This includes updating relevant legislation and preparing the National Integrity Promotion Plan, with the participation of numerous concerned parties. SAI focuses on monitoring the implementation of this plan and assessing its impact in coordination with Oman Vision 2040 Implementation Follow-up Unit.
Additionally, the State Audit Institution implements an annual media awareness plan to raise public awareness about the importance of integrity and protecting public fund. These efforts target entities subject to audit as well as communities across Oman’s governorates. Awareness programs are disseminated through various print, audio, visual, and social media platforms to instill the values of integrity across all segments of society.
SAI also organizes joint training programs in collaboration with relevant authorities and delivers numerous awareness lectures to school, college, and university students. Furthermore, academic lectures are presented as part of the " Oman: The State and the Human " course in partnership with Sultan Qaboos University.
In terms of the regional efforts of the Sultanate of Oman in the field of promoting integrity and accountability, Shabeeb Al Busaidi affirms the Sultanate of Oman’s keenness on effective regional participation, represented in the ratification of the Arab Anti-Corruption Convention under Royal Decree No. 28/2014, participation in conferences and meetings held at the level of the Arab Anti-Corruption Convention, and cooperation with the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development in the Middle East and North Africa, in addition to participation in the meetings of the Ministerial Committee, the Undersecretaries Committee, and the Experts Committee concerned with combating corruption in the Gulf Cooperation Council States. Not to mention the accession of the Sultanate of Oman to the Global Operational Network of Anti-Corruption Law Enforcement Authorities (GlobE) in 2023 and the Arab Anti-Corruption Network in 2024.
Shabeeb Al Busaidi, Director General of Legal Works, concluded his statement by emphasizing that the Sultanate of Oman, through its sustainable vision and integrated efforts, is moving forward with an advanced approach towards establishing integrity as a foundation for comprehensive development, while committing to achieving the goals of Oman Vision 2040.