ISLAMABAD: The eighth session of the Conference of the States Parties (CoSP) of the UN convention against corruption has unanimously adopted a Pakistan-sponsored resolution on strengthening the role of parliaments in preventing and combating corruption.

According to a press release issued on Saturday, the conference was held in Abu Dhabi from December 16-20.

Pakistan’s initiative is in line with the vision of Prime Minister Imran Khan to eliminate corruption.

The unanimous adoption of the resolution was manifestation of the trust reposed by the international community in Pakistan’s leading role in the fight against corruption, the Foreign Office spokesperson said in a statement.

The resolution, inter alia, called upon parties to enhance exchanges among parliamentary institutions for promoting good practices to strengthen the role of parliaments in their respective countries in enacting legislation and ensuring effective oversight.

In this regard, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) has been mandated to organise a thematic dialogue in collaboration with the Inter-Parliamentary Union on strengthening the role of parliaments in combating corruption in all its forms. The UNODC will also develop a compendium of good practices on the role of parliaments in combating corruption.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Pakistan Mission in Vienna steered the process of consultations to achieve consensus on the resolution. A wide range of developing and developed countries from all geographical regions co-sponsored the resolution, including Azerbaijan, Brazil, Canada, China, Indonesia, Morocco, Nigeria, Peru, the Philippines, Russia, Singapore and Switzerland.

Published in Dawn, December 22nd, 2019