RMI backs anti-corruption effort

RMI Assistant Attorney General Eric Iban speaking at last week’s UN Convention Against Corruption biennial conference in Vienna.
RMI Assistant Attorney General Eric Iban speaking at last week’s UN Convention Against Corruption biennial conference in Vienna.

A Marshall Islands official attending last week’s UN Convention Against Corruption biennial conference said the RMI is making progress to meet international standards for combating corruption.
RMI Assistant Attorney General Eric Iban, who is the government’s focal person for the UN Convention Against Corruption (UNCAC), told UNCAC’s Conference of State Parties in Vienna that the Marshall Islands government accepted the recommendations from the UNCAC review.
“Given our challenges being a Small Island Developing State, we continue to address the recommendations from our review and strive to achieve Sustainable Development Goal 16,” Iban said.
Sustainable Development Goal 16 states the aim to “Promote peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development, provide access to justice for all and build effective, accountable and inclusive institutions at all levels.”
“UN Office on Drugs and Crime, the UN Development Program and the Australian government have been instrumental in these efforts by providing technical support to our government agencies as well as our Marshall Islands Financial Intelligence Unit,” he said.
Iban highlighted actions being taken to address corruption in RMI. “There is an amendment to the Ethics in Government Act, which includes the requirement for officials and government employees to sign Declarations of Compliance and Financial Disclosure Statements,” he said. “In addition, amendments are being considered to our Procurement Code, Banking Act and regulations and relevant legislation to bring them up to par with international standards. The Marshall Islands Judiciary has made significant strides as well.”
Iban said that the RMI was committed to progressing a holistic approach in tackling the issues surrounding corruption.

Read more about this in the November 17, 2017 edition of the Marshall Islands