Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) Ministry of Science and Technology, MoS PMO, and Minister of State Ministry of Personnel and Public Grievances, Dr. Jitendra Singh, announced that G20 Rishikesh will emphasize India’s commitment to combating economic offenders and maintaining zero tolerance against corruption.
The Second Anti-Corruption Working Group Meeting (ACWG) of G-20 will commence in Rishikesh, Uttarakhand, where India will seek to strengthen the G20’s commitment to countering corruption globally. Dr. Jitendra Singh highlighted India’s decisive stance under Prime Minister Narendra Modi to prevent economic offenders from escaping the country and finding refuge in other nations with lenient laws.
Dr. Jitendra Singh recalled that during Argentina’s G20 Presidency in 2018, Prime Minister Narendra Modi presented a Nine Point Agenda for Action Against Fugitive Economic Offences and Asset Recovery to the G20. The agenda called for robust cooperation among G20 countries in legal processes and mechanisms to deny safe haven to fugitive economic offenders, effective implementation of international commitments, exchange of information, formulation of a standard definition of fugitive economic offenders, and more.
Dr. Jitendra Singh stated that the G20 countries committed to exploring the links between corruption and other economic crimes and finding ways to tackle them. Cooperation on the return of individuals sought for such offenses and recovery of stolen assets was affirmed. He emphasized India’s priorities to enhance international cooperation in combating corruption and returning corruption offenders and their stolen assets to their countries of origin.
The G20 ACWG meeting will focus on five themes: international cooperation against corruption, integrity and effectiveness of public bodies and authorities in combating corruption, the role of audit institutions in anti-corruption efforts, leveraging Information and Communications Technology (ICT) for combating corruption in the public sector, and gender and corruption.
India will host a unique event on May 25, 2023, exploring “G20’s perspective on synergizing gender sensitivity with anti-corruption strategies” during the second G20 ACWG meeting. High-level keynote speakers, governmental experts from G20 countries and international organizations, and voices from grassroots will participate in the event. India will showcase its experiences where anti-corruption efforts have empowered women.
Furthermore, India is preparing a compendium of good practices of G20 ACWG members regarding the role of auditing in tackling corruption. This step aims to enhance collaboration between Supreme Audit Authorities and anti-corruption bodies to increase transparency, accountability, and efficiency in public finances.
India is also preparing an Accountability Report for 2023, focusing on the efficiency of Mutual Legal Assistance (MLA) procedures for corruption and other criminal offenses. The report will address practical and cross-cutting issues related to MLA requests, contributing to international cooperation in the fight against corruption. The G20 ACWG meeting serves as a platform for India to engage with other countries, exchange knowledge, shape policies, and foster international cooperation to strengthen India’s anti-corruption framework.
Secretary of the Department of Personnel & Training (DoPT), S. Radha Chauhan, stated that the meeting will focus on building an informational and operational framework for networking, sharing information, and operationalizing support, including mutual legal assistance and prevention of safe havens for fugitive economic offenders. The meeting aims to enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of anti-corruption initiatives among participating countries.
