Media Center

General Information

Background

At the Seoul Conference on Fighting Corruption in Asian and Pacific Economies organized by ADB, OECD and the Office of the Prime Minister of the Republic of Korea, on December 11-13, 2001, participants from over 35 ADB and OECD countries formally endorsed the ADB/OECD Anti-Corruption Initiative for Asia-Pacific. Conference conclusions and recommendations in particularly underlined the need for a continuous regional policy dialogue by means of annual conferences and encouraged the development of a regional Anti-Corruption Action Plan.

Objectives

The objectives of the Conference are

• to strengthen the exchange of experience and the cooperation between the different anti-corruption actors in the region
• to foster regional co-operation
• to increase knowledge of specific problems related to corruption and to identify effective counter-strategies
• to promote coordination of international technical assistance in the field of anti-bribery and good governance.

Outcomes

Expected outcomes of the Conference are the following

• Recommendations and strategies on anti-corruption
• Endorsement of the regional Anti-Corruption Action Plan prepared by an international expert group in consultation with regional countries
• Conference report
• Conference publication to be prepared jointly with OECD and the Government of Japan

Methodology

The two and a half-day program will include plenary presentations and discussions, case studies, focus groups and plenary reports. The emphasis of this year's conference will be on discussing key issues raised in the Action Plan which are crucial for effectively fighting corruption in the region. Presentations by lead speakers will be limited to 10 minutes in order to allow for sufficient time for in-depth discussions of the respective topics. Interventions from the floor should not exceed 5 minutes. To the extent possible, copies of background papers will be distributed via internet ahead of the conference. The working language will be English.

Thematic Focus

The Tokyo conference will focus on the priority areas identified by participants of the Seoul Conference and where, consequently, the regional Action Plan encourages policy reform. Themes to be discussed will reflect the three pillars of action of the regional Action Plan:

• Developing Effective and Transparent Systems for Public Management
• Strengthening Anti-Bribery Actions and Promoting Integrity in Business Operations
• Supporting Active Public Involvement

Plenary sessions will review progress made in the fight against corruption in the Asia-Pacific region, with particular attention given to the priority areas highlighted in the Conclusions and Recommendations of the Seoul Conference, and introduce conference participants to the scope and objective of the Anti-Corruption Action Plan which will be submitted for endorsement in the final plenary session.

Focus groups will discuss specific topics under each of the three pillars of the Anti-Corruption Action Plan. On the basis of concrete case studies, focus group discussions will aim at identifying major problems and barriers in the respective field, and aim at identifying concrete solutions. The corresponding section of the Action Plan as well as background papers prepared by the respective panellists of each session will serve as background information. Focus groups are expected to provide input for the identification of specific action to be taken by participating countries in implementing the Action Plan.

Logistics

The conference will take place at Hotel Nikko Tokyo, Japan. The conference will start at 9:30 am on Wednesday, 28 November 2001 and will end at 12:00 am on Friday, 30 November 2001. Registration and the welcoming reception will take place on the evening of Tuesday, 27 December 2001.

Countries Invited

ADB regional member countries and signatory countries to the OECD Convention.

Conference Organizers

Asian Development Bank
6 ADB Avenue, Mandaluyong City
0401 MMP.O. Box 789
0980 Manila, Philippines
Tel: (632) 632-4444
Fax: (632) 636-2444

The Asian Development Bank (ADB), a multilateral development finance institution, was established in 1966 to promote the social and economic progress of the Asian and Pacific region. The Bank is owned by the governments of 57 countries, of which 41 are from the Asia-Pacific region. Over the past three decades, the Bank has become a major catalyst in promoting development in the world's most populous and fastest-growing region.

The ADB seeks to combat graft and corruption as part of its broader work on issues of governance and capacity building. Specifically, the ADB's policy is centred upon three objectives:

1. supporting competitive markets, and efficient, effective, accountable, and transparent public administration;
2. supporting promising anticorruption efforts on a case-by-case basis and improving the quality of the ADB's dialogue with its developing member countries (DMCs) on a range of governance issues, including corruption; and
3. ensuring that the ADB's projects and staff adhere to the highest ethical standards.

Organisation for Economic
Co-operation and Development
2, rue André-Pascal
F-75116 Paris Cedex 16
Tel: (331) 4524-1855
Fax: (331) 4524-7852

The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) groups 30 member countries in an organisation that provides governments a setting to discuss, develop and perfect economic and social policy. OECD governments compare experiences, seek answers to common problems and work to co-ordinate domestic and international policies that, increasingly in today's globalised world, must form a web of even practice across nations.

The OECD has been a leader in the global fight against bribery and corruption in international business practices. Making use of the Secretariat-wide expertise and cultivating synergies with other international initiatives, both public and private, the OECD has provided a unified and comprehensive front against corruption. The OECD addresses corruption from the perspective of both the recipients of illicit payments, by promoting public ethics and good governance, and the providers of illicit payments, by taking actions against bribe givers.

The OECD Anti-Corruption Division, (ACD) located in the Directorate for Financial, Fiscal and Enterprise Affairs, serves as the focal point within the OECD Secretariat to respond to the need to fight bribery and corruption in international business transactions, while the OECD Public Management Service (PUMA) assists Member countries to develop and maintain an effective framework for promoting integrity and high standards of conduct on the part of public officials. The Centre for Co-operation with Non-Members (CCNM) assists in this work by being the focal point for the development and pursuit of policy dialogue between the OECD and non-member economies.

Partner Organizations

Department for International Development UK (DFID), the Pacific Basin Economic Council (PBEC), the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the World Bank Group.

Other Invited Organizations

Asia Foundation, Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation, Association of Southeast Asian Nations, Business and Industry Advisory Committee to the OECD, International Chamber of Commerce, International Federation of Accountants, International Federation of Consulting Engineers, International Association of Journalists, International Monetary Fund, National Development Institute, Private Sector Development Advisory Group, Trade Union Advisory Committee to the OECD, United Nations.

Target Audience

Participants will include representatives of the regional business community, NGOs, the media, and trade unions, and senior government officials from ministries with a direct impact on curbing corruption and bribery.