ALGIERS- Algeria stressed Thursday the necessity of “strengthening the international cooperation” regarding assets recovery and criminals’ extradition, in order to tighten the noose around the parties involved in corruption cases and deprive them of their illicit gains.
Algeria reaffirmed “the necessity of strengthening the bilateral, regional and international cooperation in terms of the recovery of assets and extradition of criminals, exchange of information and mutual legal assistance, in accordance with the national legislations, to tighten the noose around the parties involved in corruption cases and deprive them of their illicit gains,” said minister of Justice Belkacem Zeghmati who made Algeria’s address during the special session of the United National General Assembly on the fight against corruption, held from 2 to 4 June by video conference at UN’s headquarters in New York.
“Algeria, which has always warned against the growing linkages between the transnational organized crime and other illegal activities, like drug trafficking, corruption, money laundering, terrorism and its financing, calls, once again, all the States parties to honor in good faith their international commitments, intensify the efforts and to provide effective support to each other,” he underlined.
“Algeria also stresses that the management of the recovered assets and their use is the sole responsibility of the requesting State and that the recovered assets must be restored with no conditions, with a total respect of the States’ sovereign rights,” he added.
Algeria “reiterates its full commitment to implementing the United Nations Conventions against the transnational organized crime and against corruption as well as the regional conventions adopted in this regard, and recognizes the role of the review mechanism in improving the implementation of the two UN conventions” and stresses “its determination to continue its efforts for the revision of its rules of procedure in order to adapt them to the requirements of a strict fight against the scourge of corruption, within the framework of respecting its international commitments,” said the minister.
Corruption is “a main factor in the economic performance deterioration and a big obstacle to the development process and fight against poverty, in the sense that it weakens the performance of the institutions and threatens the communities’ stability and security,” he affirmed, emphasizing the “key role of the fight and prevention against corruption in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), enshrining the values of justice and the rule of law, as well as strengthening the trust between citizens and the State’s institutions.”
Algeria “attaches a particular interest to the fight against corruption, in all its forms, and continuously works to consolidate the effectiveness of its national system of prevention and fight against this scourge,” added the minister.
For this purpose, he said, “the high authority of transparence, fight and prevention against corruption was created by virtue of 2020’s constitutional amendment, in addition to the national strategy of fight against this scourge is under preparation and which involves all the stakeholders.”
Aps.dz 04 June 2021
