CThis position was expressed by a representative of the CGEM during the opening of the annual meeting of the Business Integrity Network of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) for the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region, organised for the first time in Rabat, outside the OECD headquarters in Paris.
During this meeting, Mohammed Bachir Rachdi, president of the National Authority for Integrity, Prevention and the Fight against Corruption (INPPLC), stressed that “An anti-corruption approach can only be comprehensive, we cannot focus on one aspect without taking into account the otherThis perspective was shared by Isabelle Jegouzo, director of the French Anti-Corruption Agency, who added that “the private sector is a lever to improve the general level of integrity, and companies are encouraged to adopt good governance practices”.
Diane Bales, from the OECD’s Global Relations and Cooperation Directorate, Middle East and Africa Section, also reacted, saying that “Private sector development is crucial for job creation and development, and we want to see this sector evolve in an environment of integrity, because corruption is present in both the public and private sectors.”.
In a subsequent intervention, Hind Lfal, vice-president of the CGEM ethics and governance commission, stressed that “Corruption also exists in the public sector, not just in the private sector”, thus questioning the usefulness of focusing solely on the latter.
In response to a question posed by the media Alyaoum24 Regarding a possible targeting of businessmen, Mohammed Bachir Rachdi denied any form of targeting, stating that “The importance of the private sector lies in the desire to see it play an active role alongside the public sector and civil society to form a united force against corruption.”.
Rachdi added that “Interaction with entrepreneurs encourages them to guard against acts of corruption, thus providing them with a clear vision for investment and corruption prevention“. He stressed the need for a “integrated system in all areas (public and private sectors, editor’s note) to effectively combat corruption”.
He also clarified that the focus on the private sector was not to the detriment of the public sector, as they are closely linked, thus requiring a comprehensive policy to achieve sustainable results in the fight against corruption.
This international conference, co-chaired by Morocco and France, represented respectively by the INPPLC and the French Anti-Corruption Agency, brings together various integrity stakeholders in the MENA region and OECD experts. It discusses incentives for business integrity by assessing current practices in the MENA region and emphasizes the importance of an integrated and inclusive approach to combating corruption.
