The time is right for the private and public sectors to support the creation of the world’s first international anti-corruption academy – INTERPOL Chief at World Economic Forum

26 January 2010

DAVOS, Switzerland – INTERPOL Secretary General Ronald K. Noble will outline to global leaders and decision-makers at the World Economic Forum that law enforcement, the public sector and private sector share the same global priority – fighting corruption.  Mr Noble will notably call for an unprecedented level of public-private global support to eliminate bribery and other corrupt practices around the world that impede commerce, undermine governance, and feed the coffers of those who betray the public’s trust.

In particular, Secretary General Noble will seek support for the International Anti-Corruption Academy proposed by INTERPOL. It will be a multi-disciplinary academy designed to provide police, government officials, private sector entities, academics and NGOs with training to reduce the incidence of corruption, to make the provision of public services more transparent, to enhance international and cross-border co-operation, to enable governments to detect and prosecute corruption and to assist in the recovery of corruptly obtained assets.

Mr Noble described the Davos summit as “a unique opportunity to speak directly and candidly with public sector decision-makers and leaders in the private sector about the impediment that corruption poses to our mutual interests in improving public and private life”.  

Secretary General Noble called for the private and public sectors to work more closely together with INTERPOL to fight corruption at the national and international level by stiffening national resolve, by enhancing training, by building networks of corruption fighters and by sharing information among those in every sector who struggle against the burden of corrupt practices.

"Corrupt officials create an environment that undermines the global community’s collective security and prosperity by subverting the integrity of development efforts, by destroying citizens’ faith in the value of government, and by denying a level playing field to businesses seeking to invest in new markets and new economies,” said Mr Noble.  “As corruption schemes become international in character, organizations like INTERPOL become more central in facilitating anti-corruption efforts.”

“It should never be necessary for any business or person to pay a bribe and to risk prosecution to obtain routine public services or to compete against another company. This is a clear call for collective action among leaders,” said Secretary General Noble.

“Government officials who put their personal greed above the needs of the citizens and communities should be prosecuted and their ill-gotten gains should be seized and returned to the people from whom they were stolen.”

“It is especially important to fight corruption in times of crises and economic difficulty when the poorest are most vulnerable,” added Mr Noble.

The 40th World Economic Forum summit will gather more than 2,500 leaders and decision-makers from some 90 countries representing business, government, international organizations, NGOs, civil society, academia and culture to address pressing challenges and future risks.