Amir H H Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani with President of the Republic of Uzbekistan H E Shavkat Mirziyoyev in Tashkent yesterday.
Tashkent: Amir H H Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani witnessed the award ceremony of the 7th edition of Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani International Anti-Corruption Excellence (ACE) Award, held at the convention center in Tashkent yesterday, in the presence of President of the Republic of Uzbekistan H E Shavkat Mirziyoyev.
During the ceremony, H H the Amir and H E the President of Uzbekistan witnessed the screening of a documentary film on the award’s history from inception to the current edition. They also viewed a film about the challenges that the competitors and winners of the award went through in many fields related to combating corruption and promoting transparency.
After that, H H the Amir and H E the President of Uzbekistan awarded Dr. Suncana Roksandic and Dr. Jon S.T. Quah with the Academic Research and Education Award, and the All4Integrity organization and Damaris Aswa were both awarded the Youth Creativity and Engagement Award.
They also awarded Clare Rewcastle Brown and Phil Mason with the Innovation / Investigative Journalism Award and awarded Shantanu Guha Rai and Waihiga Mwaura with the Safguarding Sports from Corruption Award, as well as awarding Jose Ugaz with the Lifetime / Outstanding Achievement Award.
Marking the occasion, H E the President of Uzbekistan delivered a speech, in which he congratulated the winners of the award and praised those in charge of it. In addition, Assistant Secretary-General for Rule of Law and Security Institutions in the Department of Peace Operations at the United Nations (OROLSI) in New York H E Alexandre Zouev and UN Special Advocate on the Prevention of Corruption H E Dr. Ali bin Fetais Al Marri also gave speeches.
Earlier, H H the Amir and H E the President of Uzbekistan unveiled the 7th edition of the award monument in Tashkent City Park.
The ceremony was attended by members of the official delegation accompanying H H the Amir, a number of Their Excellencies Ministers of the Republic of Uzbekistan, members of the high-level committee and the assessment advisory board of the award, as well as a number of previous award winners, senior officials, and the ceremony guests.
H E the President of Uzbekistan praised the global efforts made by H H the Amir in the fight against corruption alongside other nations, stating that the State of Qatar has become a leading country in integrity and transparency, and its most important advocates globally.
His Excellency said, in a speech delivered during the award ceremony of the 7th edition of Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani International Anti-Corruption Excellence (ACE) Award held in Tashkent on Tuesday, that hands will remain open in the mission of stopping corruption, as reflected in the memorial dedicated to this award. He affirmed the support for the steadfast heroes on the path of justice and their honorable work. He congratulated all the winners of the prestigious award and wished them success and happiness in all their responsible work.
H E the President of Uzbekistan expressed his deep thanks to H H the Amir, the founder of the award, and to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), for organizing this event in his country. He furthermore congratulated the government and people of the State of Qatar on the occasion of the country’s National Day.
Under the wise leadership of H H the Amir, Qatar is living in a spirit of renewal and is making major changes. It has accomplished great successes reflected in the hosting of the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022, the 5th United Nations Conference on the Least Developed Countries (LDC5), Expo 2023 Doha, and many other international events that prove that the State of Qatar has become a global center for cooperation and diplomacy, H E Mirziyoyev said.
During his speech, H E Mirziyoyev noted that the relations between the State of Qatar and the Republic of Uzbekistan have reached great levels due to serious dialogue, constructive discussions and large joint projects, and organizing the ACE Award in Uzbekistan symbolizes the harmony and compatibility of goals between the two sides. He said that establishing a global award in combating corruption and approving it on all continents deserves global recognition since fighting corruption is a sacred duty for every honorable person, democratic society and country.
He added that recognizing the most active players in the world who contribute to the fight against corruption through this prestigious award helps in the continuous and full implementation of the United Nations Convention against Corruption (UNCAC) that was adopted twenty years ago.
Corruption throughout history has caused the downfall of the greatest and most powerful countries. Corruption poses a serious threat to all human beings, undermines the foundations of entire societies, severely affects economic growth, the legal system, and confidence in state institutions, and obstructs the development of democratic institutions and plans to achieve sustainable development goals, he pointed out.
H E the President of Uzbekistan also noted that according to international reports, the cost of global corruption is estimated at approximately $3 trillion. This still does not reveal the actual situation and real numbers, as it is not possible to fully reveal the true value of the damage since the psychological effect it causes on societies cannot be measured.
In this regard, he affirmed that they are aware of this challenge and are working closely with international organizations such as the United Nations (UN), the World Bank, economic cooperation and development organizations, and more. There are also legal and institutional reforms to combat corruption being implemented.
H E Mirziyoyev reviewed in his speech his country’s efforts to combat corruption, including adopting an anti-corruption law and establishing an agency while working to enhance the transparency and effectiveness of the government and raising its responsibilities, reduce bureaucracy, improve state services, improve its services, and develop preventive mechanisms to confront corruption. He proposed in this regard the establishment of a regional research center on corruption issues to enhance communication, exchange experiences and conduct scientific research, as well as establishing a global media forum to benefit from the capabilities of journalists to fight corruption and increase their access to information.
