08 December 1998
(Washington meeting to focus on justice, security) (940) Washington -- Vice President Albert Gore will host the first international conference targeting corruption specifically among police, prosecutors, judges, and military personnel, according to a statement released by the White House. "This conference will bring together many of the world's top anti-corruption experts with leaders from all around the world to organize a new global effort to fight corruption where it does the most damage -- among key justice, security, and budget officials," Gore said in the statement released December 7. The meeting will be held February 24-26 at the Loy Henderson International Conference Facility at the Department of State in Washington. It will open with an address by Gore, and will follow with sessions on different legal frameworks and enforcement authorities, comparative strategies for making corruption visible, and methods for promoting integrity among justice and security officials, the White House said. It will conclude with a public declaration, to be signed by participants, endorsing a set of principles for fighting corruption and safeguarding integrity among justice and security officials. Following is the text of the White House statement: (begin text) THE WHITE HOUSE Office of the Vice President VICE PRESIDENT GORE ANNOUNCES FIRST-OF-ITS-KIND INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE TO FIGHT CORRUPTION AMONG JUSTICE AND SECURITY OFFICIALS Representatives of more than 60 countries to meet in Washington in late February Washington, DC -- Vice President Gore's office today announced the "Vice President's Conference on Fighting Corruption and Safeguarding Integrity Among Justice and Security Officials" -- the world's first conference to target corruption specifically among police, prosecutors, judges, military personnel, customs officials, border guards, financial regulators and budget/procurement officials -- will be held in Washington, DC from February 24-26, 1999 at the Loy Henderson International Conference Facility at the Department of State. Vice President Gore will chair the event and deliver the conference's keynote address. "The security and prosperity of the United States -- and the entire world -- depend on the success of the world's nations in building strong economies, based on the rule of law," Vice President Gore said. "Nations with prosperous, market-based democracies, governed by rule of law, do not pose security threats to their neighbors; they offer their neighbors economic opportunities. "Tragically, our best world-wide efforts to build stronger economies and stronger democracies are sometimes undercut by corruption -- and no corruption is more destructive than corruption among government officials. "This conference will bring together many of the world's top anti-corruption experts with leaders from all around the world to organize a new global effort to fight corruption where it does the most damage -- among key justice, security, and budget officials. "We hope to open a new era of international cooperation in fighting official corruption -- where each nation works with its neighbors to embrace anti-corruption principles, promote effective practices, and safeguard for its citizens the full fruits of their labors." The Vice President's conference is part of a broad Clinton Administration approach to battling the rising tide of international crime. Last year, President Clinton called on the Departments of Justice, State, and Treasury to develop and implement a comprehensive national strategy to fight international crime. Working closely with numerous federal agencies, these, departments developed the International Crime Control Strategy, released in may of this year, which offers a roadmap for a coordinated, effective, long-term attack on international crime. The President's International Crime Control Strategy included a call for an international conference to develop model approaches for upholding integrity among key justice and security officials -- a conference that would assess corruption influences, including the impact of compensation; review relevant standards of ethical conduct; and take stock of ongoing national, regional, and global initiatives. The conference objectives include fostering international agreement on anti-corruption principles, analyzing practices that have proven effective, and instituting new multinational efforts to monitor and improve anti-corruption efforts. President Clinton has asked the Vice President to organize and chair the conference, which, in addition to meeting the President's commitment announced in May, also responds to the call by G-8 leaders at the Birmingham summit to explore ways to combat official corruption. The three-day conference will begin Wednesday morning with the Vice President's opening address followed immediately by a discussion of the damage done to economies and democracies by official corruption. The conference agenda will also include discussion and analysis of different legal frameworks and enforcement authorities, comparative strategies for making corruption visible, and methods for promoting integrity among justice and security officials. A panel of international academics addressing the issue of integrity and corruption will be chaired by Charles Moskos, Professor of Sociology at Northwestern University. Considered by many to be the world's leading military sociologist, Moskos chairs the Inter-University Seminar on Armed Forces and Society -- an 800-member international association of scholars and policy makers who focus on civil-military relations. On the final day of the conference, delegates are expected to discuss and issue a public declaration, to be signed by participants, endorsing a set of principles for fighting corruption and safeguarding integrity among justice and security officials. A cable announcing details of the conference is being sent today to U.S. Embassies in more than 60 nations, with instructions for inviting members of their host governments. Invitations will be offered to government officials who have special expertise in the subject of official corruption and public integrity, and whose positions give them special leverage in fighting official corruption. In addition, representatives from more than 20 multilateral and non-governmental organizations will also be invited. (end text)