MOSCOW, December 08, 11:48 /ITAR-TASS/. Over five past years, Russia has revealed 242,000 corruption crimes, and 3,500 people were convicted in 2013 for corruption-related crimes, Russia’s presidential envoy on international cooperation in fighting terrorism and trans-national organised crime Alexander Zmeyevsky said in connection with the International Anti-Corruption Day, marked on December 9.
“The Russian Federation was among the first countries to sign the UN Convention against Corruption in 2003, and ratified it in 2006,” the diplomat said in a commentary published on the foreign ministry’s site on the Internet. “We have been for strict observation of its provisions and for keeping the international character of its implementation system.”
“For Russia, overcoming that evil is a key priority of the state policy, the guarantee of its successive development,” he continued. “In this country, the anti-corruption activities are based on a strategy and a national action plan, which guarantee the successive policy in the sphere, and its complex character.”
The diplomat said this country had a major legislative base, and first of all the federal law on fighting the corruption of December 25, 2008, which contained all the international advance experience.
Lately, Russia has undertaken several major steps to minimise the corruption risks at all levels of the state management. For example, a wide range of officials are responsible for presenting income and property declarations. Since 2013, officials report their big purchases. Several months earlier, a new law made more transparent the state purchases system. Anti-corruption analyses of laws, administrative regulations for state purchases have been introduced. The country follows a roadmap to improve the business climate.
“Inevitability of punishment for corruption is a major direction in this work,” Zmeyevsky said.
“Over five past years, the law enforcement authorities revealed 242,000 crimes of the kind, and during the current year only 3,500 people were convicted.”
“Surely, this is a top of the iceberg, as corruption crimes are of a latent, hidden character.”
“It is impossible to suppress the corruption by administrative or law-enforcement measures only. It is necessary to work on social and economic preconditions, to raise the legal awareness of the people, to form in the public the culture which would not accept corruption,” he said. “Quite a lot here depends on the media, on the educational and civil institutions.”
“Russia has achieved certain progress in fighting corrupition, and the international community realises it,” Zmeyevsky said. “In 2012, Russia passed the observation mechanism of the UN Convention against Corruption, and in 2013 - that of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. In the World Banks’ report on business climates in various countries, Russia raised by 18 positions year-on-year.