In a press release published this Friday, June 14, the Anti-Corruption Unit (ULCC) informed that Haiti, through this institution, has officially joined the “GlobE Network”, a global platform bringing together the authorities of fight against corruption. This integration is seen as an important step to intensify efforts against corruption in the country.
This significant development comes, according to the ULCC, at a time when Haiti seeks to strengthen international cooperation in the fight against corruption and the recovery of ill-gotten gains.
“This is a decisive step forward which illustrates the desire of the Haitian State to actively pursue those responsible for embezzlement of public funds. This new ULCC initiative will make it possible to locate the assets and investments of people under investigation for corruption in Haiti,” declared Hans Jacques Ludwig Joseph, Director of the ULCC, in the press release.
Created under the aegis of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) in 2021, the “GlobE Network” currently brings together 206 authorities specializing in the detection and repression of corruption. This international cooperation network facilitates the rapid exchange of information between members, in order to better identify, investigate and prosecute transnational corruption offenses and recover stolen assets.
On the occasion of his participation in the 15th session of the Review Group on the Implementation of the United Nations Convention against Corruption, focused on international cooperation, and in the 18th session of the Open-ended Working Group on Asset Recovery, held at the Vienna International Center, Austria, from June 10 to 14, 2024, the Republic of Haiti via the Director General of the ULCC, expressed its commitment to fully exploit the opportunities offered by this network.
“International cooperation must make it possible, through, among other things, the sanctions mechanisms put in place by the United Nations and other foreign countries, to identify and freeze public funds embezzled and hidden abroad; to ban travel of individuals involved in corruption and other forms of organized crime. These measures will significantly contribute to discouraging other actors from engaging in acts detrimental to public finances and will encourage officials to manage public affairs with integrity, efficiency and in compliance with Haiti’s international commitments in the fight against corruption. », writes the ULCC.
This accession of Haiti to the GlobE Network represents an important turning point in the fight against corruption, a point on which, among many others, the government of Garry Conille says it wants to “act quickly. »
By: Daniel Zéphyr
