News Archive
Final remarks: Karel De Gucht
News reported on 03/15/07 04:40 PM
Providing the final remarks of the conference, Belgian Minister of Foreign Affairs Karel De Gucht spoke on how "Improving Governance and Fighting Corruption" had strived for genuine debate and interactivity on the part of the participants. He noted that the organizers had focused on the private sector because they had been ignored in the past, and the results had been rewarding. De Gucht asked listeners to remember that corruption constantly changes and definitions are never entirely complete. He urged the participants to make good use of research and indicators to help nations toward good governance. De Gucht also held partner countries responsible for creating a good business environment, while acknowledging that the supply side of corruption in the donor countries is often ignored and unpunished, which must change. He also took the idea of the "Clean Business" label from the 24-hour videoconference as a possible initiative in the future. Finally, De Gucht announced that Belgium would be joining the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative as its fourth largest contributor, and asked for the conference to become a yearly event for improving dialogue.
Click here to hear a recording of De Gucht's final remarks.
At the Conference
