The Czech Republic signed the convention in April 2005 but it has not ratified it yet.
This complicates the Czech Republic's international position during its upcoming EU presidency, Ondracka said. The Czech Republic is to preside over the EU in the first half of 2009. "The convention's ratification means not only a declaration of good will to fight against corruption, but it also binds the signatory countries to introduce concrete measures in their legal orders," Ondracka said. In the Czech Republic there is no special body in charge of the anti-bribery agenda. At present, corruption is dealt with by a department at the Interior Ministry, which, Ondracka said, has no real powers. According to the TIC, the Czech Republic should secure a transparent financing Czechs join European Space Agency ...
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CzechRep may face trial over recognition of qualifications ... of election campaigns and political parties, and strengthen the transparency of the public administration. The U.N. convention also requires that the civil servants who are threatened with corruption undergo anti-corruption courses and that they rotate in their posts. The state should secure educational programmes focusing on anti-bribery policy and on the protection of witnesses. "At present, anti-corruption education is organised accidentally...No principle of rotation exists," Ondracka said. TIC emphasised the need to tighten corruption punishments in the private sector. "It is necessary for criminal and administrative responsibility to be shouldered by companies as well," Ondracka said. The Czech Republic need not take all measures ensuing from the convention immediately, but the ratification means Prague's commitment that the measures would be taken in the future, Ondracka said. The U.N. convention against corruption was adopted in Mexico in 2003, for the first time setting an international framework for fighting against public finance embezzlement, money laundering, bribery and illegal enrichment. It took effect in late 2005 after being ratified by 30 countries, To date the convention has been signed by 140 countries and ratified by 117.
(Ceske Noviny)
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