Palestine: Progress Towards Sustainable Development Goal 16

Description

This Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) parallel report offers an independent review of the government-led 'National Voluntary Review' process in Palestine.

Produced for the occasion of the United Nations High-Level Political Forum (HLPF) meeting in New York in July 2018, this assessment attempts to provide an objective account of the progress made within the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development in Palestine.

The report provides independent analysis to complement and scrutinise official government progress reports related to SDG targets that focus directly on corruption. It provides a comprehensive picture of national anti-corruption progress across a range of policy areas. More specifically, targets 16.4 (illicit financial and arms flows), 16.5 (reduce bribery and other forms of corruption), 16.6 (transparent and accountable institutions) and 16.10 (access to information) are analysed in depth. The report includes a number of policy recommendations to make headway against corruption in Palestine.

Recommendations

• The need for competent authorities and in cooperation with the Palestinian Ministry of Foreign affairs and Palestinian Representative Offices to reach bilateral agreements withthe various countries to exchange information and the extradition of criminals, and to facilitate the investigation and litigation process in accordance with the law.
• Formation of a special unit that enjoys independence and with the necessary resources tocoordinate efforts and follow up on matters of recovery of stolen assets.
• Criminalization of the act of bribing a foreign public servant or employees of international
  public organizations.
• Criminalization of the promise, offering, request, or acceptance of a bribe in the private sector.
• Criminalization of the abuse of functions in accordance with the provisions of the United Nations Convention against Corruption (UNCAC).
• Including all actions criminalized according to the Convention as predicate offence of money-laundering, including trading in influence and abuse of functions.
• Criminalization of the use of physical strength or threat or intimidation, or the promise of undue benefits, or offering/granting them to instigate perjury or to interfere in a testimony, or to provide evidence in proceedings pertaining to committing offences established in the convention, whether the offender achieved his/her intent or not, or interference in in the practice of the official duties of any judicial or law enforcement official in accordance with the provisions of the convention.
• To consider the disqualification of persons convicted of corruption crimes in assuming any position in an establishment owned partially or fully by the state.
• Putting measures in place that deal with consequences of corruption, measures may include considering corruption as a factor for cancelation or termination of a contract, or the withdrawal of privileges, or take any other remedial action.

Authors

Dr. Ahmad Abu Dayyeh

Reviewer

Dr. Azmi Al-Shua’ibi,

Date

31/07/2018

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