The Government of Nauru has pledged its ongoing commitment to the United Nations convention against corruption.
Minister for Justice and Border Control, David Adeang, has delivered a speech as head of the Nauru delegation to the 7th conference of state parties in Vienna, Switzerland.
Mr Adeang said Nauru is committed to assisting global and domestic efforts to address the scourge of corruption.
“Since Nauru became a state party to the convention, we have participated in country reviews, one of which was our own for each year. This reflects our commitment as a state party to the goals of the convention,” he told the UN.
“We will continue to demonstrate our support through our continuous participation and engagement.
“This may not seem extraordinary, however, for a country the size of Nauru and given the constraints of human resources we face, this for us is a significant reflection of our political will and support for international efforts at eradicating corruption.
“Indeed, the challenges we face are common to all small island developing countries. We request the secretariat to take account of our special needs especially about training opportunities, capacity building opportunities and the like.”
Mr Adeang went on to say that as part of Nauru’s commitment to combating money laundering and the financing of terrorism, Nauru had implemented a comprehensive AML/CFT regime which in part has resulted in Nauru attracting a reputable bank back into Nauru to provide financial services.
“Nauru had previously been without a functioning bank for over 15 years post the financial crisis and OECD non-compliant listing.
“I am pleased to report that Nauru is no longer on the OECD non-compliant list.
“The AML/CFT regime is a priority supported by the Government of Nauru, through the collaborative efforts of the department of justice and border control, finance, law enforcement and the financial intelligence unit.
“Nauru is an active member of the Asia Pacific Group on money laundering.”