News

USIS Washington 
File

25 February 1999

TEXT: RENO STRESSES GLOBAL COOPERATION AGAINST CORRUPTION

(Each nation must customize approach, reno says) (1000)

Washington -- "Fostering international cooperation and the rule of law
is one of the top priorities" of U.S. crime control strategy, says
Attorney General Janet Reno.

Reno, in evening remarks February 24 to an international forum on
fighting corruption, said the increasing sophistication of criminal
elements requires mutual access to evidence, witnesses and fugitives.

New bilateral and multilateral agreements are needed "to create a
seamless web for the prompt location, arrest and prosecution of
international fugitives in appropriate venues," Reno told delegates
from nearly 90 countries attending Vice President Al Gore's "Global
Forum on Fighting Corruption and Safeguarding Integrity Among Justice
and Security Officials."

It is of critical importance that international criminals who corrupt
public institutions and then exploit national borders to escape
justice are denied safe havens, she added.

"Corruption, especially judicial and law enforcement corruption, is
one of the most invidious threats to the political and economic health
of a nation and its peoples," Reno stated. In order to fight this
threat, each country must customize its approach to the problem in a
way that is "appropriately tailored to the political, legal, economic,
and cultural conditions" of each country, she explained.

"Ultimately the safety, freedom and economic vitality of the people"
depends on how well the challenge of combating corruption is responded
to, Reno said.

Following is the text of Reno's remarks as prepared for delivery:

(begin text)

ATTORNEY GENERAL RENO'S DINNER TOAST

VICE PRESIDENT GORE'S
"GLOBAL FORUM ON FIGHTING CORRUPTION AND SAFEGUARDING
INTEGRITY AMONG JUSTICE AND SECURITY OFFICIALS"

THE BEN FRANKLIN ROOM
DEPARTMENT OF STATE
Washington, D.C.

Wednesday, February 24, 1999 at 5:30 p.m.

I am very pleased to be able to welcome such an impressive
international gathering of leaders and experts from governments,
multi-lateral organizations and non-governmental organizations.

I am especially pleased that the reason we have come together is to
discuss one of the great challenges of nations -- combating corruption
and upholding integrity among judicial and security officials.
Corruption, especially judicial and law enforcement corruption, is one
of the most invidious threats to the political and economic health of
a nation and its peoples.

For the many of us in this room who are justice or law enforcement
officials, the challenge is one that strikes close to home. For what
we are talking about in large measure is how to police ourselves and
how to maintain the integrity of the institutions we manage.

At stake is not just our personal reputation, but the success and
credibility of all the other things that we try to do as leaders in
the fight against crime and the pursuit of justice. Ultimately the
safety, freedom and economic vitality of the people we serve depends
on how well we respond to the challenge of keeping our own houses
clean.

Although the challenge is great, there is much that we can do, both on
our own and by working together. I commend to you the statement of
guiding principles for fighting corruption and safeguarding integrity
among justice and security officials, which has been developed for
this global forum. The principles and practices set forth in that
document give you an overview and a sampling of the great diversity of
actions that different countries have adopted in the fight against
corruption. I hope that this document will help us to establish
international standards for preventing and combating governmental
corruption.

But as that document makes clear there is no magic answer, no one
prescription that will stop the plague of judicial and law enforcement
corruption in all places. We must each customize our own approaches to
the problem, approaches that are comprehensive, yet appropriately
tailored to the political, legal, economic, and cultural conditions of
our respective countries.

While there is much that we can and must do from within, so too is
there much that we can and must do together. We must continue to work
at the highest levels to devise and implement complementary strategies
to address corruption. Most important, we must mobilize public
condemnation of corruption and graft in government so that they are
never viewed as acceptable practices.

For the United States, fostering international cooperation and the
rule of law is one of the top priorities of our international crime
control strategy. We have emphasized the need for cooperative efforts
between U.S. law enforcement agencies and related agencies around the
globe.

In the fight against judicial and police corruption, where the
criminals often have a sophisticated understanding of the criminal
justice system or may have ties to organized crime, there is a
particularly strong need for rapid mutual access to evidence,
witnesses, and fugitives as well as the other tools necessary to
conduct effective criminal investigations.

We also need to continue to negotiate new bilateral and multilateral
agreements to create a seamless web for the prompt location, arrest
and prosecution of international fugitives in appropriate venues. It
is of critical importance that collectively we deny safe havens to
international criminals who corrupt our public institutions and then
exploit national borders to escape justice and enjoy their ill gotten
gains.

Finally, let me emphasize the importance of gatherings such as this
which afford us an opportunity to learn from each other, to heighten
international awareness of this issue, and generate some of the
political energy needed to continue the campaign against corruption on
both the domestic and the international fronts. I hope that this
global forum will mark the beginning of regular international
gatherings at senior levels to follow through on the things we say and
do here this week.

With those thoughts in mind, I would ask that you all join me in a
toast to our collective fight against corruption. May we continue to
work together, creatively and energetically, with resolve and wisdom,
to strengthen the rule of law and lay a foundation for a new era of
clean, honest and efficient government.

(end text)