Mongolia should make combating nepotism and political corruption a priority | WPN World People News

Mongolia’s rapid economic and social development, fuelled by the discovery of significant mineral resources, has exacerbated governance and corruption challenges. To address this, a new OECD report says that Mongolia should complete the reform of its anti-corruption legislation, strengthen enforcement and make the prevention of political corruption a priority.

The report commends the Independent Authority Against Corruption (IAAC) of Mongolia for its active work on corruption prevention, public awareness-raising and investigation of corruption offences. But it regrets that no actions were taken to improve the capacity of the IAAC to deliver on its very broad mandate. The report calls on Mongolia to reject any amnesty law that would grant protection from prosecution for corruption or lead to termination of cases that are currently under investigation by the IAAC.

The report further recommends that Mongolia should:

● Adopt the new anti-corruption strategy without delay, and establish a high level mechanism for anti-corruption policy co-ordination;

● Bring national legislation in full compliance with international anti-corruption standards as part of the on-going reform of the Criminal Code;

● Limit immunities to remove barriers for effective investigation and prosecution of corruption, especially involving high-level officials;

● Ensure the depoliticisation of the civil service, including the Civil Service Council, and streamline legislation on conflicts of interests;

● Review the legal framework for public procurement, strengthen the Government Procurement Agency and the oversight mechanism;

● Bring the Mongolian Freedom of Information law in line with international standards, introduce dissuasive sanctions for its violation and establish an independent supervisory mechanism for its enforcement;

● De-criminalise defamation and insult to boost investigative journalism and introduce transparency of media ownership;

● Urgently reform regulations on political party financing, and ensure its effective supervision;

● Continue the reform of the judiciary to prevent corruption, political influence and nepotism.

The report also highlights important achievements of Mongolian anti-corruption reforms, such as the adoption of the Glass Accounts Law, development of public administration procedures, ensuring well-functioning National Audit Office, and establishing internal audit committees in all ministries.

Source: Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development