The Kuwaiti Cabinet in October instructed the Minister of Finance to sign the treaty for consultative services with the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development, stipulating that the bank would help in enacting legislation anti-corruption legislation. The Ministry of Justice is coordinating with the Kuwaiti Transparency Society to examine such accords and to determine the kind of external technical help that may be obtained by Kuwait, Al-Mesed said in his address.
He affirmed the necessity of cooperation among states of the world in suppressing black market activity and seizing stolen assets. Al-Mesed cited a 2002 law allowing prosecutors to bar the accused from using properties and money pending finalization of the legal proceeding. It also detailed technicalities governing the seizures’ duration.
The head of the Kuwaiti delegation called on the participating states to extend the periods of seizure in corruption cases. Kuwait’s delegation includes Justice Hamad Al-Mdaires, Justice Ministry Public Relations Director Zakariya Al-Ansari, and representatives from the Kuwaiti Transparency Society and the Interior Ministry.
The UNCAC was adopted by the UN General Assembly in 2003, was ratified by some 140 countries, and implemented in 2005 following ratification by over 30 countries. The first session of UNCAC was held in Jordan in December, 2006.
