He was speaking on the sidelines of the International Conference on Corruption-free Asia being held at the Doha Sheraton. The event, which has attracted delegates from across the world, is the first major initiative of NCIT towards achieving its goals by creating awareness and sharing experiences, said Al Sada.
NCIT is an independent body functioning under the patronage of the Heir Apparent H H Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani.
According to Transparency International’s 2007 Corruption Perception Index, Qatar scored six out of a perfect score of 10, placing it at number 32 out of 180 countries. It has also placed Qatar in number one position in the Arab world for more transparency and less corruption, he added.
"However, we are not too optimistic about our mission. We are practical in our programmes. NCIT has an annual evaluation system to check whether the plans are working effectively," said Al Sada.
The five-year plan, the National Integrity and Transparency Strategy (2008-2012), will enlist the support of the higher authorities and the public, and formulate legislation and inculcate ethical values in schools and colleges.
The committee will also create awareness among the private and public sector employees on integrity and transparency controls, work for the reduction of corruption in tenders and contracts, promote international cooper- ation for extradition and asset recovery and improve transparency and availability of public sector information.
"Our next major step is to do a review of the anti-corruption legislation in Qatar to see if any amendments are required. After the review, the committee will submit its proposals to the higher authorities. We are planning to conduct this review in six months," said Al Sada. Asked if the committee would intervene in individual cases of corruption, Al Sada said, "In future, there will be a mechanism to receive complaints from the public on cases of corruption. The committee will evaluate the cases and forward it to the authorities for action."
Responding to a question concerning the US State Department Report on Trafficking in Persons, Jones said trafficking in persons is a global challenge, a universal problem facing many countries and must be addressed to put a stop to the exploitation — particularly, of the most vulnerable people by their fellow human being.
She said that human capital is relatively inexpensive and flows just like financial capital, “and there is a real temptation everywhere in the world to exploit that capital,” she added. Kuwait and many other countries, including the United States, faces issues concerning trafficking in persons, according to Jones. But, despite efforts by the government to address the issue, she said there are still egregious areas mentioned in the report like the treatment of domestics in particular, adding the reports about the cases compiled are very specific and based on facts gained from within Kuwait: from speaking to Kuwaitis and as well as the victims themselves; even the Kuwaiti press has been openly and honestly reporting about the problem, she said.
She said that the US, in coming out with the report, is not trying to impose its will on others but rather, raise the issue of respect for human dignity, regardless of their stations in life. On the ongoing negotiations between the US and Iraqi Governments on the establishment of American military bases in that country, Jones said she is not familiar with the negotiations but sees any eventual agreement as beneficial to Iraq as the presence of American forces there would provide a stable environment to help the Iraqi government in its transition.
Jones dismissed the idea of a perceived threat — on the part of the Iranian government — that the establishment of American military bases in Iraq could be used to launch attacks on their country, saying the US has no such designs; that the only intention is to provide security and help the Iraqi government attain stability.
On the question whether there will be a change in US foreign policy when a new president is elected, Jones said whoever is in charge of the government is expected to continue with the same policy that has served the country and its allies so well. She said that changing foreign policy would be like maneuvering a huge aircraft carrier in a pond. “It would be very slow and measured,” she added.
Jones concluded by posing a question to all the newsmen present. “Tell me where you want the relationship between the United States and Kuwait to go from here, and I want you all to think about what your answer would be,” she said. Jones arrived in Kuwait on April 19 this year. She is the fifteenth United States Ambassador to the State of Kuwait since Kuwaiti independence in 1961. Jones is a career member of the Senior Foreign Service, having been with the Department of State since 1982.
Prior to her new assignment as Ambassador, she served as Principal Officer at the US Consulate General in Istanbul, Turkey. Her previous overseas assignments include: Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates; Addis Ababa, Ethiopia; Baghdad, Iraq; Buenos Aires, Argentina; and Damascus, Syria.
Her service in Washington, DC includes two years as Country Director of the Office of the Arabian Peninsula and Iran Affairs in addition to assignments as Staff Assistant to Assistant Secretary for Near East and South East Asia Affairs Richard Murphy, Acting Public Affairs Advisor to Assistant Secretary for Near East Affairs, Desk Officer for Jordan, and duty in the Department’s Operations Center.
Ms. Jones has also served on the Board of Examiners for the Foreign Service. Ambassador Jones is a graduate of Brigham Young University with a B.S. in History (magna cum laude) and a distinguished graduate of the National War College of the National Defense University with an M.S. in national security strategy. She speaks Arabic, Spanish, and French. Ambassador Deborah K. Jones is married to US Foreign Service Officer Richard G. Olson, who is currently serving as the Deputy Permanent Representative to the US Mission Nato. They have two daughters.
