Kuwait Anti-Corruption Authority (Nazaha) organized its second forum entitled “Digital Transformation and its Role in Promoting Integrity and Anti-Corruption” on Thursday at its headquarters to mark the International Anti-Corruption Day (IACD). The theme of this year’s IACD is “UNCAC at 20: Uniting the World against Corruption” which celebrates the 20th anniversary of the United Nations Convention against Corruption which was signed in December 2003. Speakers included experts from the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), government agencies, civil society, and the academia.
On this occasion, the President of the Nazaha H.E. Mr. Abdulaziz Alebraheem delivered a statement in the opening session. He remarked that the world still faces many challenges in combatting corruption, especially with the use of modern technology in corruption crimes. He stressed that corruption is continuously becoming more complex and that there is a need to keep pace with technology to ensure development and sustainability in all areas.
Mr. Alebraheem said that the goals of this forum are in line with Kuwait Vision 2035, the Government Action Plan, and Kuwait Integrity and Anti-Corruption Strategy 2019-2024. He noted that these all share the vision of creating an environment that promotes integrity and rejects corruption by improving the efficiency of public services through digitization and eventually improving Kuwait’s ranking on the Corruption Perceptions Index by 2026.
In a pre-recorded statement, the UNODC’s Regional Director of the Gulf Cooperation Council Dr. Hatem Ali praised Nazaha’s efforts in organizing the forum and its theme. He emphasized that digital transformation has an impact on combating corruption and promoting integrity, transparency and accountability. He highlighted the significance of the initiatives that seek to digitize public services including procurement and administrative and financial transactions in the public sector.
Dr. Ali added that digital services are harder to exploit by the corrupt, and that they enable state authorities to monitor its administrative and financial systems more effectively.
From Nazaha, the Director of the Planning and Follow-up Office Mr. Khaled Al-Muzaini gave a presentation on an initiative in the Kuwait Integrity and Anti-Corruption Strategy. The initiative revolved around developing e-government platforms to automate procedures and provide access to public services.
Mr. Al-Muzaini explained that digitization combats corruptions by reducing administrative discretion and limiting human interaction. He added that in the chapter “Monitoring, Evaluation, and Digitization” of the Government Action Plan 2022-2026, the Council of Ministers has affirmed the government will continue to digitize its services through the Central Agency for Information Technology (CAIT).
He made several recommendations. One is urging government agencies to list their services and procedures and prioritize the digitization of those with high corruption risks. Second is the dissemination of the State’s Digital Transformation Plan and identifying its implementation requirements and the responsibilities of each government agency. He said that this would facilitate follow-up by those in charge of monitoring and evaluating the Kuwait Integrity and Anti-Corruption Strategy and international indicators.
From the Oversight and Anti-Corruption Authority in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Director General Digital Analysis Mr. Bandar Al-Hazani said that the Kingdom attaches great importance to promoting integrity, transparency, and anti-corruption. He added that the Kingdom is keen to participate in the global efforts to fight corruption, saying it is a shared responsibility. He explained that the Kingdom has made several efforts in this regard, most notably the launch of the National Strategy for the Protection of Integrity and the establishment of the Oversight and Anti-Corruption Authority. He also noted that his country mobilizes all its capabilities to achieve the Kingdom’s Vision 2030. He said that digital transformation is the main aspect to achieve the vision, as it enhances performance, develops government services, and promotes integrity, transparency and accountability.
Dr. Dhari Al-Huwail, Associate Professor at the College of Life Sciences at Kuwait University, spoke about governance and information transparency. He highlighted the need to adopt information transparency policies in state institutions. In addition, he noted it was important to develop systems and mechanisms for the governance of information, data, and digital operations in institutions and companies. He stressed the importance of providing accurate and updated data that are publicly available in an easy and automated way, in addition to establishing a central national bank for data.
For her part, Mrs. Shorouq Al-Sayegh, member of the Kuwait Information Technology Society, spoke about the challenges in implementing digital transformation. She said for society to accept digital transformation, it must recognize its importance in developing the economy, education, and health. She added that such awareness should include citizens, teachers, and public servants.
