Cambodian Prime Minister Samdech Hun Sen called on the countries and economies of the Asian-Pacific region to strengthen their cooperation in the fight against corruption.

Addressing the opening ceremony of the 8th anti-corruption conference in Phnom Penh on September 3, the Cambodian Prime Minister highlighted that in the context of globalisation, corruption goes beyond national boundaries. As a result, in addition to implementing domestic preventative measures, bilateral and multilateral cooperation in the fight against corruption must be deepened, both at a regional and global level.

The President of the National Council on Anti-Corruption of Cambodia, Top Sam, said this was the first time Cambodia hosted a regional anti-corruption conference. The objective was to boost collaborative preventative measures against corruption in the countries and economies of the Asian-Pacific region.

The conference was designed for policy-makers, legislators and compliance practitioners seeking holistic solutions to corruption in the region. The two-day conference offered participants the chance to share their knowledge on and experiences in the fight against corruption.

31 delegations from the Asian-Pacific region attended the anti-corruption conference in an effort to strengthen cooperation and tackle this important issue.

Speaking at the event, the Head of the Asian Development Bank’s Office on Anti-corruption and Integrity, Clare Wee, argued that anti-corruption measures significantly contribute to hunger alleviation and poverty reduction efforts in the Asian-Pacific region, where 1.6 billion people earn less than two USD a day. Wee also affirmed the Asian Development Bank’s continued support for its partners in the fight against corruption and bad governance in the region.-VNA