KUWAIT CITY, Feb 19: Kuwait Anti-Corruption Authority (Nazaha) Director Abdulaziz Al-Ibrahim has stressed that “anticorruption efforts are not limited to a specific entity; as they are part of a participatory process in which each entity plays its role as per its ethical, professional and national responsibilities, and under a vision for a just society free of corruption, where ethical practices are supported and public trust is of utmost importance.” Al-Ibrahim made the statement in the Second Adaa Conference on the Code of Professional Conduct held Tuesday at the Nazaha Theater with Civil Service Commission (CSC) Chairman Dr. Issam Al-Rubaian and many State officials in attendance. He said the conference activates the initiatives of the national strategy to enhance integrity and combat corruption. He revealed the ‘Adaa’ project is based on the Code of Professional Conduct issued by the CSC as a reference for the rules of professional conduct that the program aims to develop, indicating it is an important step to improve the quality and integrity of public sector services. He added the conference documents the conclusion of a phase of the project after 14 participating entities completed the requirements of the second phase, coinciding with the success in reaching more than 25,000 employees.

He explained that the project was designed to assess the extent of commitment to the Code of Conduct for employees and classify public sector entities into four levels of accreditation: bronze, silver, gold and diamond, according to a system characterized by gradation. He then emphasized the belief of Nazaha and its partners in the necessity of raising awareness on the risks of corruption and ways to prevent it. On the other hand, Al-Rubaian clarified that the Code of Conduct is not just a regulatory document, as it is rather an ethical and professional charter that reflects the values of distinguished institutional performance. He asserted that “the partnership between CSC and Nazaha is the cornerstone in building an integrated system to improve professional behavior, consolidate the principles of corporate governance, and confront everything that violates the principles of integrity and transparency. Combating corruption is not limited to control procedures, as it begins with awareness and qualification, as well as consolidating the culture of responsibility and accountability within the government work environment.” He stressed that activating the code requires serious cooperation between all government agencies and involving employees in understanding their responsibilities and rights through intensified training programs and continuous awareness.

By Inaas Awadh Al-Seyassah/Arab Times Staff