Page 54 - BUKU STRENGTHENING THE INDONESIAN PARLIAMENTARY DIPLOMACY FADLI ZON

The Government in fact has exerted numerous attempts to eradicate corruption. Laws and
regulations have been improved, a dedicated institution for corruption eradication or KPK has
been established in addition to existing institutions, the Police and the Prosecutor. These efforts
are evidences of the strong will that Indonesia has, as a state and nation, to eradicate corruption.

In terms of its support to international commitment for corruption eradication, Indonesia has
ratified the United Nations Convention Against Corruption/UNCAC 2003 through Law Number
7 of 2006 dated 18 April 2006. Indonesia considers that ratifying international instrument for
corruption eradication is vital, given that the crime of corruption has become a transnational
crime that affects the lives of international community. The Law Number 7 of 2006 considers that
“the crime of corruption is no longer a domestic problem; instead it has become a transnational
phenomenon affecting all societies and economies and therefore international cooperation is
important for the prevention and eradication of corruption, including to recover or retrieve
assets accumulated through the crime of corruption; and that international cooperation for
the prevention and eradication of the crime of corruption needs to be infused with integrity,
accountability, and good governance.”

The UNCAC ratification has implication on the government’s obligation to adopt the content
of UNCAC into national law and to implement it. Harmonization of national regulations with
UNCAC is required to ensure the effectiveness of law enforcement upon the crime of corruption.
Nevertheless, the adoption of UNCAC needs to observe the principles of sovereignty, equity of
rights, and territorial integrity as well as to avoid intervention on the domestic affairs of other
countries.

Effective corruption eradication efforts should have two elements, namely enforcement and
prevention. In times when enforcement has been performed intensively yet the crime of
corruption continues to occur, prevention needs to be focused. The prevention of corruption
is stipulated in the UNCAC, which is by improving transparency and integrity of government
bureaucracy, and that each country should have an effective anti-corruption institution,
transparent bureaucracy, increased society participation, and improved government institutions.

The prevention of corruption shall closes the gaps in the government that have been giving
room for corruption. In order to be effective, the prevention of corruption cannot be the domain
of only a single party; instead, it needs to be performed together and simultaneously across all
elements from law enforcement agencies, government bureaucracy, and other elements of the
society. Each of these parties are mutually and collectively responsible to prevent corruption in
order to realize the Indonesia that is free from corruption. At the very least, prevention efforts
that take place simultaneously with enforcement efforts may reduce the number of the crime
of corruption.

Selected Speeches of the Vice Speaker of the House of Representatives of the Republic of Indonesia I 41