The Iraqi Integrity Commission announced today, Wednesday, the signing of a memorandum of understanding between Iraq and Palestine concerning the fight against corruption. In his speech during the signing ceremony, the head of the Integrity Commission, Haidar Hanoon, stated that "Iraq supports the Palestinian people and stands with them against the violations committed against them by the Zionist entity, and it aligns with the aspirations and hopes of this people to end the occupation and establish their state on all usurped lands with Jerusalem as its capital," describing the "Palestinian cause as a central issue rooted in the conscience of the nation."
He added that "the signing of this memorandum serves as a basis and gateway to provide various support means, which was directed to be provided by Prime Minister Mohammed Shiaa al-Sudani, to the Anti-Corruption Commission in Palestine, fully funded by the Integrity Commission." He clarified that "the Iraqi Academy for Anti-Corruption will host the brothers in the Palestinian Anti-Corruption Commission, where training courses will be conducted to qualify and develop the capabilities of both sides, especially in the fields of experience exchange, technical assistance, governance, and instilling and spreading the values and culture of integrity, as well as exchanging best practices proven effective in legislative and procedural fields."
On his part, the head of the Palestinian Anti-Corruption Commission, Raed Mahmoud Ridwan, highlighted the "experience of the Iraqi Integrity Commission in combating corruption and preserving public funds," expressing his "desire to benefit from this experience and exchange expertise with the Iraqi side." He expressed his "gratitude to the Iraqi Prime Minister and the head of the Integrity Commission for their support to the Anti-Corruption Commission and their contributions to expedite the signing of the memorandum, appreciating the sacrifices of the Iraqi Arab army and its deeds in the pursuit of liberating Palestine since the Nakba in 1948 until the present day."
It is worth noting that the memorandum aims to strengthen and support the capacity and institutional building of both sides, as well as to develop and improve systems, strategies, and policies for combating and preventing corruption in accordance with the principles and objectives defined in both the United Nations Convention against Corruption and the Arab Convention against Corruption. The memorandum includes activities for cooperation, including: exchanging visions, policies, strategies, studies, and research regarding measures taken to combat and prevent corruption, sharing expertise in the investigation of reports and complaints, and collecting evidence in corruption cases concerning wanted individuals, convicts, and smuggled funds.
