The two-day 2nd BRICS Anti-Corruption Working Group (ACWG) Meeting commenced in Hyderabad today. The meeting, includes the 2nd Meeting of the BRICS Expert Network on Asset Recovery. Addressing the delegates, Ms. Rachna Shah, Secretary, Department of Personnel & Training, Government of India, who was the Chief Guest at the inaugural session, called for stronger cooperation to trace fugitive offenders, support extradition, recover stolen assets and close loopholes enabling the cross-border movement of offenders and illicit funds.
She said that corruption remains a major obstacle to sustainable and inclusive development. She noted that it diverts scarce public resources away from hospitals, schools and critical infrastructure, and undermines public trust. She underlined that no country is immune to the challenge of corruption and that no country can overcome it alone. She called for collective, coordinated and sustained international cooperation to prevent illicit financial flows, safeguard public resources and strengthen the international anti-corruption architecture.
The two-day programme includes deliberations on the BRICS Repository on Informal Cooperation for Tracing Fugitive Offenders Sought for Corruption and Supporting Extradition, the BRICS Network of Law Enforcement Practitioners, and the 2nd Meeting of the BRICS Expert Network on Asset Recovery. The programme also includes a side event on ethical governance.
