Doha: Experts in the field of anti-corruption discussed the pivotal role played by anti-corruption authorities in preventing and combating corruption in public procurement, while also highlighting key solutions and strategies to protect public resources, enhance transparency, and support institutional integrity. This took place during a session held as part of the eleventh session of the Conference of the States Parties to the United Nations Convention against Corruption in Doha.

According to Qatar News Agency, Deputy Director of the European Regional Programme against Transnational Organized Crime, Giovanni Tartaglia Polcini, pointed out that public procurement accounts for between 12 percent and 20 percent of gross domestic product in most countries worldwide and is considered one of the areas most vulnerable to corruption risks. He noted that, according to global estimates, corruption in public procurement costs governments hundreds of billions of dollars annually, diverting public resources away from essential services and sustainable development. He added that the damage caused by corruption in public procurement goes beyond economic losses, as it leads to the deterioration of infrastructure quality, unsafe buildings, inadequate public services, environmental degradation, and the unsustainable exploitation of natural resources.

Polcini emphasized that corruption undermines public trust and weakens the legitimacy of public institutions in matters related to public procurement. He also stressed that corruption in public procurement serves as an effective gateway for the infiltration of organized crime, representing a persistent and evolving threat. He said that there is a need to develop anti-corruption strategies based on scientific and preventive foundations, drawing on knowledge, expertise, institutional cooperation, and the optimal use of digital technologies, including data analytics and risk-based transparency and oversight tools, in order to combat corruption more effectively.

For his part, President of Italy's National Anti-Corruption Authority, Giuseppe Busia, said that if real and tangible measures to combat and prevent corruption in public procurement are to be established, a comprehensive vision must be adopted. He added that this requires efficiently and effectively identifying all risk elements across sectors that rely on public procurement, focusing on the likelihood and impact of risks, developing mitigation strategies, and defining a set of indicators to be measured and monitored. He also said that, alongside traditional oversight and specialized tools, there is a need to move toward digital transformation in anti-corruption efforts related to public procurement.

Busia noted that digital transformation helps simplify public procurement processes and ensures transparency, adding that modern technology and data analysis facilitate the creation of indicators to measure corruption risks in public procurement. He stressed that pursuing digital transformation, increasing efficiency, and improving performance in the fight against corruption require substantial investment in knowledge and in the capacities of anti-corruption bodies.

In turn, Director of France's Anti-Corruption Agency, Isabelle Jegouzo, noted that public procurement is particularly vulnerable to mismanagement, fraud, and corruption. She noted that corruption in public procurement accounts for a significant share of criminal cases, but stressed that such corruption is not inevitable, as public authorities can anticipate, prevent, and manage criminal risks through an effective anti-corruption program.

Jegouzo discussed her country's experience in combating corruption, pointing out that the role of France's Anti-Corruption Agency is to raise awareness among public and private entities in order to strengthen risk management and prevent all forms of corruption. In this regard, she noted that the French Republic has recently adopted a national anti-corruption strategy, one of whose key components is the continued strengthening of preparedness to prevent corruption in public procurement. She added that since the establishment of the Anti-Corruption Agency around ten years ago, France has invested heavily in preventing corruption in public procurement by supporting public and private institutions with the necessary tools to enable them to combat corruption effectively.