San José: HE First Vice President of the Republic of Costa Rica Stephan Brunner Neibig praised the State of Qatar’s efforts and its pioneering role in promoting integrity and transparency on local, regional, and international levels.
According to Qatar News Agency, in his speech during the ceremony honoring the winners of the eighth edition of the HH Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani International Anti-Corruption Excellence Award, His Excellency noted that the visit of HH the Amir Sheikh Tamim Bin Hamad Al-Thani to Costa Rica and His Highness’s attendance at the award ceremony reflects the strong and longstanding relations between the two countries. He explained that Costa Rica’s hosting of the award ceremony was supported by the United Nations and the Rule of Law and Anti-Corruption Center, as part of Costa Rica’s international commitments to combating corruption under the United Nations and Organization of American States conventions, as well as the goals outlined in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Developme
nt.
His Excellency highlighted that Costa Rica has embodied these international commitments through its national strategy for integrity and corruption prevention. He added that this strategy involves regulatory institutions, public officials, civil society, the private sector, and academic institutions. He considered the hosting of this significant event for the first time in Latin America as a global message to strengthen international unity in fighting corruption and as a reaffirmation of the importance of institutional work and international cooperation to ensure a sustainable and secure future free from the risks and temptations of corruption.
In conclusion, HE the First Vice President of the Republic of Costa Rica pointed to a significant achievement by Costa Rica this year, as the country ranked third among the least corrupt nations in the 2024 Corruption Perceptions Index, moving up three places from the previous year. He emphasized that achieving sustainable development cannot be realized without ad
dressing corruption and mitigating its consequences.