Tehran, July 20, 2008 - The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) on 16 June 2008 in Iran together with the Economic Research Institute of the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Finance, jointly launched UNDP's regional Asia-Pacific Human Development Report on Corruption. The event took place at the UN Common Premises in Tehran on Monday 16 June 2008. Members from the print and broadcast media were also present at the launch event.

UNDP’s mandate is to help countries achieve sustainable human development; it is in this context that UNDP publishes its annual global Human Development Reports. This report is the UNDP’s flagship publication and each year it picks up and discusses a thematic issue. In addition to these reports, UNDP publishes or supports the publication of regional and national human development reports. This year’s UNDP’s regional Human Development Report for Asia-Pacific on corruption is titled Tackling Corruption, Transforming Lives: Accelerating Human Development in Asia and Pacific.

This report explains how corruption is a challenge for human development and what are some of the solutions that are being attempted to address this multi-dimensional problem. The uniqueness of this report resides on its focus on corruption from a human development perspective. It focuses on areas which are hidden from the media attention. For instance it addresses laws and regulations which allow corruption to be conducted within the legal bounds. The report sets the priorities for tackling corruption in areas that can improve the daily lives of the poor such as justice systems, preventing misuse of the region’s abundant natural resources and ensuring the effective delivery of public services.

Mr. Knut Ostby, UN Resident Coordinator and UNDP Resident Representative in Iran, on the occasion of the launch of this report emphasized: “Corruption has been chosen as the thematic issue of this year’s UNDP regional Asia-Pacific Human Development Report because poverty and corruption go hand in hand.” He continued: “Corruption leads to the unfair distribution of income and inefficient use of resources, deepening poverty and widening inequality. It debases human rights, degrades the environment and derails development by creating disincentives for investment.” The report proposes common options for action, such as joining the United Nations Convention against Corruption, and the Stolen Assets Recovery Initiative.

Dr. Mohammad Taghi Ziae-Bigdeli, President of the Economic Research Institute of the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Finance of Iran, who was also present in this press conference, discussed the activities of his Institution in the area of combating corruption. He also announced that the Institution is organizing an international seminar on the economic aspects of corruption. The seminar which will be held in Tehran, Iran, in November 2008, will address issues such as money laundry, corruption and economic development, and tax crimes. UNDP, and possibly some other UN agencies such as UNODC, will support this seminar.