UNODC, Tehran Chamber of Commerce to Discuss Ways of Combating Corruption

The meeting, presided over by Masoud Khansari, president of the Tehran Chamber of Commerce, Industries, Mines and Agriculture on the Iranian side, comes shortly ahead of the latter's fourth annual edition of an event on combating corruption, which is scheduled for Dec. 9 to mark the International Anti-Corruption Day.

TCCIM has formed a special committee to analyze aspects of corruption in Iran during the past four years and presented a report on the reviewed processes. 

In his meeting with Fedulov, Khansari referred to the private sector as the vanguard of combating corruption in Iran, according to Financial Tribune.

“Much research and several important studies have been conducted by TCCIM in this regard which, in addition to making the local private sector healthier, can be employed in international forums as well,” he was quoted as saying by TCCIM's news website on Saturday.

Khansari welcomed the technical and research assistance of UNODC, which can immensely help Iran fight corruption. 

Hassan Abedi Jafari, a member of the board of representatives of the Tehran Chamber, was also present at the meeting and outlined to the UN official some of the goals set out by the private sector entity. 

"TCCIM wishes to be in full compliance with the UN anti-corruption convention. In recent years, collaboration between TCCIM and UNODC in Tehran has significantly helped find international solutions to combat corruption inside the country,” he said.

Fedulov lauded the successful collaboration of the two entities for combating corruption, stressing that the chamber needs to focus on publicity and information in this regard.

Referring to the upcoming anti-corruption event in Tehran, Fedulov said the private sector representative can act as a “safe and reliable communications bridge” for combating corruption in Iran.

During the meeting, Reza Malekpour, secretary-general of the Iranian National Committee of the International Chamber of Commerce, and Nasser Andalib, the head of the educational institution of TCCIM, explained how the private sector entity has devised its model to combat corruption. 

During the event held last year by TCCIM to mark the International Anti-Corruption Day, the chamber announced that it had begun the process of devising an anti-corruption model that will be unveiled this year. 

At the time, Mohammad Mehdi Behkish, secretary-general of the Iranian National Committee of the International Chamber of Commerce, formally presented Khansari with ICC’s certificate recognizing the chamber as the entity in charge of devising corruption-free codes of conduct.