500 DELEGATES EXPECTED IN MANILA ANTI-CORRUPTION CONFERENCE

Manila is poised to welcome almost 500 delegates from 78 countries across the globe as it hosts one of the largest and most significant events in the worldwide movement against corruption.

The 5th Global Conference of the Global Organization of Parliamentarians Against Corruption (GOPAC) will be held in the Philippine International Convention Center from January 30 to February 2, 2013. The Philippine Senate and GOPAC’s regional arm, the Southeast Asian Parliamentarians Against Corruption (SEAPAC), are co-hosting the event.

To date, a total of 492 members of parliament and non-governmental organizations have registered for the said conference, including members of Philippine Congress.

“The fact that GOPAC chose Manila as the venue for the upcoming Global Conference is a strong vote of confidence for the anti-corruption efforts of the country and the current administration,” said Senator Edgardo J. Angara, Chairperson of SEAPAC and of the Manila Steering Committee.

“This is an opportunity for us to showcase to the rest of the world that we are intent on cleaning up our government. It will also allow us to learn from each other’s best practices in the fight against corruption.”

           

Delegates will be coming from near and far to attend the much-anticipated event in Manila, 65 of whom are from other SEAPAC member-countries such as Cambodia, Indonesia, Singapore, Thailand and Malaysia. The rest will be coming from as far as the United States, the Middle East, Latin America, Africa and Europe.

“The Philippine government is ready and able to match the commitment of these lawmakers who are travelling thousands of miles just to attend this important gathering. The Manila Conference is the product of the collective effort of several government agencies who share the GOPAC vision of a progressive, corruption-free world.” said Angara.

The Department of Foreign Affairs, Department of Tourism, Department of Health, Department of Public Works and Highways, Philippine National Police and the Metro Manila Development Authority are some of the agencies of government involved in GOPAC Manila 2013. President Benigno S. Aquino III will be the Keynote Speaker at the event.