NIZAHah Presents 'Adaa' Project Experience to Enhance Anti-Corruption Efforts in the Public Sector at the Arab Forum in Doha

Doha, September 22 (KUNA) -- The Public Authority for Combating Corruption (Nazaha) presented Kuwait’s experience in transitioning the code of conduct for public officials from a guideline to a measurable institutional practice through the “Adaa” project at the Arab Forum for Enhancing Anti-Corruption Efforts in the Public Sector. This presentation was delivered during Nazaha’s participation today, Tuesday, in the proceedings of the Arab Forum for Enhancing Anti-Corruption Efforts in the Public Sector, held on the sidelines of the sixth session of the Conference of the States Parties to the Arab Convention on Combating Corruption, hosted by Qatar in cooperation with the General Secretariat of the League of Arab States, from September 21 to 23.

Yasmeen Al-Sharhan, the Observer for Cooperation with Civil Society Organizations at Nazaha, participated as a keynote speaker in the first session of the forum, titled “Codes of Conduct: Implementation Reality and Their Impact on the Integrity of the Public Sector.” She outlined Kuwait’s experience in transitioning the code of conduct for public officials from a guideline to a measurable institutional practice through the “Adaa” project.

Al-Sharhan explained that the “Adaa” project represents one of Nazaha’s most prominent preventive measures in the public sector. It is based on the Code of Conduct for Public Officials issued by the Civil Service Bureau and rests on four integrated pillars: establishing the necessary administrative infrastructure to enhance compliance with the code; measuring and monitoring employees’ awareness and behavior; raising awareness and educating affiliated personnel; and providing training programs that enable them to implement the code optimally.

She noted that the project is designed on a progressive system that classifies participating entities into four accreditation levels: Bronze, Silver, Gold, and Diamond. This approach not only recognizes existing achievements but also encourages continuous improvement, leading to the integration of official conduct standards into daily operations and demonstrating measurable impact. Additionally, the project includes a program for training accredited trainers within entities to ensure sustainable, self-driven implementation.

Al-Sharhan highlighted that the project has yielded tangible results since its launch. Twenty-four government entities have passed the requirements for the Bronze, Silver, and Gold stages, while tens of thousands of employees have been covered by awareness and training programs. Furthermore, an annual “Adaa” conference is organized in collaboration with the Civil Service Bureau to honor successful entities and showcase their experiences.

She emphasized that the mere existence of codes of conduct is insufficient to achieve the desired impact unless they are integrated into a comprehensive institutional system encompassing leadership, enforcement, training, and accountability. She added that the value of “Adaa” lies in its role as a tool for transitioning from formal compliance to building an institutional culture based on integrity and responsibility, while establishing objective indicators to measure impact. This aligns with the provisions of the United Nations Convention against Corruption and the Arab Convention on Combating Corruption regarding the adoption of codes of conduct for public officials and enhancing their implementation as genuine preventive measures.

It is worth noting that the Arab Forum included three other dialogue sessions besides the one on codes of conduct: “Challenges and Opportunities in Facilitating Access to Information,” “Opportunities Provided by Artificial Intelligence in Anti-Corruption Efforts,” and “The Relationship Between Parliamentary Councils and Anti-Corruption Authorities.” The official session of the sixth conference session will be held tomorrow, Wednesday. (End) S S S / N S A