BY SAMAR FATANY King Abdullah, Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, continues to warn against corrupt practices and has repeatedly asked the National Anti-Corruption Commission to be more vigilant and look into citizens' complaints regarding negligence or poor standards of public utility services. King Abdullah ordered the prompt formation of the Commission after devastating floods hit Jeddah exposing the corruption of government officials and the negligence of civil servants, who were responsible for the destruction of whole districts in the city, killing hundreds and ruining the lives of many innocent people. The tragedy paved the way for more serious government measures to end corruption and bureaucracy, illegal land grabs, the embezzlement of government funds and the abuse of power for personal gains. The investigation that followed was an indication that the government was serious about fighting corruption and more determined to implement reforms. The Kingdom has issued a number of relevant bylaws that aim to crack down on bribery and corrupt practices in the workplace and in government. The King has warned that no one is immune. Ministers convicted of involvement in corruption can be removed from their positions and imprisoned. Saudi Arabia is signatory to a number of security agreements with other countries to tackle corrupt practices. However, no reform program can succeed without the participation of all the people. The increased empowerment of people can facilitate action against corruption. There is a need to engage people because ultimately only people can stop this negative trend. Corruption will continue if there are no programs to promote transparency, accountability and integrity in all sectors of society. Promoting the culture of work ethics and providing training on ethical behavior on a regular basis is crucial. Young graduates need to be taught work ethics and they should learn how to apply them. Implementing the principles of work ethics can put an end to the negative aspects of wasted time and money, and low employee morale. It can create a climate of mutual trust and respect in which no form of discrimination or harassment may be tolerated. Applying global ethical codes is essential to guiding the conduct of individuals and ending negative practices to ensure a more productive and humane community. Respecting the principles of ethics can promote social, economic and cultural cohesion within society. Incorporating ethics in business can improve productivity. Creating a culture of hard work and building character and more respect for diversity, which includes professional women in the workforce, will lead to a more efficient workforce in the future. Moreover global ethics can contribute to the protection of the planet, by recycling water, reducing energy consumption and conserving water resources. Exposing corrupt practices and embarrassing those who violate the principles of ethics will help create a healthier work environment and it will be beneficial to society. The cooperation of all government agencies is also essential to implement serious reforms. We need to encourage the development of standards to rise to the challenges of the global community, mainly the globalization of trade, climate change security and health care. There are many international organizations that have been established to provide global strategies and international standards that can support developing countries in their quest to stop corruption and achieve more effective strategies to implement judicial reforms. Saudi Arabia is signatory to the ISO, the International Standardization Organization, the world's largest developer of international standards for business, government and society. It provides governments with a technical base legislation related to health, safety and conformity assessment. It stipulates that employees and government servants must comply to the principles of an ethical code to guide their conduct and practice. It recommends good practices for business and allows it to compete globally. ISO provides assurance of quality safety and reliability standards for products and services. Dishonesty and other forms of unethical behavior have plagued our society for a long time. People need to feel that they are being treated fairly. They have become intolerant of rampant corruption and they are more aware of their rights and needs. The only way to ensure people's confidence is by implementing legislation to enforce fair and legal action. An ineffective judiciary denies citizens the settlement of disputes, and it creates grievances by unjust treatment and mediation. Judicial reforms can put an end to corruption and human rights violations that jeopardize the due process of law. International standardization has made ethics a global concern. Today more focus is on ethics legislation, judicial transparency, judicial accountability and discipline. Fairness in judicial appointments and decent judicial terms and conditions are important aspects that have been absent from many judicial reform programs over the past decade, which have tended to focus on court administration and capacity building, ignoring problems related to judicial independence and accountability. Much money has been spent automating the courts to reduce workloads and to modernize case management. However, these reforms need to be accompanied by increased accountability, to avoid the risk of making corrupt courts more efficiently corrupt. The role of courts to uphold the rule of law cannot be overemphasized to ensure justice for all. The need to incorporate ethics into the workforce is vital to end corruption and meet the broader needs of society. Members of society should realize the importance of international standards to accelerate reforms. The challenge is to develop a healthy work environment that can guarantee economic development and social progress. Government departments are required to act with a greater sense of responsibility and a commitment to stop corruption and serve public interests. – Samar Fatany is a radio broadcaster and writer. She can be reached at samarfatany@hotmail com __
