Iraq rolls out anti-corruption program across all state institutions

BAGHDAD, Iraq — Iraq's Federal Commission of Integrity said on Sunday that its "Transparency and Public Property Protection" program has been implemented across all state departments, in cooperation with the General Secretariat of the Council of Ministers. The program aims to reinforce anti-corruption values, embed accountability principles and safeguard public property, the commission said in a statement. According to the commission, the initiative includes preventive and awareness measures such as adopting clear criteria for appointments and administrative roles, ensuring merit-based and equal-opportunity practices, guaranteeing the right to access information and strengthening public oversight. It also calls for simplifying services and expanding digital procedures to reduce corruption and extortion cases. The program further provides for moving contract processes online, activating complaint mechanisms and encouraging the reporting of corruption. The commission said oversight bodies' authority to review financial disclosures will be reinforced, with strict penalties for officials who fail to submit declarations on time. The General Secretariat of the Council of Ministers has required ministries and non-ministerial bodies to coordinate with the Federal Commission of Integrity on the program's implementation, the statement said. The commission's Prevention Department will monitor on-the-ground execution through specialized teams.