In addition, Regional Representative for the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) in the Middle East and North Africa (ROMENA) Cristina Albertin commended the State of Qatar's commitment to partner in these educational activities from early on, referring to the 2015 Doha Declaration on integrating crime prevention and criminal justice.
Albertin praised the Administrative Control and Transparency Authority (ACTA) for hosting and financing this important hackathon, which brings together for the first time more than 100 young people from all over the Middle East and North Africa region.
Furthermore, she explained that this hackathon is an occasion to fulfill a double objective of engaging the youth in developing digital technology-based solutions to the very critical issue of corruption, and the means to prevent it, in addition to finding ways to promote integrity, given the latter's cruciality for personal well-being and economic prospects, but also is crucial for overall economic growth, social cohesion, and the formation of sustainable, comprehensive, and stable societies.
The UNODC Regional Representative said that the Global Resources Initiative was launched thanks to the commitment of (UNODC) in the Middle East and North Africa (ROMENA) to the youth, aiming to educate on anti-corruption, to empower the youth, and to create a culture of anti-corruption among children and the youth. This objective is materialized through the transformative power of education and partnerships, as well as through strengthening the youth's role as agents for change, creating an environment of zero tolerance to corruption at all levels.
In the same context, Microsoft Qatar representative Sheikha Latifa Al-Thani said that technology has become an integral part of life, changing the forms of communication, learning, working, and real-world problem-solving. She added that this hackathon is not just an event, but rather a testament to the innovative power of the youth, as well as a means to bring the Arab world to Qatar to innovate, create, and make a difference.
She highlighted how bringing together young minds from different backgrounds and cultures contributes to creating a melting pot of ideas that gives birth to innovative solutions.
For her part, Global Resource for Anti-Corruption Education and Youth Empowerment (GRACE) initiative coordinator at UNODC Bianca Kopp said that this week's hackathon is not just the biggest hackathon ever organized, instead it is the first of its kind targeting the youth, in a flashback to UNODC's new approach to crime prevention, after the Doha Declaration on integrating crime prevention and criminal justice.
Kopp explained that strengthening the rule of law and combating corruption is not the responsibility of governments alone, stressing the cruciality of shifting an entire society's approach, by empowering future generations and listening to their take and feedback on finding solutions to the challenges of today.
She said that 2023 marks the 20th anniversary of the adoption of the United Nations Convention against Corruption (UNCAC), adding that the Coding4Integrity initiative is one of UNODC's most innovative and multi-sectoral projects; designed to support the implementation of UNCAC.
Source: Qatar News Agency