Stresses on the Evolving Economies of Eastern Europe — Hon. Maurice McTigue, QSO
US Senate Briefing | US & Europe’s Economic, Financial & Security Risks: Crisis on the European Continent | Senate Russell Office Building, Capitol Hill, Washington, DC — Co-Hosted by U.S. Senator Jeff Sessions, International Leaders Summit and Adriatic Institute for Public Policy
“Many of the evolving economies are having their very stability threatened by rampant corruption. Croatia and the election where 1 million illegal votes were cast in a population of only 4 million people. Hold another election or no entry into Europe. The corruption within the government of Ukraine probably played a major role in destabilizing that country. Make international aid subject to conditions of lawfulness. The populations of these countries are being starved of resources, investment and jobs by this illicit activity creating a fertile climate for unrest.” — Hon. Maurice McTigue, QSO, US Senate Briefing
The US Senate Briefing co-hosted by US Senator Jeff Sessions and International Leaders Summit featured New Zealand’s former cabinet member Hon. Maurice McTigue (advising The White House Office of Management and Budget, US State Governors and legislators) and think tank leaders.
Hon. McTigue addressed the manifestation, mechanisms and consequences of weak rule of law states, political corruption, money laundering and illicit financial outflows with a reference to real cases. The speakers also highlighted solutions and principled recommendations to address US and Europe’s economic, financial and security risks.
Speakers:
US Senator Jeff Sessions
Hon. Maurice McTigue, QSO, executive advisory board member, International Leaders Summit, former New Zealand cabinet member and former Ambassador to Canada
Natasha Srdoc, MBA, co-founder, International Leaders Summit
Joel Anand Samy, co-founder, International Leaders Summit
Tom Cardamone, Global Financial Integrity
Hon. Maurice McTigue — Comments:
We the developed democracies of the world owe an apology to the evolving democracies who are exiting from communist rule.
Why? Because we did not put enough effort into constructing and then supporting the institutions necessary to have a free, open and just democracy.
We need to do more to support those maturing institutions as they develop.
What are these institutions? To name a few:
- A legislature that operates as an open deliberative body.
- An administration that is open, accountable and controlled by laws.
- A judiciary that dispenses justice in a fair and timely manner according to the law as it is written.
- An election process that is transparent, open to all citizens, and allows only legal votes to be counted.
- A society where all are equal and where lawlessness is not tolerated at any level of society.
- Freedom is a hard won and recent phenomenon for the emerging economies of Eastern Europe.
We know that freedom only survives in those societies where there is a robust “rule of law.” 800 years ago next year the Magna Carta was signed. Determined that in future the people of England would be governed by laws rather than by Kings. Ultimately that negotiation gave us the democracies we live in today the fact that we are governed by laws determined by our duly elected peers and not by autocratic leaders.
These new/old nation we are talking about today are fighting a culture of corruption —
adjusting from autocratic form of government recognize differences in value systems created by autocratic rule dealing with the problem of elites who see themselves as standing apart and above the rules that govern the majority building a respect for the law
What can we do? For a start the issue of international corruption and the flow of illicit monies should be an item on the agenda of every international forum but particularly on the agenda of the big forums:
G8; G20; UN; EU; IMF; World Bank; WTO; bilateral etc.
Many of the evolving economies are having their very stability threatened by rampant corruption.
Croatia and the election where 1 million illegal votes were cast in a population of only 4 million people. Hold another election or no entry into Europe.
The corruption within the government of Ukraine probably played a major role in destabilizing that country.
Crisis on the European Continent, Senate Russell Office Building: Room 325, June 4th 2014 | Speakers included Natasha Srdoc, co-founder, International Leaders Summit, Honorable Maurice McTigue, QSO, executive advisory board member, International Leaders Summit and former cabinet member, New Zealand, Joel Anand Samy, co-founder, International Leaders Summit and Tom Cardamone, Global Financial Integrity
Make international aid subject to conditions of lawfulness.
The populations of these countries are being starved of resources, investment and jobs by this illicit activity creating a fertile climate for unrest.
We the developed democracies of the world have a duty of care.
We should not stand idle while this situation explodes.
We should hold accountable those developed democracies who are facilitating this situation by providing safe havens for this illicit wealth.
The United States and the European Community should lead this effort
In all international forums this should be an agenda item.
The war on money laundering and illicit transfers should be as vigorous in protecting the peoples of these small nations as it is in protecting the United States and the European Union.
The most important principle that underpins a free and democratic society is: “Rule of Law” it requires that everyone including the leaders and the government are bound by the law as it is this day — no separate or different treatment for presumed elites.
NZ experiences with the Solicitor General who holds officials accountable for following the law.
Governments of laws are the basis of democracy and freedom.
How to counter these problems — remove the profit — attack unexplainable wealth — use the normal provisions under the law.
Democratic societies protect “property rights” — the assets of the state do not belong to those that govern but to the people — misappropriation of these assets is theft and should be treated as theft under the law.
What constitutes a responsible international nation state — one that earns the respect of the rest of the international community by its behavior and by its respect for democratic principles and international norms.
Developed nation states owe a duty of care to developing democratic societies to see that their actions do not undermine the efforts of the developing nation to achieve these widely held principles and processes that are the norm for fully developed free democracies.
Developed nation states need to pay close attention to seeing that actions of their citizens and corporations do not undermine the rule of law in developing societies.
Mentoring of developing societies — copy post-colonial practices in supporting newly independent states — supporting human rights — rule of law — protection of private property — equality — universal franchise.
The practice of the law — mentor the performance of the judiciary — use visiting justices to demonstrate how the law is applied in free societies — hold regular conferences of jurists to educate on how issues of law and legal practice are developing in other places.
Conclusion:
It is once again my considered opinion that work on building respect for the ‘Rule of Law” is a continuous process and the Courts, the Judiciary, the Legislature and the Government all have a role to play in this process but with a common cause, it is the Law that governs us.
US & Europe’s Economic, Financial & Security Risks:
Crisis on the European Continent
Senate Russell Office Building: Room 325
June 4th 2014
“Stresses on the Evolving Economies of Eastern Europe”
