-
(单词翻译:双击或拖选)
U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton says Liberian President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf's government is making significant progress in the fight against corruption1. Secretary Clinton addressed Liberia's national assembly in Monrovia.
U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton (r) with Liberia's President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf in Monrovia, 13 Aug, 2009
Secretary Clinton says President Sirleaf's administration is taking action to increase transparency with a strong Anti-Corruption Commission at the center of efforts to rebuild from years of civil war.
"Today, Liberia is a model of successful transition from conflict to post-conflict, from lawlessness to democracy, from despair to hope," said Hillary Clinton. "In the last three years, the people of this country have been working to promote reform, reconstruction2, and reconciliation3. Liberia has adopted sound fiscal4 policies and seen strong economic growth."
Liberia ranks 138 on the 180-nation corruption index established by the good-governance group Transparency International. Reigning-in corruption is crucial to attracting foreign investment to a nation where 80 percent of people are unemployed5.
President Sirleaf says strengthening Liberia's General Auditing6 Commission and complying with the Norwegian-based Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative has reduced corruption.
"I am pleased that corruption, long entrenched7, long covered, is now being exposed," said Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf. "We have to expose it so that we can deal with it."
With those legal and regulatory frameworks in place, President Sirleaf says the challenge now is making sure that they continue to be implemented8 properly. She says a new team at the Justice Ministry9 is committed to punishing those responsible for corruption both inside and outside of government.
"We have also reduced people's vulnerabilities by increasing civil service pay, by settling arrears10, all of which have contributed to corruption," she said. "We now need for the public and the media to recognize the progress and to join us in this fight which is not limited to government but has taken root in all of the society."
At Liberia's national assembly, Secretary Clinton spoke11 of the need to create institutions that are strong enough to engender12 the faith and confidence of the people and will survive both good leaders and what she called not-so-good leaders.
"Ending corruption is necessary to growing and sustaining such institutions and restoring the public's trust," she said.
She suggested that Liberian lawmakers establish a code of conduct to hold each other accountable.
"You have to have codes of conduct, regulatory frameworks, ethical13 standards that guide the pursuit of the common good," said Hillary Clinton.
Former rebel leader and Liberian President Charles Taylor used embezzled14 timber revenues to fund conflict in both his own country and neighboring Sierra Leone. He is now in The Hague facing war crimes charges for his involvement in Sierra Leone's civil war.
1 corruption | |
n.腐败,堕落,贪污 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
2 reconstruction | |
n.重建,再现,复原 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
3 reconciliation | |
n.和解,和谐,一致 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
4 fiscal | |
adj.财政的,会计的,国库的,国库岁入的 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
5 unemployed | |
adj.失业的,没有工作的;未动用的,闲置的 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
6 auditing | |
n.审计,查账,决算 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
7 entrenched | |
adj.确立的,不容易改的(风俗习惯) | |
参考例句: |
|
|
8 implemented | |
v.实现( implement的过去式和过去分词 );执行;贯彻;使生效 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
9 ministry | |
n.(政府的)部;牧师 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
10 arrears | |
n.到期未付之债,拖欠的款项;待做的工作 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
11 spoke | |
n.(车轮的)辐条;轮辐;破坏某人的计划;阻挠某人的行动 v.讲,谈(speak的过去式);说;演说;从某种观点来说 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
12 engender | |
v.产生,引起 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
13 ethical | |
adj.伦理的,道德的,合乎道德的 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
14 embezzled | |
v.贪污,盗用(公款)( embezzle的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
参考例句: |
|
|