Business leaders of 21 economies in the Asia- Pacific region Friday adopted an anti-corruption declaration, urging their heads of state to make greater efforts to eliminate corruption and enhance transparency.

APEC Business Advisory Council (ABAC) 2005 chair Hyun Jae-hyun delivered the declaration to South Korean President Roh Moo-hyun on the second-day of the APEC CEO Summit at the Lotte Hotel in Pusan.

The statement contains signatures of 393 entrepreneurs in support of APEC’s anti-corruption campaign.

“We, the 393 entrepreneurs of the Asia-Pacific Rim region who took part in the APEC CEO Summit declare our resolve to proactively participate in the global community’s anti-corruption efforts,” Hyun said.

The signatories, nearly half of some 800 entrepreneurs that attended this year’s CEO Summit, voluntarily participated in the campaign.

Their support for the anticorruption cause followed APEC leaders’ endorsement of the Santiago commitment to fight corruption and ensure transparency at the 12th APEC summit meeting in November 2004.

The APEC leaders agreed to enact strong laws designed to deny safe havens to corrupt officials and their assets, improve transparency in government procurement and project contracts, and encourage each other to join the United Nations Convention against Corruption.

Kim Sung-jin, Korea Times, November 18, 2005