A/HRC/4/71 page 6 often justified by government leaders as necessary for economic growth. Although several countries did experience economic booms during the “Asian miracle”, they often did so at great cost to human rights and the rule of law. Mr. Cumaraswamy observed that today there is both greater awareness of human rights in the region and greater respect for human rights by Governments than before. Both public and private institutions are experimenting with structures and procedures to enhance good governance and since the Asian financial crisis, financial institutions are carefully monitored. States in the region are responding to the United Nation’s call to establish NHRIs; whereas there were only 5 such institutions in the Asia Pacific region in 1993, today there are 18. Mr. Cumaraswamy credited civil society groups for their vigilance and commitment to accelerating the process of reforms in the region. Towards that end, he noted the value of the right to access to information and whistleblower protection legislation, independent anti-corruption mechanisms, like ombudsman offices, and better resourced NHRIs. However, he singled out the judiciary as the “pivotal institution” for dealing with both corruption and human rights and insisted that proper attention should be given to strengthening it. 9. The acting Mayor of Warsaw and former Prime Minister of Poland, Kazimierz Marcinkiewicz, affirmed Poland’s commitment to preventing abuse in public institutions and described the steps taken by Warsaw. In 2002 the Office of Internal Control and Audit was established to address corruption among municipal officials. Resident Service Departments in each of the city’s 18 districts were established and mandated to receive residents’ petitions. As a result of those measures, a 2006 survey of Warsaw residents revealed that those “who believe that corruption among officials is frequent” fell by 20 per cent in just two years. 10. In her statement, the Ambassador of South Africa in Poland, Ms. F.C. Potgieter-Gqubule, affirmed South Africa’s embrace of the values of good governance, rule of law and human rights following apartheid. South Africa’s Constitution and the Bill of Rights (1996) safeguard the full spectrum of human rights and an array of policies, laws and programmes have been adopted to give effect to these rights. Besides South Africa is party to a range of regional and international human rights and anti-corruption conventions and protocols. In April 2007 it will host the Global Forum V on Fighting Corruption and Safeguarding Integrity, which will showcase the African anti-corruption experience and good practices, like the izimbizo, a form of unmediated community meeting that provides citizens direct interaction with government leaders. As an emerging democracy, South Africa recognizes the immensity of the challenge of overcoming corruption to ensure the full enjoyment of human rights. Aware that the Government cannot do it alone, South Africa is working with the country’s vibrant civil society, the media and the private sector to address the problem comprehensively through the National Anti-Corruption Forum. II. THE IMPACT OF CORRUPTION ON HUMAN RIGHTS 11. The moderator, Ms. Ize-Charrin, explained the objectives of the session which were to highlight the adverse effect of corruption on human rights and to identify the role of anti-corruption measures in protecting human rights and creating an environment conducive to the promotion of these rights.