Doha, December 16 (QNA) - A side session during the eleventh session of the Conference of the States Parties to the United Nations Convention against Corruption (CoSP11), held in Doha, discussed the role of technology in promoting integrity in government procurement, which is considered one of the areas most vulnerable to corruption risks.
Participants in the session from Brazil's Supreme Audit Institution and major companies such as Siemens Energy and Petrobras stressed that digital transformation has become a necessity to ensure good governance and protect public funds. They noted that corruption in procurement is not just an administrative flaw, but threatens economic and social development and undermines citizens' trust in institutions.
They saw that technology and artificial intelligence could form a preventive tool that reduces risks and supports proactive oversight in public procurement, which represents one of the largest areas of government spending globally and constitutes a high-risk environment in terms of the potential for conflicts of interest and weak competition, making the adoption of advanced digital tools a strategic step to combat corruption.
The session showcased practical examples, especially the ALICE system developed by Brazil's Supreme Audit Institution. ALICE is an intelligent algorithm that analyzes government tenders and contracts daily by linking more than 25 databases and risk indicators. Petrobras also presented its experience with its digital platform for managing a supply chain of over 200,000 suppliers. This platform automatically integrates contracting procedures with compliance and integrity verification requirements, minimizing human intervention and enabling supplier risk analysis within minutes.
In the same context, Siemens Energy presented a model for a unified platform for pre-screening suppliers that includes checking sanctions lists and money laundering risks and linking the results directly to sales and implementation processes, thus ensuring continuous monitoring throughout the project cycle.
The participants emphasized that these tools are not intended to replace human intervention, but rather to support it by reducing routine tasks and focusing on higher-risk cases. They also stressed that the success of these solutions depends on data quality, integration between different entities, and building human capacity capable of understanding and analyzing system outputs, in addition to the necessity of clear legal frameworks governing the use of artificial intelligence in oversight work.
Despite the successes, experts pointed to challenges such as balancing the transparency of algorithms with protecting their standards from exploitation, and the need for staff training and fostering a culture of integrity. They emphasized that international cooperation and the exchange of expertise are essential to maximizing the impact of these tools and ensuring that technology serves the public good and strengthens citizens' trust in the management of public resources.
The session concluded that digital transformation in government procurement is no longer a technical option, but has become an essential part of the anti-corruption system and the achievement of sustainable development goals, and that investment in artificial intelligence and open data represents the first line of defense against corruption, and opens new horizons for transparent and sustainable governance. (QNA)