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Corruption
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International initiatives for tackling corruption
Since the mid-1990s corruption has been recognised as a global problem and an obstacle to development. Since it has causes and effects which transcend national borders, international cooperation is called for if corruption is to be tackled effectively. We have listed a selection of the international anti-corruption initiatives and agreements below:
OECD Anti-Bribery Convention
In 1997 the member states of the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) signed the Convention on Combating Bribery of Foreign Public Officials in International Business Transactions. The Convention makes the bribing of foreign public officials a criminal offence in the country of the person offering the bribe, and thus provides a basis for tackling corruption in the global context. The Convention has been in force since February 1999 and has been signed and ratified by eight countries (Argentina, Brazil, Bulgaria, Chile, Estonia, Israel, Slovakia and South Africa) in addition to the OECD states
Anti-corruption as a principle of the Global Compact
In 1999 the then Secretary General of the United Nations, Kofi Annan, set up a worldwide alliance between the United Nations and business called the Global Compact. The Compact is intended to put a "social face" on the globalisation process; it publishes ten principles to which participating businesses must adhere. The tenth principle states that, "businesses should work against corruption in all its forms, including extortion and bribery".
Even though this is a purely voluntary undertaking, the Global Compact helps to create a common foundation which the state and the private sector can use to search for solutions and engage in dialogue.
Anti-corruption declaration of the Utstein Group
The Utstein Group was set up in the summer of 1999 by the development ministers of the Netherlands, Germany, Norway and the United Kingdom. The group's aim was to demonstrate through informal and practice-oriented cooperation how members can work in a coordinated and coherent manner towards common development goals.
In May 2000 the Utstein Group signed an anti-corruption declaration. The U4 Anti-Corruption Resource Centre, an Internet-based dialogue and knowledge platform, was set up to coordinate anti-corruption activities, develop networks and conduct research. Australia, Belgium, Canada and Sweden have since joined the U4 partnership.
United Nations Convention against Corruption
The United Nations Convention against Corruption (UNCAC) was adopted in October 2003. Following ratification by the thirtieth country, it entered into force in September 2005. By October 2009 140 countries plus the European Union had ratified the Convention.
The UNCAC is the first comprehensive global anti-corruption agreement and contains a wide range of practically relevant instruments. Countries that ratify the Convention undertake to take preventive action against corruption, to prosecute those found guilty of corruption in various forms, and to cooperate at international level to identify, trace and recover illegally acquired assets. In addition the Convention calls for close cooperation and an exchange of information at international level in all areas, including in particular that of development cooperation.
Germany signed the Convention on 9 December 2003 but has not yet ratified it.
Commitment to transparency in the Paris Declaration and the Accra Agenda
In the 2005 Paris Declaration on Aid Effectiveness, donor and recipient countries made a twofold commitment. Firstly, donors must act with transparency and accountability towards citizens and government both at home and in partner countries. Secondly, governance in partner countries must be improved by increasing the accountability of partner governments. These twofold commitments to combat corruption were reinforced and extended in the Accra Agenda for Action 2008 (article 24 d).
World Bank Anti-Corruption Strategy
Since the mid-1990s the tackling of corruption has been a key part of the World Bank's Good Governance Strategy. The World Bank focuses on the prevention of fraud and corruption in the projects that it finances and on addressing the issue of corruption in country strategies, political dialogue and the selection and design of projects.
In September 2006 the World Bank adopted the governance and anti-corruption strategy, which is intended to tighten the monitoring of cash flows in all its projects and loan programmes. Projects may be cancelled or delayed if governments are insufficiently stringent in their efforts to control the wastage of funds.
The extensive analytical work of the World Bank and the Governance and Anti-Corruption Unit, which is part of the World Bank Institute, provides scientific data which underpins the corruption debate and is incorporated into training programmes.
Group of Eight (G8)
The Group of Eight (G8) sees tackling corruption as being one of its most important tasks. In the words of the final declaration of the G8 Summit held in Heiligendamm, Germany in 2007: "We are committed to full implementation of our obligations under existing international agreements created to combat corruption, particularly those of the United Nations and the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) and will intensify our common efforts to effectively combat corruption worldwide."
The G8 also supports the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI).
For further information see also the following topic:
European Union
The tackling of corruption was recognised in the Maastricht Treaty as an important means of creating a European area where freedom, security and law and order are upheld. The European Union has adopted a range of anti-corruption treaties and protocols. The European Anti-Fraud Office (OLAF) also deals with corruption in the context of corporate crime
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