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Policy position Paper No 01/2008
Transparency International
Transparency International
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"The UN Convention against Corruption (UNCAC) provides a comprehensive global framework for combating corruption. Adopted in 2003, it represents an international consensus on the need for collective action. The convention’s eight chapters establish government obligations and standards for preventing and punishing corruption, international cooperation, technical assistance and asset recovery. UNCAC has been signed by 140 countries and ratified by more than 107 governments.2 This rapid progress has raised high expectations that Effectively Monitoring UNCAC www. t ransparency.org Policy Position Paper # 01/2008 UNCAC will soon begin to function as the leading global instrument for tackling corruption at the national and international level. While the convention’s adoption marks a watershed for anti-corruption efforts, its ratification by individual countries does not guarantee that government authorities will take the timely steps needed for compliance, especially since many of the measures are controversial and costly. Parties to the convention have recognised this challenge at previous meetings and have endorsed the prompt establishment of a monitoring process to track country implementation. The questions currently on the table are not about whether to monitor but when, how and by what means. To sustain country commitment to the convention, it is essential that the UNCAC Conference of the States Parties (CoSP) — which will hold its second meeting in Indonesia in January 2008 — responds to these concerns and establishes a review mechanism to monitor implementation. Anything less would undermine the credibility of UNCAC and play into the hands of the sceptics who question the UN’s capability to make this complex convention work. For monitoring to be effective and viable, the process must be flexible, fair, transparent and cost-efficient — and inclusive of civil society views. It must ensure an in-depth monitoring of crucial anti-corruption measures, such as those on asset recovery. TI recommends that the development of a monitoring system should consist of two phases divided between the immediate (2008-09) and long-term (beginning in 2010). To oversee the work in both periods, a three-part review mechanism should be set up consisting of the CoSP, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) and a distinguished Board of Experts."
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2008
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With permission of the license/copyright holder