International Anti-Corruption Initiatives (From Resource Material Series No. 56, P 327-342, 2000, Hiroshi Iitsuka and Rebecca Findlay-Debeck, eds. -- See NCJ-191475)

• NCJ Number: 191498
• Author(s): Donald K. Piragoff
• Date Published: December 2000
• Length: 16 pages
• Sale Source: United Nations Asia and Far East Institute for the Prevention of Crime and Treatment of Offenders
• Publication Format: Document
• Publication Type: Legislation/Policy Description
• Language: English
• Country: Japan
• Note: A paper from the 113th UNAFEI International Training Course, "The Effective Administration of Criminal Justice for the Prevention of Corrupt Activities by Public Officials," August 30-November 18, 1999.

Annotation

This paper surveys a number of initiatives undertaken by some international and intergovernmental organizations in the fight against public corruption, with attention to legal measures in criminal law.

Abstract

In 1994 at the Summit of the Americas, heads of state and of governments in the Americas endorsed a Plan of Action, which called on the Organization of American States (OAS) to develop a hemispheric approach to acts of public corruption. The Specialized Conference on the Draft Inter-American Convention Against Corruption was held in Caracas, Venezuela on March 27, 28, and 29, 1996. Twenty-one Member States signed the Convention on that date, and the Convention entered into force on March 6, 1997. This was the first international convention to be negotiated that provides for criminalizing the bribery of foreign public officials. The content of this convention is outlined in this paper. Since the corruption of public officials has been viewed as a major problem that affects international trade and investment, the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, which is a major economic policy forum for the world's most advanced industrialized democracies, has focused on this issue. This organization's efforts against corruption are detailed in this paper. The Council of Europe has also focused on this issue. In November 1996, a Program of Action Against Corruption was adopted by the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe. In 1990 the Eighth United Nations Congress on the Prevention of Crime and the Treatment of Offenders adopted a resolution on Corruption in Government, which provides for technical assistance to help countries counter corruption. The first "Global Forum on Fighting Corruption: Safeguarding Integrity Among Justice and Security Officials" was held in Washington, DC, February 24-26, 1999; high-level representatives from 89 governments and others examined the causes of corruption and the practices that are effective in preventing and fighting it.