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The global civil society network for the implementation and monitoring of the United Nations Convention against Corruption (UNCAC) |
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Dear Reader, How open and transparent are States about their anti-corruption efforts? Together with partner NGOs we so far have filed access to information requests in over 20 countries, asking governments to release key documents from their UNCAC implementation reviews, as well as data on stakeholder participation and follow-up actions. More than ten official UNCAC review documents, which were previously secret, have already been released. |
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In Solidarity with Ukraine The members of the UNCAC Coalition stand with the people of Ukraine. We call on all countries, in particular those that host major financial centers, to take swift and concrete steps to stem the flow of stolen money and to trace and freeze illicitly-acquired assets. All those who profit from violations of the rule of law to the detriment of their own citizens and other peoples should be held to account, deprived of their ill-gotten gains and required to compensate the victims of their criminal activities. Read our full statement. |
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UNCAC Review Process |
Civil society organizations in three countries have recently released parallel assessments on national UNCAC implementation, produced with support from the UNCAC Coalition: |
The reports cover the implementation of Chapter II (Preventive Measures) and Chapter V (Asset Recovery) provisions of the UNCAC. |
| Civil Society Report on TogoTogo has made large strides in working to implement and apply provisions under the UNCAC, the new report finds. However, the country continues to suffer from weaknesses such as poor performance and quality of public services, weak public access to information, low levels of citizen participation in decision-making processes, and ambiguity in the roles and responsibilities of the central anti-corruption actors and institutions. Therefore, one of the report’s key recommendations is strengthening the legal and institutional anti-corruption frameworks. |
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Civil Society Report on LiberiaWhile Liberia has made significant progress towards developing normative legal frameworks for the implementation of articles under the UNCAC, some gaps persist, especially regarding their actual implementation. The main barriers to fighting corruption are a lack of political will, the President’s all-encompassing appointment powers, impunity for corruption offenses, and the limited resources and prosecutorial powers of the anti-graft institutions. Thus, establishing an anti-corruption court, conducting background checks on political appointees, and enhancing the technical and financial capacities of anti-graft institutions are among the report’s key recommendations. |
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| Civil Society Report on UzbekistanUzbekistan has enacted significant reforms in recent years to enhance its legislative framework with regard to implementing UNCAC articles. However, widespread nepotism, political interference in key institutions, and impunity for corruption offenses obstruct the implementation of these reforms in practice. Moreover, greater transparency and civil society involvement in the asset recovery process of Gulnara Karimova’s ill-gotten assets are urgently needed. The report recommends that detailed regulations on the recovery of stolen assets be provided for, among others. | |
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Recent Developments from the UNCAC Review Cycles |
Under the 1st Cycle of the UNCAC review, Germany and Saudi Arabia have recently published their Full Country Reports. Under the 2nd Cycle of the UNCAC review, the Solomon Islands have published their Full Country Report; Russia’s executive summary was published. Moreover, Country Visits have been conducted for Angola (February 2022), the Central African Republic (September 2021), Honduras (February 2022) and Austria (March 2022) in a hybrid format, as well as for Nepal (January 2022). |
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Finland signs the UNCAC Review Transparency Pledge |
Congratulations to Finland, the 32nd country to sign the UNCAC Coalition’s Transparency Pledge, voluntarily committing to a high level of transparency and civil society inclusion in the second cycle of the UNCAC implementation review! Read more here. |
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Recent Activities Member in the Spotlight |
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Fundación Multitudes is a non-governmental, women-led organization based in Chile that pursues the promotion of civil society participation in policy and decision-making processes to create a just and inclusive society. Over the past years, Fundación Multitudes has supported municipalities to develop an Open Government Action Plan, published a report on the status of Municipal Civil Society Councils, offered leadership training to CSOs, and created a Lobby Law Platform. Learn more about Fundación Multitudes’ work here! |
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Welcome to our new members! |
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NGO Participation in the UN |
The UNCAC Coalition along with 349 NGOs signed an open letter to UN Member States, urging them to take a resolute stance on NGO participation in the UN fora by granting them consultative status. The organizations called on States that value civil society to stand for the elections to the ECOSOC Committee on NGOs. |
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Regional kick-off meetings for 2022 |
Five different regional meetings of CSOs in the UNCAC Coalition network took place recently, where groups discussed priority issues for upcoming meetings, their work plans of the year, and how to better work together to achieve a greater impact of anti-corruption efforts. Key joint topics include the links between corruption and environmental crime, the participation of civil society in anti-corruption efforts and beneficial ownership transparency. Going forward, all participants suggested working together more closely and increasing information sharing via the regional mailing lists. |
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Above: Overview of all regional priority topics and their interlinkages across regions |
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Final CoSP9 report publishedTake a look at the official report published from the CoSP9 held in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt, from 13 to 17 December 2021. The report covers all of the resolutions and decisions adopted, the organization of the session, the review of the implementation of the UNCAC, actions taken by the conference, a provisional agenda for CoSP10, and other matters. |
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| UNDP & ICNL toolkit on legal frameworks for civic spaceThis publication, which is the result of a collaboration between UNDP and the International Center for Not-for-Profit Law (ICNL), provides an overview of human rights standards applicable to civic space with a focus on freedoms of expression, assembly, and association, as well as guidance on how to ensure that national legislative frameworks are aligned with these standards. It is intended as a tool to support policy dialogue and reform aimed at promoting a more open and inclusive public sphere. |
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UNCAC in a Nutshell updatedThe UNCAC in a Nutshell is a quick guide to the UN Convention against Corruption used by diplomats, aid agency workers, embassy staff, academics, activists, and journalists. It has been recently updated by the UNCAC Coalition, in collaboration with U4, to reflect recent developments in UNCAC matters. |
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| Article 19 on OHCHR report on access to informationThe Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights’ (OHCHR) has released a new report on Freedom of Opinion and Expression. Article 19 has commented on this report in a recent blog post. The aim of this report is to assist governments in implementing the right of access to information. Article 19 highlights important gaps that still need to be addressed, for example relating to the scope of access to information laws, the limited number of exceptions, and an individual’s right to appeal. |
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OCCRP launches
Russian Asset TrackerThe Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP) have introduced a tracker to catalogue the vast wealth held outside Russia by oligarchs and key figures close to Russian President Vladimir Putin. The list was compiled using the names of people who “actively participate in the oppression and corruption of Putin’s regime” drawn up by the Anti-Corruption Foundation, led by opposition leader Alexei Navalny. | |
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| 10 tips for tracking assetsThe OCCRP published an article on the Global Investigative Journalism Network, sharing 10 tips and techniques for investigating the overseas wealth of rich, politically-connected Russians. Some of these include identifying targets, defining assets and geographical focus, creating a database to record assets, checking Russian Official’s asset declarations, and requesting data that is not publicly available. | |
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IRI publishes ‘The Kleptocrat’s Playbook’The International Republican Institute’s (IRI) publication catalogues the spectrum of tactics that kleptocrats use to engage in transnational corruption. The Playbook highlights established and emerging best practices from around the world for policy-makers and civil society actors to fight back with. | |
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Job Vacancies |
The Coalition is hiring! We are looking for a Fundraising/Communications Lead to join the Vienna Hub team (remote work and part-time possible), as well as our next Intern (paid). Are you passionate about anti-corruption, transparency and good governance? Find out more about the different vacancies and apply before the deadlines in May 2022. |
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Upcoming Events |
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