|  | The global civil society network for the implementation and monitoring of the
United Nations Convention against Corruption (UNCAC) | | Dear Reader, | 2023 brings several important anti-corruption events: Most importantly, we are already preparing for the UNCAC Conference of the States Parties (CoSP10) which will take place from 11-15 December 2023 in Atlanta, Georgia, in the United States, where we will also celebrate the 20th birthday of the United Nations Convention against Corruption. We anticipate the call for for NGOs to express interest in participating in the CoSP10 to be published by UNODC around May. Although the Conference may seem far away at the moment, we strongly encourage civil society to start preparing and applying for any necessary travel visas now. We have already hosted an initial CoSP 10 briefing for civil society representatives, attended by more than 70 people – more will follow in the coming months. You can find the presentation and see our slides here. CoSP10 is an important opportunity to work together towards raising global standards on anti-corruption, and we look forward to working with many of you in our community in the lead up to this important event. Ahead of the CoSP, we look forward to seeing actions presented by participating States at the 2nd Summit for Democracy, 29-30 of March, to advance anti-corruption efforts, civic space, as well as human rights and democratic freedoms. Other important events we have marked in our calendar: OECD Global Anti-Corruption and Integrity Forum, 29-30 March (Paris, France) UNCAC NGO briefing & special events on the margins of the 14th session of the UNCAC Implementation Review Group and the Working Group on Prevention of Corruption, 12-16 June (Vienna, Austria) 20th Anniversary of the UNCAC (31 October) 75th Anniversary of Declaration of Human Rights and 25th Anniversary of UN Declaration on Human Rights Defenders (10 December)
We update our Anti-Corruption Events Calendar regularly with other relevant anti corruption events. | | NEW: Civil society reports on UNCAC implementation | | New civil society reports from Chile and El Salvador, produced by leading local NGOs with support from the UNCAC Coalition, evaluate progress in national UNCAC implementation: Chile has comprehensive anti-corruption regulations, independent anti-corruption bodies, and high level of transparency in public administration, the new civil society parallel report by Fundación Multitudes finds. To further improve UNCAC implementation, the existing regulatory framework needs to be more effectively implemented and enforced, and more inter-institutional coordination is needed; whistleblower protection for public sector employees should be strengthened and the political finance transparency be improved. Other key reform action identified relates to improvements of the national asset recovery system by setting up a dedicated asset recovery office and by improving data collection on confiscated assets.
El Salvador has a weak anti-corruption legislation in place which is also being inadequately implemented in practice. In recent years, key public institutions including the judiciary have been captured as a result of unregulated reforms and arbitrary appointments of officials close to the ruling party, the civil society parallel report authored by Fundación Nacional para el Desarrollo (FUNDE) finds. Ever-increasing restrictions of access to information, freedom of the media, and retaliation against anyone who speaks out against the government are also cause for grave concern. The report calls for the creation of a mechanism to effectively protect whistleblowers; transparency of political contributions; disclosure of data on money laundering and terrorism financing; updated rules on illicit enrichment of public officials as well as an effective asset declaration system with and independent monitoring.
| | Impact stories from civil society: results from our pilot |  | Fabrice Kodjo Ebeh, right, President of ANCE-Togo, appears on ‘New World TV’ to discuss the need to strengthen UNCAC implementation in Togo (2022). |
|  | TI-MG supporters and civil society activists stage a peaceful march to advocate for the adoption of access to information and whistleblower protection laws in Antananarivo, Madagascar (2022). |
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| NGOs from the UNCAC Coalition’s network based in Togo, Madagascar and Liberia, with support of the Coalition, have conducted follow-up advocacy to promote anti-corruption reform actions they had identified in their parallel reports on national UNCAC implementation: Togo: A new anti-corruption strategy, the ‘National Strategy for the Prevention and Fight against Corruption and Assimilated Offenses’ (SNPLCIA), was adopted in Togo by the government, thanks in part to l'Alliance Nationale des Consommateurs et de l’Environnement (ANCE-Togo). The national strategy contains key recommendations from ANCE’s own parallel report, including the need to adopt a law on the protection of whistleblowers, the creation of a state judicial agency, and a specialized investigative body for corruption cases. ANCE-Togo’s initiatives to organize meetings with civil society stakeholders and relevant state agencies, share information and ensure civil society participation in technical workshops and meetings ahead of the SNPLCIA’s final reading played a critical role in the eventual production of a balanced national strategy. Read the Togo impact story.
Madagascar: Transparency International - Initiative Madagascar (TI-MG) has pushed for the adoption of laws on access to information and for the protection of human rights defenders and whistleblowers. Building on recommendations from their parallel report, TI-MG used targeted advocacy to remind leaders of the fight against corruption in Madagascar. TI-MG organized a public debate, produced an advocacy video, launched a national petition and hosted a peaceful march, raising awareness raised among government officials and the general public on the need to enact legislation on these two issues. Read the Madagascar impact story.
Liberia: The Centre for Security Studies and Development (CENSSAD) made an important contributions to the passing of new anti-corruption laws in Liberia. CENSSAD launched follow-up activities to promote recommendations laid out in its parallel report to address gaps in UNCAC implementation. The organization engaged with lawmakers, relevant state agencies, the media and civil society, to build momentum that contributed to the Liberian national legislature passing four anti-corruption bills to protect whistleblowers and witnesses, granting prosecutorial powers to Liberia’s anti-corruption agency, and combatting money laundering. Read the Liberia impact story.
| | |  | Based in Bosnia and Herzegovina, the award winning media agency, the Center for Investigative Reporting (CIN), is our latest Member in the Spotlight. Specializing in investigative reporting, their aim is to provide fair and unbiased information. Leila Bičakčić, one of the founding members, talks about what motivates her to work in anti-corruption, and her organization’s work in our Member in the Spotlight interview. | | Vacancy: Regional Coordinator for Sub-Saharan Africa |  | Vacancy closing soon! The UNCAC Coalition is hiring a remote part-time consultant to join our team as a Regional Coordinator for Sub-Saharan Africa. Find out more and apply by 27 February 2023. | | Victims of Corruption: Short Film Series | The short film ‘Icy Problems' shows how impunity perpetuates corruption and has devastating effects on society. Victims of corruption can lose their habitats as a result of environmental degradation caused by corruption, benefitting a few while damaging others. Victims of corruption suffer many human rights violations, in this case, the right to a healthy environment. Many thanks to Impunidad Cero and creators Marcela A. Robledo Martinez and Jesus Garrido Chavez for the excellent submission to our short film series. Every month, we share a new film to unveil the stories of #VictimsofCorruption. Watch all videos in the short film series #VoCSeries. |  | | Interesting Reads | | LuxLeaks case: European Court of Human Rights rules for whistleblower protectionIn the important Grand Chamber judgement Halet v. Luxembourg the European Court of Human Rights held that Mr. Halet, a whistleblower who had received a criminal fine of 1,000 Euro, had been restricted in his freedom to impart information in a way that had not been “necessary in a democratic society”. While working with a private consulting firm, he had leaked confidential documents on 14 tax returns of multinational companies he had obtained from his workplace – the so-called LuxLeaks. The ECHR found that the information disclosed by the applicant was undeniably of public interest, after weighing all the interests concerned and taking into account the nature, severity and chilling effect of the applicant’s criminal conviction. |
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| Using access to information (ATI) to combat corruptionARTICLE 19’s new guide on using access to information to fight corruption, outlining how UNCAC Articles 10 and 13 can be used as a strong basis to continue improving the implementation of the right to access to information worldwide. It also identifies several measures to be considered and supported to strengthen the impact of ATI in the fight against corruption. |
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| | EU anti-corruption good practice handbook & legislative assessment The EU Commission has published a Handbook of good practices in the fight against corruption, aimed at States, practitioners, researchers and civil society. It describes 27 good practice initiatives, each in one EU member states. A separate new EU Commission study assesses the legislative framework in EU Member States and seeks identifies policy gaps in the EU framework for preventing and tackling corruption. The assessment points to legislative and operational barriers that hinders corruption prevention in the EU, including significant differences in legislative and administrative arrangements at the national level. The authors also point to a lack of adequate data collection and monitoring of corruption data and trends. |
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| Protecting and promoting civic space in OECD countriesThe OECD’s latest flagship report on civic space builds on data from 52 countries in presenting an assessment of the current landscape. It draws attention to challenges that are becoming increasingly important, namely: protecting against strategic lawsuits (SLAPPs), limits on access to information in emergencies, and online hate and hate speech. The OECD’s monitoring also highlights good practice, also looking at ‘interlinked factors’ that influence civic space enjoyment. |
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