The United Nations Convention against Corruption was adopted by the General Assembly by Resolution 58/4 of 31 October 2003. The Convention came into force on 14 December 2005 when it received its thirtieth ratification. To date, 140 parties have signed UNCAC and 117 parties have ratified the Convention. Article 1 of the Convention makes it clear that the purposes of the Convention are threefold, namely: “(a) To promote and strengthen measures to prevent and combat corruption more efficiently and effectively; (b) To promote, facilitate and support international cooperation and technical assistance in the prevention of and fight against corruption…; (c) To promote integrity, accountability and proper management of public affairs and public property.”
In the Pacific, only two countries have ratified UNCAC – Papua New Guinea on 16 July 2007 and Fiji on 14 May 2008. Ratification is only a first step in entrenching accountability domestically. Elsewhere in the Pacific, various accountability activities are also being pursued at the national level. For example, in 2007 Tonga passed an Anti-Corruption Act which envisages the establishment of an Anti-Corruption Commission by July 2008. The Interim Fiji Government set up the Fiji Independent Commission Against Corruption (FICAC). The Solomon Islands Government which came into power in December 2007 has also prioritised the establishment of an Anti-Corruption Commission, and identified freedom of information legislation in its UN Development Assistance Framework. Nauru has prioritised the passage of an Ombudsman Act and/or a Leadership Code Act as part of its reform agenda.
The Pacific Forum Islands Secretariat (PIFS) and the UNDP Pacific Centre are collaborating to progress work to promote UNCAC. Notably, the UN Office of Drugs and Crime (UNODC) is the lead agency responsible for promoting UNCAC ratifications. As such, UNODC will also be closely engaged in any Pacific UNCAC activities. The ADB-OECD Anti-Corruption Initiative, to which 7 Pacific Islands countries have already signed up, can also usefully be involved in this work, through its Secretariat. Organisations in the NGO sector which advocate for transparency and against corruption will also be engaged.
UNCAC Resources and Papers
- PIFS and UNDP (2009) Melanesia Sub-Regional Consultation on UNCAC Outcomes Statement, Port Moresby, PNG, 10-12 March
- Govt of Bangladesh (2008) UNCAC: A Bangladesh Compliance and Gap Analysis.
- Government of Indonesia (2006) Identification of Gap Between Laws / Regulations of the Republic of Indonesia and UNCAC.
- Government of Pakistan (2002) National Anti-Corruption Strategy.
