Anti-Corruption Law Enforcement Critical, Says Secretary-General

Commonwealth Secretary-General Don McKinnon (centre) with delegates at a reception held in Marlborough House, London

Effective co-ordination between departments, backed by strong political will, is crucial in the fight against corruption; it is in the effectiveness of the enforcement of relevant laws where the battle will be won, Commonwealth Secretary-General Don McKinnon said at an anti-corruption conference on 24 April 2006 jointly organised by the Commonwealth Secretariat and Chatham House in London, UK.

“Some of those main challenges are: actually being able to detect and investigate corrupt public officials; being able to offer protection to those who report corrupt officials; and being able to enforce confiscation orders obtained or sought by other countries,” Mr McKinnon said.

He suggested that countries develop national cadres of specialist investigators and prosecutors to address corruption cases.

“Corruption is a cancer, and a cancer is a deadly thing. It is public enemy number one to the two things that we hold dearest in the Commonwealth: democracy and development. All have agreed that the UN Convention against Corruption (UNCAC) is solid, that it’s right, and that it’s comprehensive. The challenge is to make it work,” Mr McKinnon added.

He said it was important for countries to strengthen their commitment to implement UNCAC which came into force in December 2005. To date, 140 countries have signed the convention but only 50 countries have ratified it -- the UN Office on Drugs and Crime lists 14 Commonwealth countries which have ratified, accepted, approved or acceded to UNCAC: Australia, Cameroon, Kenya, Lesotho, Mauritius, Namibia, Nigeria, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Uganda, United Kingdom and the United Republic of Tanzania. The Secretary-General said efforts must be made to identify and address the problems faced by countries unable to implement UNCAC. He said it was important for countries to strengthen their commitment to implement UNCAC.

Governments should work with civil society organisations to ensure successful implementation. The monitoring and evaluation of UNCAC was also important and best addressed through regional co-operation. Mr McKinnon offered Commonwealth assistance to member countries in peer review and to help countries build on their existing resources and number of skilled people to combat corruption.

UNCAC aims to engage the crime prevention and criminal justice systems of all countries. It recognised that corruption impoverishes countries and destabilises economic systems of countries and regions. The convention addresses the issues of prevention, criminalisation, international co-operation, asset recovery and implementing mechanisms.

 

CNIS - Commonwealth News and Information Service Issue 282, 26 April 2006

Secretariat Links:

• Anti-Corruption Conference, Keynote speech by the Rt Hon Don McKinnon, Commonwealth Secretary-General
• Law