Mega Corruption Everywhere – Real Action Nowhere ?
By Nihal Sri Ameresekere –December 1, 2015
Nihal Sri Ameresekere
Commencing from as far back as 1970 with the Kyoto Declaration, the process for the formulation of the UN Convention Against Corruption (UNCAC) commenced in December 2000, with the UN General Assembly resolving to establish a Committee for negotiating and formulating the UNCAC. With several subsequent Meetings, UNCAC was formulated and adopted by the UN General Assembly in October 2003, and 9th December was designated as the ‘International Anti-Corruption day’. The UNCAC came into force in December 2005, upon 30 States having ratified the same. Sri Lanka was second State to have ratified in March 2004, under Prime Minister, Ranil Wickremesinghe. As at now 177 States have become parties to the UNCAC, the Secretariat and custodian of which is the UNODC.
On the heels of the UNCAC coming into force in December 2005, mooted by UNODC the International Association of Anti-Corruption Authorities (IAACA) was inaugurated in October 2006, with the objectives of promoting and facilitating the implementation of the UNCAC. IAACA held its 8th Annual Conference in November 2015 at St. Petersburg, Russia, preceding the 6th Session of the Conference of State Parties (COSP6) to UNCAC held also at St. Petersburg. Russia recognizing the need to combat corruption, itself, is a global achievement, and reflects the pace in which this international movement against corruption is growing.
The UN ‘Universal Declaration of Human Rights’, came into force, as far back as 1948, and has thus developed in its enforcement. On the other hand, UNCAC came into force 57 years thereafter, only 10 years ago, and its development and growth is becoming, not only widespread, but also in depth, even reverberating at the highest levels of States. Sri Lanka after a lapse of several years, participated with a Delegation led by Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, Dr. Harsha de Silva.
UNODC Executive Director Yury Fedotov at the G-20 States Meeting in Paris in April 2011 emphatically stated thus:
“Corruption has the power to shake the very foundations of society. Even in regions where peace and prosperity prevail, corruption takes a heavy toll ….. Now it’s time for business to move beyond declarations to concrete actions ….. Anti-Corruption Action Plan provides a common approach and an opportunity for the G-20 to lead by example in the global fight against corruption ….. In October this year, the Conference of States Parties to the Convention against Corruption will meet in Marrakech, Morocco to take stock of global progress in preventing corruption …… The UN Convention against Corruption is the first legally binding global anti-corruption instrument. It obliges States to prevent and criminalize corruption, promote international cooperation, recover stolen assets and improve technical assistance and information exchange.”
Conference of State Parties in November 2015 and ‘Sustainable Development Agenda 2030’
