|
Transparency International urges
countries that are not yet ready to commit to serious anti-corruption measures
to withdraw from the drafting group rather than water down the Convention.
The negotiations for a global convention against corruption, currently being
drafted in Vienna, are "on the point of being derailed", says
Transparency International (TI), the world's leading non-governmental
organisation engaged in the fight against corruption.
"Many countries are opposing meaningful arrangements for the monitoring of
the proposed convention, including participation by civil society, which
suggests that they are as yet unprepared to commit themselves to containing
corruption," said Jeremy Pope, Executive Director of TI's Centre for
Innovation and Research. "As it is, the content of the obligations has been
steadily watered down over the past ten days."
"TI commends the support for monitoring given by the delegations from
Argentina, Austria, Benin, Cameroon, the Netherlands and Norway, among others,
but far too many countries are simply not yet ready to accept meaningful
commitments to fight corruption in their own countries," said Pope.
"It would be far better for the process if these countries were to be
honest, were to withdraw from the drafting group and indicate that they are not,
as yet, ready to accept commitments that will be reported upon and
monitored," he said. "Otherwise we will end up with an exercise in
window-dressing, devoid of content and impact."
"This is deeply distressing," said Pope, "as a number of
developing countries have been looking to the new convention to provide
meaningful and effective measures for the recovery of assets looted by their
corrupt leaders."
"The paradox is that many UN conventions have effective monitoring
mechanisms, yet delegates seem intent on turning the clock back by denying these
to the draft under consideration now," he concluded.
For TI's proposals to the negotiation sessions, see http://www.transparency.org/
building_coalitions/ intern.institutions/un/un_convention.html
Note to editors: The UN Anti-Corruption Convention 5th session (Third Reading)
takes place in Vienna on 10-21 March 2003, the 6th session in Vienna on 21 July
- 1 August, and the Convention launch is scheduled to take place in Mexico in
December 2003.
|
