May 2026 –
The 17th session of the UNCAC IRG and the Working Group on Prevention, took place between the 18th and the 22nd of May at the United Nations in Vienna.
Find below the recap summaries for each side event:
- Access to information as an anti-corruption tool: why UNCAC implementation needs renewed guidance and civil society expertise
- Yearly NGO briefing
- The UNCAC IRM next phase: Developing key review documents & the future best practice country reviews
- Implementing COSP resolution 11/7 on political finance transparency: Strengthening independent oversight and enforcement
Topics of discussion include: anti-corruption and integrity education for children and young people, access to information and corruption in sport.
Opportunities for civil society to engage include:
- Ask to join your country delegation to the meetings: The formal sessions of the UNCAC Subsidiary Bodies are closed to civil society observers in their organizational capacity. CSOs may wish to reach out to their government and request inclusion in the country delegation to the meetings (assuming that the government will not cover the costs).
- Participate in the NGO briefing and make a written submission to the IRG: CSOs that were accredited to CoSP11 or have ECOSOC status may participate in the NGO briefing, and prepare written submissions that will be published on the 17th IRG session webpage: written submissions should be sent directly to UNODC, uncac@un.org, by 4 May.
- Encourage your government to report on its implementation actions, taking into account civil society’s perspective when doing so, and to publish its statements on the Prevention Working Group webpage: the Working Group will discuss good practices and challenges in access to information, a topic of high-priority for civil society. It is a common practice for States to make their submissions to the working group public.
Annual NGO briefing
The annual NGO briefing will take place on the margins, on 19 May, between 13:15-15:00 CET, and will be open to representatives of civil society organizations (CSOs) accredited to the last CoSP11 in Qatar, as well as to those with ECOSOC accreditation.
The event will take place in M3 of the Vienna International Centre at the United Nations.
Other Civil society co-led events
| Event name | Date & time | Zoom link / Room | Organizers |
| Implementing COSP resolution 11/7 on political finance transparency: Strengthening independent oversight and enforcement | Monday, 18 May, 13:30-14:30 CET | In person only VIC, M2 | Transparency International, IFES, UNDOC, Mongolia, Norway |
| The UNCAC IRM next phase: Developing key review documents & the future best practice country reviews | Wednesday, 20 May, 14:00-15:00 CET | https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/zI_rYILhS0iuQGIIpr_1Mw VIC, M3 | Canada, Global Civil Society Coalition for the UNCAC, Transparency International |
| Promoting effective access to information: Recommendations for implementation of UNCAC-related commitments | Thursday, 21 May, 14:00-15:00 CET | https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/GVFL3tG2Qb6_0jF–4-G6A VIC, M2 | Global Civil Society Coalition for the UNCAC, Armenia |
Written submissions to the IRG
- Global Civil Society Coalition for the UNCAC – Meaningful, transparent and inclusive UNCAC implementation reviews
- Global Civil Society Coalition for the UNCAC – From Commitments to Action: A Practical Guide for Civil Society on Promoting the Implementation of UNCAC CoSP11 Resolutions
- Global Civil Society Coalition for the UNCAC – Challenges and recommendations on access to information to advance UNCAC implementation and the fight against corruption
- Global Civil Society Coalition for the UNCAC – Key Recommendations for a User-friendly, Comprehensive Self-Assessment Checklist for the IRM’s Second Phase
- Environmental Crime and Corruption Working Group – Addressing corruption enabling crimes that affect the environment