Organizers: Denmark, Dominican Republic, Global Civil Society Coalition for the UNCAC, Transparency International
Moderator:
- Yonatan Yakir, Global Civil Society Coalition for the UNCAC
Remarks:
- Ambassador Gilka Meléndez, Dominican Republic
- Frederik Due Rabenschlag, Denmark
Speakers:
- Hugh Jorgensen, Transparency International
- David Banisar, London School of Economics
- Daniela Patino Pineros, Transparency International
- Ana Revuelta Alonso, Global Civil Society Coalition for the UNCAC
- Jackson Oldfield, CiFAR
- Samantha Feinstein, Global Accountability Project,
- Betina Pasteknik, Global Civil Society Coalition for the UNCAC-
- Gillian Dell, Transparency International
Background
With 193 parties to date, the UNCAC is the most comprehensive global anti-corruption treaty with near-universal coverage. Despite ever growing geo-political tensions and divergent views on how to combat corruption most effectively, its Conference of States parties (CoSP) remains a multilateral forum characterized by constructive dialogue and a consensus-based decision-making principle. The adoption of meaningful resolutions is the CoSP’s main objective. From a civil society point of view, “meaningful” resolutions are those that set necessary global standards and include relevant, ambitious, elaborated, and concrete calls to action that address the most pressing implementation gaps and challenges related to the UNCAC. They should also respond to current and emerging issues, reflect developments in the field, and advance the implementation of the Convention beyond existing commitments, when necessary.
Civil society organizations and other non-governmental stakeholders have always played an important role in the CoSP, bringing a crucial perspective that is necessary for governments to consider as they decide on their future commitments to fight corruption more effectively. At CoSP 10, civil society comprised one quarter of all CoSP participants, and at CoSP 11, despite heavy funding cuts, civil society was represented by close to 400 participants from 135 organisations.
Besides leading numerous CoSP side events and written submissions, civil society has also engaged in a more coordinated way at recent CoSPs, placing a stronger focus on resolution advocacy. Ahead of the next CoSP 12 in Uzbekistan (end of 2027), and following various consultations across Transparency International’s and the Global Civil Society Coalition for the UNCAC’s broad networks and various expert groups, the following critical anti-corruption issues were identified as such that warrant greater attention, as they reflect significant gaps and emerging challenges in the UNCAC, and therefore require dedicated commitments in CoSP 12 resolutions:
Addressing the roles of the enablers of corruption; Promoting effective access to information; Addressing the links between debt and corruption; Promoting synergies between the UNCAC and other related fora; Access to Justice in the fight against corruption; Advancing asset and interest disclosure; The protection of detectors of corruption such as reporting persons and journalists, and; Effective and transparent asset recovery including asset management.
Objective of the event
On the margins of the next round of CoSP subsidiary bodies meetings (2-6 November), through a series of short presentations, speakers will bring to the attention of country delegations and other relevant stakeholders, the importance of the above-mentioned issues, provide the rationale behind deciding on these priorities, and raise recommendations for specific calls to actions that should be reflected in CoSP 12 resolutions.
Event flyer
