The UNCAC Working Group on Human Rights and Corruption serves as a platform for fostering discussions, exchanging knowledge, and sharing experiences among civil society, activists and academics working on human rights and corruption. Additionally, the Working Group provides a space for the coordination of advocacy efforts and the advancement of international and regional laws and policies in this regard.

Working Group Co-Chairs:

Japhet Biegon, Africa Regional Advocacy Coordinator, Amnesty International.

Andrea Rocca, Senior Strategic Partnerships Manager & Global Security Manager, Transparency International.

Betina Pasteknik, Head of Operations and Working Groups, UNCAC Coalition.

Working Group Alternative Co-Chair:

Adeline Neau, Researcher for Central America, Amnesty International.

Next Working Group Meeting: 

Tuesday 19 November 2024, 15:00-16:30 (CET)

Find out about upcoming working group meetings and other events relevant to human rights and corruption here.

 

Working Group Aims: 

1. Break silos between human rights and anti-corruption civil society, academics and institutions. 
2. Provide updates on policy developments on anti-corruption and human rights.
3. Advance anti-corruption efforts with a victims-centred approach.
4. Empower anti-corruption civil society with the necessary tools to use Human Rights mechanisms and vice versa.
5. Increase the prevention and recognition of corruption as a human rights violation.
6. Advocate for changes in international law, policy and practice. 

Selected past activities and outputs on Human Rights and Corruption

• Blog: UN General Comment No.26/2022: Positioning Land Corruption as a Human Rights Issue, Jonathan Ochom, September 2024.
• Guide (Spanish): Guía práctica para el acceso a los sistemas internacional e interamericano de derechos humanos ¿cómo las organizaciones de la sociedad civil pueden incidir a través de ellos?, Derechos Humanos y Litigio Estratégico Mexicano, May 2024.
• Guide: Defending transparency: an advocate’s guide to counteracting defence corruption, Ara Marcen Nava, June 2024.
• Publication: Betrayed by the Guardians: the human toll of corruption in defence and security, Najla Dowson-Zeidan, Ara Marcen Naval, Josie Stewart, Barney Cullum and Ed Storey, May 2024.
• Brief: The Universal Periodic Review process – A strategy to tackle health sector corruption, Sharifah Sekalala and Haleema Masud, U4, 20 April 2021.
• Blog post: OHCHR Expert Meeting on Asset Recovery: CSO Representatives Stress the Need for Inclusion and Transparency, UNCAC Coalition, 20 February 2024.
• Blog post: Anti-Corruption & Human Rights: Exploring Synergies, by Andrea Rocca (TI) & Betina Pasteknik (UNCAC Coalition), 25 January 2024
• Blog post: Duarte’s Case: Inter-American Court of Human Rights Commences Admission Process, by Estefania Medina & Adriana Greaves, Co-founders of TOJIL México, November 13, 2023.
• Amnesty International, ‘West & Central Africa: Authorities must fight corruption and uphold the human rights of those who expose it’ (July 11 2023), https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2023/07/west-central-africa-authorities-must-fight-corruption-and-uphold-the-human-rights-of-those-who-expose-it/.
• OHCHR, ‘Draft Guidelines on a Human Rights Framework for Asset Recovery’ (2022), https://www.ohchr.org/sites/default/files/2022-03/OHCHR-RecommendedPrinciplesHumanRightsAssetRecovery_0.pdf . 
• Mary Lawlor, Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders, ‘At the heart of the struggle: human rights defenders working against corruption’ HRC 49/49 (28 December 2021), https://digitallibrary.un.org/record/3955232?ln=en. 
• Article (Spanish): Ortiz, Horacio y Daniel Vázquez. (2021). “Impunidad, corrupción y derechos humanos” en revista Perfiles Latinoamericanos. Vol. 30. No 57. (enero-julio). México: FLACSO-México. Pp. 167 – 194.
• United Nations, Views of States parties on the performance of the Mechanism for the Review of Implementation of the United Nations Convention against Corruption, (11 October 2021). CoSP  2021/4 40(6), https://www.unodc.org/documents/treaties/UNCAC/COSP/session9/CAC-COSP-2021-4/V2107590_E.pdf.
• Human Rights Watch, ‘Human Rights Watch Submission to UN Working Group on Business and Human Rights.Re: Corruption and Human Rights’ (21 February 2021), https://www.hrw.org/news/2020/02/21/human-rights-watch-submission-un-working-group-business-and-human-rights.
• Sancin V., ‘Corruption as a serious inhibitor to Human Rights realisation: a response from the UN Human Rights Committee’ (2021). Zbornik pravnog fakulteta u Zagrebu 71(1) 23.
• Publication (Spanish): Corrupción y Derechos Económicos y Sociales en América Latina. Estudios de caso de Ecuador, México y República Dominicana. Costa Rica: Instituto Interamericano de Derechos Humanos, Cardona, Luz; Horacio Ortiz; Guillermo Peña; Rosa Vallejo; y Daniel Vázquez (coord), 2020.
• CCPR, ‘Corruption and Human Rights: Improving the Human Rights Dimension of the Fight against Corruption. How do UN Treaty Bodies address the issue of corruption?’ (2020), https://ccprcentre.org/files/media/CCPR_Improving_the_Human_Rights_Dimension_of_the_Fight_Against_Corruption_FINAL.pdf
• Eeckeloo L. Prasad D., ‘Corruption and Human Rights: How to better integrate corruption issues in the UN human rights mechanisms. A practitioners’ guide and strategic advocacy tool for civil society organisations` (CCPR Centre 2019), http://ccprcentre.org/files/media/corruption-hr.pdf
• Davis K., ‘Corruption as a Violation of International Human Rights: A Reply to Anne Peters’ (November 2019). European Journal of International Law,  29 (4) 1289, 1294–1295, https://academic.oup.com/ejil/article/29/4/1289/5320173.
• Article (Spanish): Vázquez, Daniel. (2019). “Redes de corrupción, empresas fantasmas y derechos humanos. El caso de Chihuahua, México” en Marie-Christine Fuchs y Claudio Nash (Coord.). Corrupción, Estado de derecho y derechos humanos. Colombia: Konrad Adenauer. Pp. 243 – 264
• Article (Spanish): Vázquez, Daniel; Luz Cardona y Horacio Ortiz. (2018). “Corrupción y Derechos humanos: de la intuición a la convicción” en Revista Mexicana de Sociología. México: Instituto de Investigaciones Sociales – UNAM. No 03. Julio-septiembre. Pp. 577 – 610.
• Article (Spanish): Vázquez, Daniel. (2018). “Derechos humanos y corrupción en México: una radiografía” En Carlos Tablante y Mariela Morales. Impacto de la corrupción en los derechos humanos. México: Instituto de Estudios Constitucionales del Estado de Queretaro. Pp. 141 – 174.
• Publication (Spanish): Corrupción y Derechos Humanos. ¿Por dónde comenzar la estrategia anticorrupción?,,Daniel Vázquez, Peter Lang, 2018.
• Article: Vázquez, Daniel; Luz Cardona and Horacio Ortiz. (2018). “Corruption and human rights: possible relations” in Human Rights Quarterly. EUA: Johns Hopkins University Press. No. 40. Mayo. Pp. 317-341.
• Article (Spanish): Vázquez, Daniel; Luz Cardona y Horacio Ortiz. (2018). “Violación de derechos humanos en México. Un costo poco advertido de la corrupción” en revista Política y Gobierno. México: CIDE. Vol. XXV. No. 1. Primer semestre. Pp. 153 – 184.
• Peters A.,  ‘Corruption as a Violation of International Human Rights’ (2018)  European Journal of International Law, 29 (4) 1251, https://academic.oup.com/ejil/article/29/4/1251/5320164.
• Rose, C., ‘The limitations of a human rights approach to corruption’ (2016). International and Comparative Law Quarterly 65(2) 405.
• OHCHR, ‘Best practices to counter the negative impact of corruption on the enjoyment of all human rights. Report of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights’ A HRC 32/22 (15 April 2016), https://digitallibrary.un.org/record/841796?ln=en.
• UPR.info, ‘The Butterfly Effect. Spreading good practices of UPR implementation’ (2016), https://www.upr-info.org/sites/default/files/documents/2016-11/2016_the_butterfly_effect.pdf.
• HRC Advisory Committee, ‘Final report of the Human Rights Council Advisory Committee on the issue of the negative impact of corruption on the enjoyment of human rights’ (2015), https://www.ohchr.org/en/documents/reports/final-report-human-rights-council-advisory-committee-issue-negative-impact.
• UPR.info, ‘Follow-up to the Universal Periodic Review. Information for NGOs’ (2015), https://www.upr.info/sites/default/files/documents/2015-01/upr_info_fs4_follow-up_e.pdf.
• De Beco G. ‘Monitoring corruption from a human rights perspective’ (2011). The International Journal of Human Rights, 15 (7) 1107.
• Bacio Terracino J., ‘Corruption as a violation of human rights’, (International Council on Human Rights Policy 2008), https://ssrn.com/abstract=1107918
• UNODC, ‘Challenges faced and best practices applied by States in integrating human rights into their national strategies and policies to fight against corruption, including those addressing non-State actors, such as the private sector’ https://www.ohchr.org/sites/default/files/Documents/Issues/Corruption/Challenges/UNODC.pdf.
• UNODC, ‘Module 7: Corruption and Human Rights’ (Knowledge tools for academics and professionals. Module Series on Anti-Corruption) https://grace.unodc.org/grace/uploads/documents/academics/Anti-Corruption_Module_7_Corruption_and_Human_Rights.pdf.
• CCPR, ‘How to engage with the UN Human Rights Mechanisms in practice’. https://ccprcentre.org/files/media/FAQ_and_mechanisms_How_to_engage2.pdf.

 

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UNCAC Coalition Guidelines and Etiquette

Please have a look at our Guidelines and Etiquette, which apply to all conversations and the exchange of information within this group and its email list. By being part of this group, you agree that you have read and will follow the guidelines set for the Gender, Inclusion & Corruption group and its email list.