First resumed eleventh session of the Implementation Review Group (11th IRG)

Vienna, 31 August – 2 September 2020

Image: some rights reserved, Flickr / UK in Austria

The 11th session of the Implementation Review Group (IRG) for the UN Convention against Corruption (UNCAC) took place between 29 June – 1 July 2020 (originally scheduled for 8 to 10 June 2020). Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the 11th session was held in a virtual format.

The thematic focus of the eleventh session of the IRG was on prevention, as well as criminalisation and law enforcement. The agenda item “Technical assistance” was postponed to the first resumed eleventh session of the IRG to be held on 31 August and 1 September 2020.

The Briefing for NGOs, originally scheduled to take place in June, was moved to take place on the sidelines of the first resumed 11th session of the IRG on 1 September 2020 between 1:15 pm and 3:00 pm.

Written Submissions by the UNCAC Coalition

NGO Briefing

The IRG sessions are open to UNCAC States Parties and intergovernmental organisations. Civil society organisations have not been permitted to participate as observers, due to opposition from a small but influential group of countries. This is problematic and inconsistent with international human rights standards, Goal 16 of the Sustainable Development Goals and with transparency and participation standards in the Convention itself.

Instead of including civil society representatives in its meetings, since 2011, the IRG holds a Briefing for non-governmental organisations (NGOs). During this briefing, UNODC provides representatives of civil society organisations with information on the status of the review process and review discussions, and there is also an opportunity for those representatives to ask questions and make presentations on key issues to the government representatives who also attend the meeting.

Oral statements

During the NGO briefing, statements and interventions were made by several representatives of the UNCAC Coalition and its member organisations, as well as by other civil society representatives, including by

Mathias Huter, Managing Director, UNCAC Coalition (Statement)
Helen Darbishire, Chair of the UNCAC Coalition & Executive Director of Access Info Europe
Gillian Dell, Head of Conventions, Transparency International and member of the UNCAC Coalition board (Statement)
David Ugolor, Executive Director, ANEEJ