Background of the United Nations Convention against Corruption

In its resolution 55/61 of 4 December 2000, the General Assembly recognized that an effective international legal instrument against corruption, independent of the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime (resolution 55/25, annex I) was desirable and decided to establish an ad hoc committee for the negotiation of such an instrument in Vienna at the headquarters of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime.

The text of the United Nations Convention against Corruption was negotiated during seven sessions of the Ad Hoc Committee for the Negotiation of the Convention against Corruption, held between 21 January 2002 and 1 October 2003.

The Convention approved by the Ad Hoc Committee was adopted by the General Assembly by resolution 58/4 of 31 October 2003. The General Assembly, in its resolution 57/169 of 18 December 2002, accepted the offer of the Government of Mexico to host a high-level political signing conference in Merida for the purpose of signing the United Nations Convention against Corruption.

In accordance with article 68 (1) of resolution 58/4, the United Nations Convention against Corruption entered into force on 14 December 2005. A Conference of the States Parties is established to review implementation and facilitate activities required by the Convention.

Text of the United Nations Convention against Corruption

Convention highlights

Prevention

Corruption can be prosecuted after the fact, but first and foremost, it requires prevention. An entire chapter of the Convention is dedicated to prevention, with measures directed at both the public and private sectors. These include model preventive policies, such as the establishment of anticorruption bodies and enhanced transparency in the financing of election campaigns and political parties. States must endeavour to ensure that their public services are subject to safeguards...

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Criminalization

The Convention requires countries to establish criminal and other offences to cover a wide range of acts of corruption, if these are not already crimes under domestic law. In some cases, States are legally obliged to establish offences; in other cases, in order to take into account differences in domestic law, they are required to consider doing so. The Convention goes beyond previous instruments of this kind, criminalizing not only basic forms of corruption...

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International cooperation

Countries agreed to cooperate with one another in every aspect of the fight against corruption, including prevention, investigation, and the prosecution of offenders. Countries are bound by the Convention to render specific forms of mutual legal assistance in gathering and transferring evidence for use in court...

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Asset recovery

In a major breakthrough, countries agreed on asset-recovery, which is stated explicitly as a fundamental principle of the Convention. This is a particularly important issue for many developing countries where high-level corruption has plundered the national wealth, and where resources are badly needed for reconstruction and the rehabilitation of societies...

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Signature/ratification status

The Convention entered into force on 14 December 2005, in accordance with its article 68 (1). For each new State or regional economic integration organization becoming a party to the Convention, the Convention enters into force on the thirtieth day after the date of deposit by such State or organization of the relevant instrument. 

Status: Signatories: 140 ,Parties: 146.

Authoritative status information on treaties deposited with the Secretary-General of the United Nations, including the United Nations Convention against Corruption, is available on the United Nations Treaty Collection.

[Link to Full Status Page]

Conference of the States Parties to the United Nations Convention against Corruption

Implementation Review Group of the United Nations Convention against Corruption

At its third session, held in Doha from 9 to 13 November 2009. the Conference of the States Parties to the United Nations Convention against Corruption adopted resolution 3/1, entitled "Review mechanism". In that resolution, the Conference recalled article 63 of the United Nations Convention against Corruption, especially paragraph 7, according to which the Conference should establish, if it deemed it necessary, any appropriate mechanism or body to assist in the effective implementation of the Convention.

In the same resolution, the Conference adopted, subject to the provisions of the present resolution, the terms of reference of the Mechanism for the Review of Implementation of the United Nations Convention against Corruption...

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Open-ended Intergovernmental Working Group on Asset Recovery

At its first session, held in Amman from 10 to 14 December 2006, the Conference of the States Parties to the United Nations Convention against Corruption adopted resolution 1/4 entitled "Establishment of an intergovernmental working group on asset recovery". In that resolution, the Conference decided to establish an interim open-ended intergovernmental working group, in accordance with article 63, paragraph 4, of the United Nations Convention against Corruption and rule 2, paragraph 2, of the rules of procedure of the Conference, to advise and assist it in the implementation of its mandate on the return of proceeds of corruption.

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Open-ended Intergovernmental Working Group on Prevention

At its third session, held in Doha from 9 to 13 November 2009, the Conference of the States Parties to the United Nations Convention against Corruption adopted resolution 3/2 entitled "Preventive measures". In that resolution, the Conference decided to establish an interim open-ended intergovernmental working group, in accordance with article 63, paragraph 7, of the Convention, and rule 2, paragraph 2, of the rules of procedure of the Conference of the States Parties, to advise and assist the Conference in the implementation of its mandate on the prevention of corruption.

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Pilot Review Programme

Article 63 of the United Nations Convention against Corruption (UNCAC) establishes a Conference of the States Parties with a mandate to, inter alia, promote and review the implementation of the Convention. At its first session, held in Jordan in December 2006, the Conference of the States Parties agreed that it was necessary to establish an appropriate and effective mechanism to assist in the review of the implementation of the Convention (resolution 1/1). The Conference also requested the Secretariat to assist parties in their efforts to collect and provide information on their self-assessment and their analysis of implementation efforts and to report on those efforts to the Conference...

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Meetings of the Open-ended Intergovernmental Working Group on Review of the Implementation of the United Nations Convention against Corruption

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Meetings of the Open-ended Intergovernmental Working Group on Technical Assistance

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Preparatory and negotiating sessions of the Ad Hoc Committee for the Negotiation of a Convention against Corruption

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