All times below are Sharm El-Sheikh time (EET).
El Wadi | Organizer: Kuwait Anticorruption Authority (Nazaha)
The event underlined the importance of cooperation between different sectors in preventing corruption and showcased the experience of Kuwait in fighting corruption. The event focused on the Anti-corruption Commission (Nazaha)'s role in promoting integrity and anti-corruption in cooperation with the public/private sectors and civil society. It highlighted some of the main areas of its mandate, notably on asset disclosures, conflict of interest and complaints mechanisms. Speakers included the President of Kuwait Anti-Corruption Commission, Mr. Abdulaziz Al Ibrahim, and the Secretary-General, Dr. Mohammad Buzubar.
El Fayrouz | Organizer: Indonesia | Co-organizer: Australia
The event raised awareness of the comprehensive work undertaken by G20 to facilitate cooperation in the global fight against corruption and identify opportunities for stakeholders to collaborate on shared priorities. The side event highlighted the necessity of promoting a multi-stakeholder approach to preventing and combating corruption by strengthening partnerships with international organizations, individuals and groups outside the public sector. Panellists emphasized that G20, and by extension its Anti-corruption Working Group, offers a platform for developing and enhancing non-state actors' engagement in the fight against corruption when global challenges are too complex to be solved in isolation. Indonesia and Australia jointly organized the side event as G20 ACWG Co-Chairs in 2022.
Ste Catherine | Organizer: UNODC Corruption and Economic Crime Branch
The event focused on key transparency and accountability measures that States parties could take to prepare for future emergencies in line with the forward-looking commitments related to crisis response and recovery outlined in the UNGASS political declaration. The event brought together representatives of national anti-corruption authorities, public procurement bodies and oversight institutions to discuss ongoing challenges, good practices and emergency preparedness measures in the context of the continuing COVID-19 pandemic.
Nile Valley | Organizer: SADC, Malawi | Co-organizer: Angola, Namibia, South Africa
While all countries in Southern Africa have ratified the United Nations Convention against Corruption, challenges remain with regard to its implementation, particularly concerning the effective and timely implementation of the recommendations emanating from the UNCAC Implementation Review Mechanism. The event sought to discuss and identify future areas of collaboration and coordination in implementing the Convention and the SADC Protocol against Corruption. It explored different areas of international cooperation, notably in the framework of the regional platform created in Southern Africa to fast-track UNCAC implementation. The panellists encouraged international exchanges on the strategies and best practices of preventing corruption by exploring effective measures adopted by anti-corruption and law enforcement in bodies to prevent and tackle corruption in the times of COVID-19 on mechanisms for protecting whistle-blowers and addressing corruption risks in public procurement.
El Wadi | Organizer: China | Co-organizer: UNODC
Participants of the event shared their experience in international anti-corruption cooperation focusing on extradition and asset recovery. The difficulties and challenges faced by the international community to cooperate on combating corruption were explored, along with practical measures and approaches to overcome those challenges. Panellists called on countries to fully implement the United Nations Convention against Corruption and the Political Declaration of the UN General Assembly Special Session against Corruption (UNGASS 2021) and encouraged governments to honour their commitments to deny safe haven to the corrupt and the proceeds of corruption, by actively participating in the Global Operational Network of Anti-Corruption Law Enforcement Authorities (GlobE).
El Fayrouz | Organizer: UNODC Civil Society Unit | Co-organizer: Regional Anti-corruption Initiative (RAI)
The event 'Southeast Europe together Against Corruption' emphasized the importance of the cooperation between the public sector and individuals and groups outside the public sector in preventing and combatting corruption. The event was organized under the auspice of the Regional Programme "Southeast Europe – Together Against Corruption (SEE-TAC)" implemented by the Regional Anti-Corruption Initiative and UNODC with the support of the Austrian Development Cooperation. It provided a platform for stakeholders from across the SEE region to engage in meaningful conversations about the best avenues for cooperation and partnerships. Panellists explored the added value of the multi-stakeholder workshops on the Convention, the need to exchange data related to asset disclosure and conflict of interest and the relevant endeavours in the region, which could be replicated and extended to the other parts of the word.
Ste Catherine | Organizer: Basel Institute on Governance | Co-organizer: Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation (NORAD)
The event "Anti-corruption prosecutors under attack", organized by the Basel Institute on Governance and Norway on behalf of the Corruption Hunter Network, explored how specific manipulative tactics and corrupt acts may undermine the vital role played by anti-corruption prosecutors in the fight against corruption. By hearing first-hand accounts of prosecutors, the session raised awareness of the threat such actions pose to the effectiveness of UNCAC. It gave a voice to these front-line defenders and discussed measures that different stakeholders may take to protect prosecutors better.
ONLINE ONLY | Organizer: Council of Europe
The panel discussed the trends and developments related to corruption, which have occurred in the last decade. As the world evolves rapidly, so do the measures in preventing and fighting corruption. Are we effective in preventing and combating it, or is it worsening? As States are trying to strengthen their anti-corruption efforts, perpetrators try to find new ways to overcome them.
El Fayrouz | Organizer: UNCAC Coalition | Co-organizes: Switzerland, Honduras
The event was held in the form of an interactive exchange, discussed avenues to strengthen the effectiveness, transparency, and inclusiveness of the UNCAC IRM, and presented good practices and challenges to civil society involvement in the IRM country reviews under the Convention. Speakers presented ideas for the future of the mechanism and ways to realize the UNGASS commitments "to fully and effectively follow up on the conclusions and observations from the review process" and "to further harness its potential".
ONLINE ONLY | Organizer: UNODC Corruption and Economic Crime Branch
Multi-stakeholder partnerships, including civil society and the private sector, are critical to global financial integrity efforts. Focusing on the collaboration with the private sector, representatives from the Financial Action Task Force, the Wolfsberg Group, Standard Chartered, the MUFG Bank and UNODC discussed the importance of robust AML/CFT frameworks and tools, mitigating risks, and putting in place internal anti-bribery and corruption controls. The round table also allowed participants to discuss the private sector's main challenges in fighting money laundering and terrorist financing associated with corruption and identifying corrupt assets.
Nile Valley | Organizer: UNODC Corruption and Economic Crime Branch
The event took stock of the activities of the Expert group meeting on corruption and international investments organized in line with the request of the Conference in its resolution 8/9 and presented the perspective work plan for the future work of this forum together with UNCTAD.
El Wadi | Organizer: Angola | Co-organizers: Brazil, Portugal
Considering the importance of asset recovery and the commitments resulting from the UNGASS 2021 Political Declaration on this matter, the event emphasized the need to effectively address requests of mutual legal assistance related to non-conviction-based asset forfeiture in either criminal, civil or administrative proceedings. To this end, panellists of Portuguese-speaking countries compared legal frameworks and shared good practices to strengthen global efforts to prevent corruption, sanction acts of corruption and recover proceeds of corruption in accordance with UNCAC.
El Fayrouz | Organizer: UNODC Regional Office for West and Central Africa / CRIMJUST | Co-organizers: UNODC AIRCOP, European Union, G5 Sahel
Border areas are susceptible when it comes to transnational crime and trafficking. Their efficient management is essential to prevent and fight crime. However, efficiency and effectiveness are difficult to achieve in the absence of high personal, institutional integrity and accountability standards. Examples of UNODC initiatives such as CRIMJUST and AIRCOP, as well as corruption risk management exercises within customs services and the experience of the G5 Sahel, allowed for an in-depth reflection on the importance of integrating an anti-corruption perspective in border management to promote enhanced institutional integrity and accountability for effective border management.
Ste Catherine | Organizer: UNODC Civil Society Unit | Co-organizer: United Kingdom
UNODC (Civil Society Unit), together with UK FCDO, has been supporting regional civil society networks since 2017, focusing on Latin America, South East Asia, Eastern and Southern Africa to support the implementation of the Convention. In 2021, regional coordinators conducted an in-depth analysis to assess contributions and provide future recommendations for continuing the work of the regional platforms. Perspectives from two regions were presented during the event. Representatives of the civil society and government from Mexico spoke of their constructive partnership in the framework of the Implementation Review Mechanism.
