Vienna, 28 August 2024 – Think of the global fight against corruption as a collaborative effort where every country, organization and individual plays a crucial role. While the UN Convention against Corruption serves as the global standard for preventing and combating corruption, its Conference of the States Parties (CoSP) serves as a central hub for making key decisions, identifying effective strategies and advancing our shared goals. The work of its subsidiary bodies, like the Implementation Review Group and the Working Group on Prevention, is essential as they bring together delegates in Vienna, Austria, to ensure that these strategies are not just discussed but implemented effectively. Learn why these gatherings are pivotal in shaping the future of global anti-corruption efforts.
To better understand the work of the Implementation Review Group and the Working Group on Prevention, it may be helpful to first zoom out and provide a broader perspective.
Many international treaties create their own intergovernmental bodies to oversee the treaty implementation and facilitate cooperation among participating countries.
For the United Nations Convention against Corruption, such a body is the Conference of the States Parties (CoSP).
Over time and with the near universal ratification of 191 States parties as of September 2024, CoSP has evolved into the most significant anti-corruption gathering in the world, becoming instrumental in driving positive change and addressing emerging corruption-related challenges. It is a pivotal platform for representatives of countries, international organizations, civil society organizations, and other anti-corruption experts and advocates to come together. The last session of the Conference (CoSP10) took place in Atlanta, USA in December 2023, and the next one (CoSP11) will take place in Doha, Qatar in 2025.
Given the wide range of topics the Convention covers, CoSP decided to establish several subsidiary bodies to function as expert working groups examining specific areas in greater detail and on a more frequent basis. These bodies offer guidance to the Conference, striving to stay informed about new developments and challenges and creating a space for countries to share lessons learned and good practices. There are currently four such subsidiary bodies of CoSP, and their names already indicate the specific area they focus on:
One of the unique features of the Convention is that CoSP launched in 2009 an elaborate mechanism, called the “Implementation Review Mechanism” (IRM), to identify gaps and good practices in implementing the Convention. The Mechanism is based on peer reviews, where two countries review the implementation by a third country.
The Implementation Review Group oversees the IRM and meets twice or sometimes even three times per year for discussions.
The IRG is currently assisting CoSP in designing the next phase of the IRM, as the current phase is nearing its completion.
At the session in August/September 2024, the IRG will brainstorm the scope, thematic sequence and practical details of the next review phase. You can read several background documents prepared by UNODC here, collecting views and analysing different aspects of the new phase.
Alongside the main meeting, there will also be a dedicated session for non-governmental organizations dealing with anti-corruption issues (NGO Briefing) to help promote constructive dialogue and drive effective solutions.
As the name suggests, this subsidiary body focuses on the diverse measures that can help to effectively prevent corruption. It meets once a year, delving into emerging trends, challenges and opportunities in this area.
At the session in September 2024, the WGP will examine several timely topics, including:
You can read background papers prepared by UNODC as the secretariat on the different topics here.
As with every global challenge, sharing experiences at the international level and building a collective pool of knowledge is key. The world evolves and so do the challenges. To effectively combat corruption, countries need to remain vigilant and monitor and address emerging trends.
The IRG and WGP have created important expert forums for the identification of new challenges and opportunities. Their findings and recommendations are presented to CoSP for further action, and provide important guidance for countries on institutional, legal and policy reforms.
