Countering Corruption

Corruption is one of the major issues that inter alia diverts funds away from sustainable and equitable growth, undermines governments' ability to provide basic services, feeds inequality and injustice, contributes to marginalization and radicalization, and discourages foreign investment. UNODC ROEA provides expertise and technical assistance to Member States in line with the provisions of the United Nations Convention against Corruption (UNCAC). The objective is to improve governments' capacity to implement policies and laws and develop institutions to prevent and sanction corruption. More specifically, assistance focuses on building strategic, tactical and operational capacities of specialized anti-corruption bodies; enhancing integrity, accountability and transparency in the private and public sectors, including the management of public resources, and supporting relevant government institutions in the recovery of assets, domestically and at the international level.

Expected Outcomes Pillar II: Countering Corruption

1.0

Member States actively and effectively participate in and follow up on the Implementation Review Mechanism of UNCAC

2.0

Member States, assisted by UNODC, have increased capacity for implementation of all chapters of the UNCAC

UNODC works closely with the East African Association of Anti-Corruption Agencies (EAAACA) and the Commonwealth African Anti-Corruption Center. Furthermore, ROEA has also worked extensively with the Stolen Asset Recovery Initiative (STAR) to build partnerships at national and regional level with UNDP and other United Nations partners. The UNCAC Implementation Review Mechanism (IRM) will continue, supported by UNODC global programming as well as UNODC ROEA Pillar II. The second cycle of the IRM which focuses on corruption prevention and asset recovery runs from 2016-2021. The following table shows the status of the first cycle reviews for each Country in the ROEA region and when each of these Countries will be reviewed during the second cycle.

Country

Date of ratification/accession

Status of first cycle review

Year of second cycle review

Burundi

March 2006

Complete

2016/7

Comoros

October 2012

Completion expected 2017

2018/9

Djibouti

September 2004

Completion expected 2016

2017/8

Eritrea

Not yet

N/A

 

Ethiopia

November 2007

Complete

2019/20

Kenya

December 2003

Complete

2017/8

Madagascar

September 2004

Complete

2020/21

Mauritius

December 2004

Complete

2016/7

Rwanda

October 2006

Complete

2020/21

Seychelles

March 2006

Complete

2019/20

Somalia

Not yet

N/A

 

Tanzania

May 2005

 Complete

2017/8

Uganda

Uganda 2004

Complete

2018/9

The anti-corruption pillar will retain its focus on Somalia, where anti-corruption activities under the National Development Plan which succeeds the New Deal will be expanded. Also, in cooperation with UNDP under the One UN Tanzania framework, existing ad hoc anti-corruption support will be developed into a more comprehensive Programme. This support will be extended into other countries as the opportunity arises. Depending on the availability of funding, the placement of specialized anti-corruption expertise in ROEA and Member States will be undertaken.       

Corruption impacts virtually every sphere of activity in both the public and private sectors in the region. The RP will aim to address corruption concerns across all thematic pillars and will continue to support anti-corruption initiatives as part of judicial or police reform Programmes, in prisons and in the natural resource sector. The extension of anti-corruption support to other UNODC thematic areas will contribute to the overall Programme outcome of achieving increased synergies between pillars.