Portada de la Convención de las Naciones Unidas contra la Corrupción

CORRUPTION

THE CHALLENGE

At a global level, corruption and related economic crimes are impacting the socio-political stability and economic prosperity of countries, hindering the effective implementation of the 2030 Agenda and its Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Corruption in Central America and the Caribbean jeopardizes peace, security, development, and the achievement of human rights. It erodes the ability of national authorities to effectively provide basic services such as health, education, and justice, destroying the population's trust in public and private institutions. Therefore, corruption remains a significant obstacle to the region's development as it undermines democratic institutions, hampers economic growth, contributes to governmental instability, and fuels organized crime and insecurity.

Lanzamiento de Plataforma Regional para Acelerar la Implementación de la Convención de las Naciones Unidas contra la Corrupción en Centroamérica.Roatán, Honduras, abril de 2023

Launch of Regional Platform to Accelerate the Implementation of the United Nations Convention against Corruption in Central America. Roatán, Honduras, April 2023.

Organized crime organizations operating in Central America and the Caribbean thrive in environments affected by corruption and marked by a lack of transparency, oversight, and accountability, relying heavily on corruption to facilitate illicit operations and avoid interference from security authorities and judicial officials. Corruption is both the cause and consequence of many illicit activities in the region, including drug trafficking, arms trafficking, organ trafficking, trafficking of cultural goods, human trafficking and migrant smuggling, extortion, crimes against wildlife, and flora, among others.

What do we do?

Taller preparatorio para la segunda ronda del mecanismo de examen de la aplicación de la Convención de Naciones Unidas contra la Corrupción.El Salvador, abril de 2023.

Preparatory Workshop for the Second Round of the Mechanism for the Review of the Implementation of the United Nations Convention against Corruption. El Salvador, April 2023.

Preventing and combating corruption requires a broad and multidisciplinary approach. Recognizing this, the United Nations Convention against Corruption (UNCAC) covers five main areas: prevention, criminalization and law enforcement measures, international cooperation, asset recovery, and technical assistance and information exchange.

As the only universal and legally binding instrument against corruption, UNCAC has great potential as a framework for preventing and combating corruption. Therefore, the Convention is the backbone of national and international initiatives against corruption, as it promotes the implementation and application of common standards and best practices. In addition to its broad scope, UNCAC recognizes that effective efforts against corruption require the participation of different branches of the public sector, as well as civil society and the private sector.

To support the efforts of the States Parties in implementing the UNCAC and to develop national and regional capacities to effectively prevent and combat corruption, UNODC provides technical assistance aimed at:

Strengthening and designing anti-corruption policies, legislation, and strategies in line with the recommendations from UNCAC country reviews.
Supporting the strengthening of anti-corruption authorities and enhancing national capacity to prevent, investigate, prosecute, and adjudicate corruption.
Promoting preventive measures, such as asset disclosure by public officials and enhancing integrity and accountability in law enforcement and criminal justice systems.
Raising awareness among youth and the general public, especially through anti-corruption education and investigative journalism.
Reinforcing national and international cooperation through regional anti-corruption networks, particularly among anti-corruption authorities in Central America and the Caribbean and across the continent.
Generating knowledge products on the phenomenon of corruption, such as publications, reports, research, and other practical tools.

Regional Platform to Accelerate the Implementation of the UNCAC in Central America

The launch of the Regional Platform to Accelerate the Implementation of the United Nations Convention against Corruption (UNCAC) in Central America took place from April 25th to 27th, 2023, in Honduras. The platform aims to identify areas of opportunity in existing efforts to implement the UNCAC, enhance technical assistance provided, and implement practical reforms in the field.
This launch concluded with the adoption of a roadmap for the work of the States in the region around five thematic areas over the next three years:

Integrity systems in the public sector;
Transparency and integrity in public procurement;
Prevention of corruption in the private sector;
Reporting corruption and protection for whistleblowers and witnesses;
Investigation, prosecution, and international cooperation in corruption cases.

Additionally, it includes, in a cross-cutting manner, the perspectives of human rights and gender equality, as well as the use of technology to promote transparency, access to information, and accountability.

This initiative aligns with UNODC's Strategic Vision for Latin America and the Caribbean, which prioritizes the fight against corruption and economic crimes as the first of its investment areas and priority lines of work, favoring a regional approach adapted to the local context.

Implemented with the support of the United States Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs (INL), the Central America Regional Platform is the second of its kind in the region, following the establishment of the Platform for South America and Mexico.

Both platforms are accompanied by UNODC's Anti-Corruption Hub for Latin America and the Caribbean, established in 2021 to respond to the growing requests for guidance, technical support, and capacity development among the Member States, as well as the need to promote coordination and synergies among regional anti-corruption initiatives.

Portada de la hoja de ruta de la Plataforma Regional para Acelerar la Implementación de la UNCAC en Centroamérica

Portada de la hoja de ruta de la Plataforma Regional para Acelerar la Implementación de la UNCAC en el Caribe

The Caribbean

The Regional Platform to Accelerate the Implementation of the United Nations Convention against Corruption (UNCAC) in the Caribbean was held in Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago, from October 9th to 11th, 2023.

The event brought together representatives from Antigua and Barbuda, Bahamas, Belize, Dominica, Grenada, Guyana (as an observer), Jamaica, Saint Lucia, and Trinidad and Tobago. Promoting a spirit of collaboration, representatives from civil society, the private sector, and regional and international partners, including the Caribbean Community Implementation Agency for Crime and Security (CARICOM IMPACS), actively contributed to the discussions.

The adoption of a regional approach to accelerate the implementation of the UNCAC is supported by Resolution 9/4 of the ninth session of the Conference of the States Parties to the UNCAC. This approach emphasizes the importance of adapting measures that reflect local contexts. It also allows Caribbean countries to leverage regional expertise and successful practices in combating corruption, helping to increase the effectiveness of their efforts to prevent, detect, and punish corrupt acts.

During the conference, participants shared best practices and assessed ways to collectively address the region's specific challenges in advancing the implementation of the UNCAC and the Inter-American Convention against Corruption.

As a result, a roadmap was developed and adopted to guide their work over the next three years, which includes objectives and activities around four thematic areas: 1) stronger anticorruption legal and institutional frameworks; 2) transparency and accountability in public procurement and integrity in business; 3) whistleblower channels and protection for whistleblowers; and 4) investigation and prosecution of corruption and money laundering.

RESOURCES

United Nations Convention against Corruption

Mechanism for the Review of Implementation of the United Nations Convention against Corruption

Other documents, publications, and tools

CAMPAIGN

United Nations

UNODC ROPAN