"Forum for Civil Society and Private Sector", Conference of States Parties to UNCAC (11 December 2006, Jordan)
During the Conference of States Parties to the UN Convention Against Corruption taking place in Jordan from 10-14 December, the Global Compact jointly with Transparency International, the International Chamber of Commerce, the World Economic Forum Partnering against Corruption Initiatives was invited to organize a Forum on Civil Society and Private Sector. At the Forum, existing initiatives of civil society and the private sector on anti-corruption on a voluntary basis were presented and a joint declaration on the UN Convention Against Corruption was drafted. The final declaration was presented to government delegates by Francois Vincke, Chairman of the Anti-Corruption Commission of the International Chamber of Commerce, on behalf of private sector attendees.
600 ministers, policymakers and representatives from business and civil society gathered at a Dead Sea resort in Jordan to discuss progress made since the convention went into force December 2005, including compliance and monitoring and technical aid to build up the ability of countries to beat back corruption. The convention is the first legally binding, anti-corruption instrument that is global in scope, and deals with corruption in government and business. To date, 140 countries have signed it and 80 have ratified it.
Business has played an active role in the consultative process leading up to the signing of UNCAC and the declaration encourages all signatory countries to work towards its rapid ratification and transposition into national law, with a view to achieve its implementation as an economic reality. The final private sector declaration calls for a full monitoring program, based on self-evaluation and peer reviews to be overseen by an independent secretariat, participation of private sector and civil society in the monitoring process. Special consideration must be given to the Convention’s pillar on "Preventive Measures" since without proper institutions, such as a fair and functioning criminal justice system, anti-corruption bodies, and a growing anti-corruption culture among the public and private sectors, there is no hope of seeing the Convention bring about change.
From a business perspective, UNCAC holds the potential to become the global framework for combating corruption which will pave the way for the establishment of a level playing field for all market participants. A key objective of UNCAC is to bring a higher degree of uniformity in the formulation and application of anti-corruption rules across the world. For companies doing business in multiple jurisdictions, this will help improve legal certainty and facilitate their global compliance efforts, thereby allowing them to fully compete in open markets without being exposed to extortion or unfair practices by their competitors.
