The Global Compact and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC)
The United
Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) is the UN Office with the exclusive mandate to counter
illicit drug trafficking, crime and terrorism worldwide. The work carried out by UNODC rests on
three pillars – research, a strong legal framework and an operational response. Under the second
pillar, UNODC is the custodian and promoter of three drug control conventions, five crime-related
treaties – including the UN Convention against Corruption (UNCAC) – and sixteen universal legal
instruments against terrorism.
The UN General Assembly, through Resolution 58/4, has given UNODC the mandate to serve as the
Secretariat of the Conference of the State Parties, the body designated by the treaty to promote
the implementation of UNCAC. The Convention was adopted by the General Assembly in October 2003 and
entered into force on 14 December 2005. UNCAC is the first legally binding, global anti-corruption
instrument which provides a unique opportunity to prevent and fight corruption in both public and
private sectors. It contains comprehensive measures to prevent and criminalize corruption and to
foster international cooperation among states.
While mandated to facilitate the intergovernmental process related to the Convention, UNODC
has launched a number of parallel efforts motivated by the recognition that fighting corruption is
a shared, society-wide responsibility. To this purpose, UNODC is fostering a broad dialogue in the
framework of the Conference of the State Parties, representing a wide range of stakeholders,
including the private sector.
The Global Compact’s 10th principle on anti-corruption was adopted during the first Global
Compact Leaders Summit in June 2004. It was decided that the Convention would serve as its
underlying legal instrument and that UNODC should be its guardian. For this purpose, UNODC has been
working closely with the Global Compact Office in advancing the 10th principle. UNODC provides
guidance and strategic direction to the Global Compact and its participants by highlighting the
relevance of the Convention to business. In addition UNDOC has been supporting an ongoing effort to
involve the private sector in the facilitation of the implementation of the Convention.
UNODC has further been co-hosting the Global Compact Working Group on the 10th principle
since its inception in January 2005, assisting companies in strengthening their role related to the
Convention. In addition, UNODC is involved in the development of tools for implementation of the
10th principle, the organization of various regional workshops and participates in various
task-forces of the Working Group.
Contact:
United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime
Vienna International Centre
Vienna, Austria
www.unodc.org
