United Nations Convention Against Corruption
United Nations Convention Against Corruption
The United Nations Convention Against Corruption (UNCAC) is the first legally binding global anticorruption instrument. The Convention was adopted by the General Assembly in October 2003 and came into force in December 2005. To date, 189 countries have become States Parties to the UNCAC.
The UNCAC adopts preventive and enforcement measures, including mandatory requirements to penalize corrupt behavior. The Convention also reflects the transnational nature of corruption, providing an international legal basis for international cooperation and asset recovery.
The Convention also establishes, through Article 61, the need to collect, exchange and analyze information on corruption. States Parties are urged to analyze trends in corruption in their territory, as well as the circumstances in which corruption offenses are committed. UNCAC also calls for the development and exchange of statistics, definitions, standards and methodologies, as well as the monitoring and evaluation of anticorruption policies and measures.
