Transparency and justice are crucial elements of democracy. There has been, however, a global decline in justice and the rule of law since 2016. The latest Corruption Perceptions Index released by Transparency International shows that only 28 of the 180 countries measured by this assessment have improved their corruption levels over the last twelve years and 34 countries have significantly worsened. Despite progress made across the planet in criminalizing corruption, corruption levels remain stagnant globally.
To address the consistent decline of justice and impunity for “grand corruption”, senior figures from the worlds of politics, the judiciary, and civil society have been calling for creating an International Anti-Corruption Court (IACC) which could hold kleptocrats accountable when national governments are unable or unwilling to do so.
Integrity Initiatives International (III) is a nonprofit nongovernmental organization incorporated in the US, and with Africa-based team members leading this effort. III is catalyzing and coordinating a rapidly growing network of individuals and organizations in the emerging international campaign for an IACC. Democracy Without Borders has supported the efforts since their launch in 2021. Significant progress on the path to establishing the court has been made since, in particular in recent months.
Numerous governments committed and interested
Canada, Ecuador, Moldova, the Netherlands, and Nigeria have already affirmed that they will work towards creation of the Court, Ian J. Lynch, the Managing Director of III told us. More recently, The Democratic Republic of the Congo, The Gambia, and Rwanda have said that they support the idea in principle.
In May 2024, Shadow Foreign Secretary David Lammy reaffirmed the UK Labour Party’s commitment to the IACC at an event held at the Institute for Public Policy Research in London. With the Labour Party’s election victory two months later and Lammy becoming Foreign Secretary, the push for the IACC is expected to gain momentum in the UK. Former Conservative Member of Parliament John Penrose has also endorsed the initiative and actively campaigns for it, emphasizing the need for a non-political solution to international corruption.
According to Lynch, several dozen other countries are interested in the idea and are waiting to see the draft treaty that III is working on this year with a pro bono group of more than seventy leading international judges, lawyers, scholars, and other experts.
Campaign continues advocacy
The IACC campaign has seen a surge in support from former heads of state, government officials, and Nobel laureates. In April 2024, 32 Nobel laureates endorsed the IACC initiative, highlighting the urgent need for innovative anti-corruption tools. More than 50 former heads of state and government have also signed the Declaration calling for creation of the court.
The UN Civil Society Conference in Nairobi in May 2024 was used as a platform for launching around twenty so-called ImPACT coalitions ahead of the UN’s Summit of the Future in September. One of these coalitions, spearheaded by III, is devoted to advancing the cause of anIACC. In Nairobi, prominent figures, including former Prime Minister of Mali Moussa Mara and Sheila Masinde, Executive Director of Transparency International Kenya, called for the establishment of the IACC to boost accountability for grand corruption.
III’s advocacy efforts continued with a panel at the International Bar Association’s Anti-Corruption Conference in Paris on June 13, 2024, and participation in Transparency International’s International Anti-Corruption Conference in Vilnius on June 17, 2024.
Base in The Hague
June 12, 2024, marked the official launch of III Europe in The Hague. Maja Groff, Senior Treaty Advisor for III Europe, stressed the significance of this move in strengthening laws against grand corruption. The Hague, known as the city of peace and justice, is already home to numerous international courts and tribunals, making it an ideal location for III Europe. Lynch noted, however, that this does not imply the IACC should be located in The Hague as well. “That is one possibility but there are many ideas”, he said.
III’s strategy to combat corruption encompasses legislative advocacy, youth empowerment, and international collaboration. Their efforts are crucial in fostering a world where integrity and accountability are the standard, not the exception. Grand corruption poses one of the greatest threats to the health of democracies worldwide, which is why organizations such as Democracy Without Borders endorse the IACC project.
Manche Rechte vorbehalten: Nutzungsbedingungen für Inhalte dieser Website.