About Corruption

What is Corruption?

“Corruption undermines everything the law enforcement community works towards. It impoverishes whole communities, and threatens the safety and security of the many for the benefit of a very few” - INTERPOL Secretary General Ronald K. Noble
Corruption is a multifaceted phenomenon supported by differing historical and socio-economic conditions in each country. It exists at all levels of society. Although in the past it could have been considered a largely domestic issue, corruption now often transcends national boundaries. Its consequences are global; its hidden costs immense.
The private sector has responded by implementing ethics and compliance standards and regulations, while the public sector benefits from the ratification of recent laws and international conventions. Oversight bodies and mechanisms have been created to ensure the smooth running of efforts in both sectors.
Nevertheless, corruption remains rampant in many countries, continuing to siphon off valuable resources and economic gains.

Why does Corruption threaten good governance?

Corruption is a manifestation of institutional weakness, poor ethical standards, skewed incentives and insufficient enforcement.
When corrupt officials slowly drain the resources of a country, its potential to develop socially and to attract foreign investment is diminished, making it incapable of providing basic services to or enforcing the rights of its citizens.
Furthermore, corruption fuels transnational crime. Terrorists and organized criminals could not carry out their illegal activities without the complicity of corrupt public officials. It threatens security and damages trust in systems which affect people’s daily lives. It is a particular concern for the world’s police and judicial systems, as corruption in one country can compromise an entire international investigation.
Corruption itself does not produce poverty, but it does have a direct and immediate impact on economic growth and good governance, which in turn raises poverty levels. It remains a major obstacle to the achievement of the UN’s eight Millennium Developments Goals, whose primary aim is to reduce poverty.
The most recent analyses indicate that corruption continues to thrive globally. But as the awareness of corruption increases, so too does the understanding of its negative effects on political, economic and social reforms.
Transparency International’s 2006 report shows that corruption is rampant despite improved legislation and counter efforts. More than US$1 trillion is paid in bribes alone each year, according to a World Bank Institute report – compared to the estimated size of the world economy at that time of just over US$30 trillion.

How do international conventions address the problem?

Fighting corruption is challenging because the related offences are typically carried out in secret, while victims frequently realise it has occurred only after much time has passed. Although corruption can often be seen as purely a domestic issue, the international dimension of corruption is no less important, as corrupt acts usually take place in multiple places and are generally linked to crimes carried out in other countries.
The numerous existing conventions identify the current phenomenon of corruption as a matter of high concern. Definitions and academic approaches developed in the past years try to address the problem individually and collectively. Although some of the conventions focus on one region, they all aim to fight corruption while emphasising the necessity of co-operation among countries.
International co-operation can help engender the will of countries to fight corruption and the capability to do so. Despite the obvious sensitivity of devising and implementing strategies to combat systematic corruption, international organizations can – and they already do – help by providing support for democratic reforms, more competitive economies and improved governance.
Even if virtually all forms of corruption are forbidden in most countries, some may face difficulties fighting it due to a lack of sufficient will or local capacity, such as proper strategies and structures, or funds.
Anti-corruption agreements constitute highly valuable tools for organizations, companies or citizens concerned with corruption and its impact on good governance. By establishing an international framework, the treaties can help foster a high-level of political commitment, suggest legal measures that countries could take and establish a programme of international and regional co-operation.
The United Nations Convention against Corruption (UNCAC) is one of the most important and recent steps in the global fight against corruption. The Convention went into force in December 2005 and has exceeded 140 signatories. It represents an important consensus about what countries should do in the areas of corruption prevention and criminalisation, as well as international co-operation and asset recovery. The UNCAC is thus a milestone for the global effort to combat graft and provides a unique opportunity to build public awareness and commitment to curbing corruption.

Man arrested after INTERPOL database detects passport stolen eight years ago

LYON, France – A man attempting to enter South Africa was arrested at Johannesburg airport after a check against INTERPOL’s databases revealed that he was travelling on a blank passport stolen in Pakistan eight years ago.
The document was one of a batch of 2,000 stolen from a regional office in Abbottabad in December 2001 and registered in INTERPOL’s global Stolen and Lost Travel Documents (SLTD) database by Pakistan, one of the first countries to contribute to the database following its creation in 2002.
The stolen passport was identified thanks to technical solutions deployed throughout South Africa by INTERPOL which enable frontline officers to run direct checks against the SLTD database. The database currently contains nearly 19 million entries – of which 10.5 million are passports – submitted by 145 countries.
Linking border points to INTERPOL’s databases is one of a number of security measures implemented by South Africa as part of preparations for two international sporting events: the 2009 Confederations Cup and the 2010 FIFA World Cup.
“There is no time limit on the use of stolen blank passports which are among the most valuable tools available to terrorists and criminals wanting to travel anonymously,” said INTERPOL’s Executive Director of Police Services, Jean-Michel Louboutin.
“This case demonstrates the importance of extending real-time access to INTERPOL databases to officers at strategic locations, in order to strengthen both national and international security.
“If Pakistan had not registered these documents and if South Africa had not made sure that all travel documents being used to enter their country were checked against INTERPOL’s database, then this man would have passed totally undetected across the border and remained untraceable,” added Mr Louboutin.
Police in South Africa are trying to determine the man’s true identity after a fingerprint check against INTERPOL’s database did not result in any matches. The prints are now being circulated among INTERPOL’s 187 member countries to establish if any matches can be made in national databases.
The individual is currently in custody in South Africa and will appear before the courts on 5 August.