Work completed on UN treaty to fight corruption worldwide

Work on a United Nations treaty to combat corruption worldwide, including the return of assets obtained through bribery and embezzlement to the country of origin, has been completed, with Secretary-General Kofi Annan hailing it as a milestone in improving the lives of millions of people around the planet.

"This Convention can make a real difference to the quality of life of millions of people around the world," Annan had told the ad hoc committee in Vienna drawing up the treaty delivered by Antonio Maria Costa, Executive Director of the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC).

"It is particularly heartening that you were able to complete this process in less than two years," he said of the Convention on Corruption, which will be put to a ministerial signing conference in Merida, Mexico, from 9 to 11 December.

Once adopted, the treaty will enhance cooperation between governments and help standardize the way in which individual countries deal with corruption in their national legislation.

The requirement for Member States to return assets obtained through bribery and embezzlement to the country of origin represents a new fundamental principle in international treaties. In a number of countries, corruption has led to the depletion of national wealth. Some of those countries, whose former dictators have stolen hundreds of millions, or even billions, of dollars, have made a great contribution to the search for new rules, including the Philippines and Nigeria.

Preventive measures in the Convention include norms of conduct for public officials, greater transparency based on public access to information on government businesses, and stricter procurement regulations and measures against money laundering.