Washington – "In order to fight
corruption you have to deny safe haven for the corrupt,"
according to John Brandolino, director for anticrime programs
for the U.S. Department of State's Bureau for International
Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs. The United Nations
Convention Against Corruption (UNCAC) provisions on asset
recovery help do that, he said.
"No other convention deals with the
asset recovery issue in such a comprehensive way,"
Brandolino said in an interview with USINFO December 4.
The convention’s provisions on asset recovery promote
international cooperation in training and confiscating illicitly
acquired funds and return them to their country of origin.
For the asset recovery efforts to be effective,
there must be full participation of the international community,
Brandolino said, so that corrupt entities cannot take their
funds from one nation to another.
Brandolino made his remarks ahead of the
first high-level conference since the convention came into
force on December 14, 2005. Representatives of the countries
that have ratified the U.N. Convention Against Corruption
will meet in Dead Sea, Jordan, December 10 -14, to work
on turning the international anti-corruption convention’s
words into actions. The goal of the conference is to get
parties together to develop a process for promoting implementation
of the convention, Brandolino said.
The convention, the first international
legally binding anti-corruption agreement, outlines actions
governments are required to take to reduce corruption. It
has been signed by 140 nations and ratified by 80.
According to a November 29 U.N. press release,
asset recovery is one of three key issues at the Jordan
conference. The 800 delegates also will focus on monitoring
nations' compliance with the convention and providing technical
assistance to ensure that police, prosecutors and judges
are equipped with the tools needed to prevent and punish
corruption.
International cooperation is a key element
of the convention. It establishes guidelines for improving
mutual law enforcement, investigations and extraditions.
UNITED STATES ACTIVE IN FIGHT AGAINST CORRUPTION
The United States became a party to the
United Nations Convention Against Corruption on November
29. The U.S. ratification sends a strong message to the
world that the United States views the convention as an
important focal point for anti-corruption efforts, Brandolino
said.
The United States goal at the Jordan conference,
Brandolino said, is to work with the parties to make sure
the convention is implemented effectively. The U.S. delegation
to the conference includes representatives from the State
Department, Justice Department and the U.S. Agency for International
Development.
The United States already has been working
actively with the United Nations and independently to fight
corruption worldwide. It has given money to help countries
fight corruption as part of the U.N. Global Program Against
Corruption. U.S. assistance also has helped other nations
learn how to institute the proper laws, financial management
systems and public procurement systems to prevent corruption.
The full
text of the United Nations Convention Against Corruption
is available on the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime
Web site.
Michelle Austein
USINFO Staff Writer
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