Integrating Human Rights in the Anti-Corruption Agenda - The ICHRP

Foreword
Corruption seriously distorts efforts made to respect, protect and fulfil human
rights, whether civil and political or economic, social and cultural rights. Yet
when both human rights and anti-corruption work hand-in-hand for an integrated
agenda, then the achievements of both movements to tackle human rights
violations and pervasive corruption will be strengthened. This new, pioneering
report by the International Council on Human Rights Policy (ICHRP) brings us
closer to that vision by identifying the abuse of power and the exercise of arbitrary
discrimination as common factors at the heart of the struggle for social justice.
Achieving a seamless integrated agenda between both movements will be
shaped by the shared principles of participation, transparency and accountability,
as well as the recognition of the pivotal role of the right to information. These are
areas where anti-corruption activists have been active: monitoring budgets in
areas such as education, health and aid, promoting participation of society in
local and national policy-making and campaigning to have access to information
laws (and monitoring them where they already exist).
Addressing corruption can act as a catalyst to the realisation of rights, such
as by ensuring access to education, health and water. New Transparency
International (TI) research on the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) across
50 countries shows there is a clear, positive correlation between increased
corruption and the reduced quality and quantity of education in a country.
Damaging effects on healthcare provision have also been documented. TI’s
findings reflect the sad reality faced by countless numbers of people deprived
of their right to education and health when valuable resources are misspent or
embezzled by the few or when bribery becomes the collateral for accessing
basic services.
Integrating a human rights dimension into anti-corruption advocacy efforts can
only strengthen initiatives that target increasing access to and the quality of
education, health and water provision in a country, among other public services.
An area where both movements have found joint agendas is in the protection
of human rights defenders doing anti-corruption work. These individuals are
increasingly under pressure, under threat and under attack on all continents.
This is a worrying trend where civil society space is severely limited or eliminated
in several countries. Co-operation and joint work between anti-corruption and
human rights organisations have proven essential and beneficial to activists
needing support.
Since the publication of the last ICHRP report on the linkages between corruption
and human rights, a decisive shift has taken place in global anti-corruption
work. In November 2009, governments adopted a mechanism to monitor
progress in implementing the UN Convention against Corruption (UNCAC) and
Integrating Human Rights in the Anti-Corruption Agenda: Challenges, Possibilities and Opportunities iii