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

freedom of association and the right to a free media – are guaranteed. All these
rights are vital to efforts to combat corruption. For example, where governments
permit information to flow freely (free media), it should become easier to identify
and denounce cases of corruption. However, since reporters and editors can
also be bribed or may not be independent of governmental or political power,
protection of this right is not enough. Governments should also guarantee
conditions in which a diversity of independent media can flourish and should
protect the political independence of public service media.
Protection of the freedom to form and affiliate to formal and informal associations,
such as human rights organisations, is also a vital element of anti-corruption
efforts. Political rights and the fight against impunity are also at the core of
the fight against corruption. Where political rights are not effectively protected,
opportunities for corruption increase. The effective exercise of political
rights counterbalances state power and its abuse, including corruption. In a
repressive regime where political participation is curtailed and accountability is
poor, for example, the rights to life, liberty, security of the person and freedom
of expression and association are all less likely to be respected. In addition,
the suppression of rights essential to political participation, such as freedom
of expression and association, may increase opportunities for corruption.
Promoting political freedoms and effective participation are likely to improve
transparency and access to information. Here again are new opportunities
for collaboration between those who work against corruption and those who
advocate for human rights standards.
Horizontal accountability strategies have not become less important than
they were, and reforms that will make public institutions more responsive to
the demands of marginalised groups remain crucial. However, to dismantle
well-entrenched corruption systems, it will be necessary to explore new
complementary forms of accountability that modify unequal power relations
and include the immediate victims of corruption. These new approaches can
complement the initiatives taken by other organisations in the anti-corruption
movement, like Transparency International, who give priority in their agendas to
the implementation of vertical accountability strategies.
Integrating Human Rights in the Anti-Corruption Agenda: Challenges, Possibilities and Opportunities 39