UN Guide for Anti-Corruption Policies - United Nations Office on ...

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INTRODUCTION
A. Background
The <strong>United</strong> <strong>Nations</strong> <strong>Guide</strong> Practical Measures against <strong>Corruption</strong> was
originally requested by the <strong>United</strong> <strong>Nations</strong> Economic and Social Council
(ECOSOC) in 1990 1 , and first published in 1992 2 by the <strong>United</strong> <strong>Nations</strong> <strong>Office</strong>
on Drugs and Crime (<strong>UN</strong>ODC), with the assistance of the <strong>United</strong> States
Department of Justice. During the 1990s, issues relating to corruption were
repeatedly raised within the <strong>United</strong> <strong>Nations</strong> and in other contexts, 3 and in
1995, ECOSOC requested that the <strong>Guide</strong> be reviewed and expanded, with
contributions from other relevant international organizations, to take account
of new developments. 4 As the expansion of the <strong>Guide</strong> proceeded, further
developments took place, and the Secretary General was requested to keep
the issue of actions against corruption under ongoing review, and to reflect the
new developments in the expanded <strong>Guide</strong>. 5
This process continues, and further developments can be expected after the
expanded <strong>Guide</strong> is published. As a result of discussions in the eighth and
ninth sessions of the <strong>United</strong> <strong>Nations</strong> Commission <strong>for</strong> Crime Prevention and
Criminal Justice, several further resolutions dealing with corruption were
adopted by the General Assembly. These include:
(a) Resolution 51/59 of 12 December 1996, which adopted an International
Code of Conduct <strong>for</strong> Public officials 6 and requested a plan <strong>for</strong> its
implementation;\
(b) Resolution 51/191 of 16 December 1996, which adopted the <strong>United</strong>
<strong>Nations</strong> Declaration against <strong>Corruption</strong> and Bribery in International
Commercial Transactions;
(c) Resolution 54/128 of 17 December 1999 which directed the Ad Hoc
Committee <strong>for</strong> the elaboration of the <strong>United</strong> <strong>Nations</strong> Convention against
Transnational Organized Crime to incorporate measures against
corruption linked to organized crime into that Convention and to explore
1 ECOSOC RES.1990/23, annex, recommendation #8.
2 International Review of Criminal Policy, Special Issue, Nos. 41 and 42, New York 1993,
ST/ESA/SER.M/41-42; <strong>United</strong> <strong>Nations</strong> Sales Publication, Sales No. E.93.IV.4.
3 See Report of the Secretary General to the tenth session of the Commission <strong>for</strong> Crime Prevention and
Criminal Justice, “Existing international legal instruments, recommendations and other documents
addressing corruption”, E/CN.15/2001/3, Annexes I and II <strong>for</strong> a list of some instruments and
documents.
4 ECOSCOC RES. 1995/14, paragraph 6.
5 ECOSOC RES. 1996/8, paragraph 11 and 1998/16, paragraph 1. In A/RES/51/59 of 12 December
1996, paragraph 3, the General Assembly also requested the inclusion of the International Code of
Conduct <strong>for</strong> Public Officials adopted by that resolution in the <strong>Guide</strong>. In its resolution 54/128 of 17
December 1999, subparagraph 8(a), the Assembly requested that the expanded <strong>Guide</strong> incorporate the
recommendations of a 1998 Expert Group Meeting on <strong>Corruption</strong> and its Financial Channels and the
conclusions of the First Global Forum on Fighting <strong>Corruption</strong>.
6 See Attachment 3; Code of conduct <strong>for</strong> Public Officials
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