World without Corruption

«World without Corruption»
Programme promoting participation in advancing the United Nations Convention
against Corruption in 2011 -2020 (for civil society and private sector)

We call upon;

  • AH people of good will regardless of their citizenship, gender, ethnicity, religious beliefs, social status and political views;
  • All national and international non-commercial organizations, professional unions, labor organizations, religious organizations and other civic associations worldwide;
  • All private sector organizations regardless of scale and type of their activity and national identity

To support this program to promote participation in advancing the United Nations Convention against Corruption 2011-2020 (for civil society and private sector) «World without Corruption», join it and take part in its practical implementation on the basis of mutual interests to counter global corruption threat, in support of the commitment to universal moral values and towards achieving sustainable and secure development of humanity.

Programme to promote participation in advancing The United Nations Convention against Corruption in 2011-2020 (for civil society and private sector) «World without Corruption» is a result of a joint effort of experts from many countries, Anatoly Golubev (Russia) supervised the process of the program development with active support from Sri Sri Ravi Shankar (India). The program has been developed at the Interregional NGO «Committee for Fighting Corruption»* (Russia).

 

1. RATIONALE

The UN General Assembly adopted resolution 58/4 of 31 October 2003 by which it recognized the seriousness of a problem and a threat to stability and security of society created by corruption that undermines the institutions and values of democracy and justice and also endangers sustainable development and rule of law.

The United Nations Convention against Corruption (UNCAC) was adopted by this resolution and presently 169 UN member states have joined it.

UNCAC member states recognized that corruption had turned into a transnational problem which affects the society and economy of all the countries. Based on that, UNCAC defined an obligatory framework for member states to take measures aimed at prevention and combating against corruption and implementation of a unifying legal framework that ensures collaboration between member states to tackle corruption.

By adopting UNCAC the international community recognized that in the 21st century corruption had become global and become one of the main obstacles to advancing universal values in the area of human rights, harmonization of labor relations and the environmental protection.

Many member states have become successful in tackling corruption during the period of 8 years since the adoption of the UNCAC. Firstly, in the area of law enforcement and asset recovery as well as in improving transparency in public sector, public procurement and public sector finance. However, it must be noted that the effectiveness of tackling corruption by state authorities on national and international levels is lacking the necessary support from the civil society and private sector.

The need for civil society groups to support anti-corruption activities of the UNCAC member states was reflected in its Preamble. Article 13 of UNCAC reflects the measures needed to ensure collaboration between the national authorities and civil society. Nevertheless the great potential of support for anti-corruption activity of the national state authorities from non-governmental organizations including anti-corruption civil society organizations, professional and religious associations, labor organizations, and community-based organizations is not fully utilized.

The private sector has been tapped to an even lesser degree to support the efforts of states to counter corruption, although it is the private sector that suffers from corruption and, is therefore interested in its reduction.

At the same time, anti-corruption legal mechanisms and procedures in line with UNCAC can only become truly effective when the society, including the private sector, can coordinate efforts to replace existing forms of social relations that are neutral and even benevolent towards corruption with other healthier forms thus allowing restoration of ethical norms and social justice that were deformed by corruption.

So far most positive initiatives, programs and projects in the area of corruption prevention that non-commercial organizations and the private sector put forth do not get widely disseminated because of communication gaps. Harsh critical statements do get noticed because they become the source of news for the mass media.

Although it is important to criticize the inevitable mistakes of authorities in their tackling corruption, one must note that it should not remain the only form of interaction of civil society and the state in this area. It is necessary to revise the priorities of such interactions while highlighting the positive and practical components. A shift from confrontation to collaboration to the extent possible in some countries is condition sine qua non for greater involvement of the private sector in combating corruption because it is collaboration and fair compromise that are the basics for any entrepreneurship.

Given this condition it is possible to foster a voluntary and free coalition of independent social forces who are interested in supporting practical actions with their national governments and intergovernmental anti-corruption organizations to push out corruption in the respective states that want to contribute to solving this important national and global problem. Within the framework of such coalitions that are united by mutual interest on such an acute issue as fighting corruption, there is an opportunity for fruitful collaboration for different entities, institutions and social groups including those who oppose each other in different areas.

Unfortunately, consolidation of private sector and civil society institutions in tackling corruption has not yet reached the level necessary to form a broad coalition that could provide a direct, free and continuous exchange of experience, knowledge and best practices between all interested parties in various countries.

To a large extent this is due to the lack of a broad and general program of positive actions equally attractive to various private sector organizations and civil society groups in most countries of the world with their specific economic, social and cultural conditions.

Such a program should be available for any civil society organization, company and every individual regardless of their gender, national, ethnical and religious background, economic and social status, educational level or political views, i.e. available to every inhabitant of this planet who is striving to oust corruption in his own country and worldwide.

The program should be based on 6 fundamental principles:

1. Clarity. The program should clearly define areas of activity that will gradually and in a practical manner remove corruption as the degenerated state of social relations. These defined areas will remain strategically important during the lifecycle of the program and its implementation should produce best results.

2. Positivity. The program elements should be clearly positive and aimed at the assistance and encouragement of all reasonable, honest and effective actions to reduce corruption, including assistance for tangible efforts of authorities of various countries in their fight with corruption from respective civil society groups and private sector organizations that operate in that market.

3. Practicality. The program should set a generic framework for development and implementation of projects and their vital activities that will have practical impact on reducing corruption in different countries. It should create an effective basis for private sector organizations' participation that would substantially increase efficiency of companies to support anti-corruption activity of civil society institutions and will reduce risks of unauthorized use of allocated funds.

4. Attractiveness. Participation in the program implementations should bring its participants not only moral satisfaction but some practical use as well. In particular, it should lower all types of corruption risks for private sector organizations after implementing preventive (including public) activities that preempt their involvement in any corruption schemes.

5. Flexibility. Every program participant should have a possibility to freely and independently, or in partnership with any other participants, develop and implement within its framework local projects that fit their abilities and interests. At the same time nothing in the program should be regarded as obligatory for participants to perform certain actions defined by other participants.

6. Openness. The program should be open to join and participate for any legally acting organizations and people of good will worldwide that indicated their interest to counter corruption in a practical way within the limitations for joining and participating set by the national legislation and accepted norms of international non-governmental collaboration.

Implementation of such a global program pins the responsibility on the international non-governmental organizations that put fighting corruption among their top priorities. Activity of these organizations in various countries should be based on the unconditional recognition of the right of all peoples for their own way of life and should not turn the national civil society institutions into external influence tools over national and international priorities of respective nations and all the more to provoke or sustain confrontation between national civil society institutions. Equally the activity of national and international organizations in the anti-corruption area must not serve as a tool to promote political or economic interests of certain states in other countries.

Within the framework of the program implementation the main task of the international non-governmental organizations should be to assist the program participants in direct and free information exchange, i.e. knowledge, know-how, experience and best practices between themselves and other countries' participants, collection and dissemination of such information, practical assistance in conclusion and execution of various partnership agreements to achieve specific goals in anti-corruption activity between any program participants to an extent permissible by the laws of respective countries, assistance in international recognition, approval and support for positive practical efforts from all program participants.

The proposed participation program to advance the United Nations Convention against Corruption in 2011-2020 (for civil society and private sector) «World without Corruption», is based on the abovementioned ideas, principles and legal clauses and is meant to become an important milestone to consolidate civil society and private sector worldwide for practical support of UNCAC member states' efforts and other countries for countering corruption as a global threat of the 21st century.

 

2. OBJECTIVES

The goals of the Programme are to widen, activate and increase the effectiveness of joint practical activities of civil society and private sector on the national, regional and global levels to advance and implement the United Nations Convention against Corruption (UNCAC) that are, first of all, aimed at:

  • Promoting formulation in the society and private sector of various countries a consistent and stable anti-corruption mindset including understanding of the sources and causes of spreading of corruption, threats it produces to stability and security of national and global development, awareness of the need and potential for individual practical participation of every person in combating it with individual and collective actions; disseminating best practices of preventing and fighting corruption taking into account local economic, social and cultural aspects;
  • Strengthening mutual understanding and assisting in establishment of mutually beneficial cooperation and support of private sector, non-governmental organizations - non-commercial organizations, professional unions (including academic, journalist), labor organizations, religious organizations, community-based organizations etc. and also mass media on the national, regional and global levels in the area of countering corruption to achieve the main goals of national, regional and global sustainable development including Millennium Development Goals;
  • Increasing social legitimacy of business, promoting social perception of the business community as a socially responsible, friendly, energetic and dynamic global force aimed at sustainable development of humanity and adhering to high ethical standards, strengthening cooperation and trust between society and the private sector in different countries, regions and on a global level;
  • Offering broad practical support from the society and private sector of the UNCAC member states for the state authorities' measures to prevent corruption more effectively and efficiently and to fight it on national and international levels. Assisting the civil society and private sectors of states that are not UNCAC members in the efforts of these states to develop and implement anti-corruption policy including the measures aimed at these states' accession to the UNCAC.

 

3. MAIN AREAS OF ACTIVITY

3.1. Formation of public intolerance of corruption around the world and advocacy for individual and collective actions to reduce it.

3.1.1. Promote the dissemination of understanding the causes, prevalence and origins of corruption under various economic, social and cultural conditions; assist the legal education of the population in various countries of the world, and in particular, the mass adoption by citizens of these countries of the methods and forms of opposition to corruption which are allowed by the relevant national legislation:

  • Implementation of active support and encouragement of research, development, dissemination and realization of specialized education programs for countering corruption for various ages, professional, national cultural, religious and other social groups, and the publishing of relevant educational and methodological materials in various languages;
  • Promote public initiatives aimed at including awareness of matters of anti-corruption action in various national and local educational standards.

3.1.2. Promotion of all possible forms of social advertising of anti-corruption conduct (with regard to national cultural, religious, social and other characteristics of the target audience), clearly demonstrating not only the malignancy of corruption, but the practical possibility of overcoming it as well:

  • Promote the collection, systematization, translation into various languages, publication and widespread dissemination of information about successful individual and collective practices in the area of countering corruption;
  • Promote various forms of encouragement for entities and organization who have developed and/or implemented effective anti-corruption practices.

3.1.3. Promote the engaging of mass media in positive coverage of efforts to prevent corruption and support combating corruption on the national, regional and global level:

  • Promote the establishment within the international journalist community, and editorial offices of local, national and international print and electronic mass media sources the necessity of extensive coverage of positive, practical action aimed at the prevention and reduction of corruption, implemented within government agencies, business groups, and civil society organizations in different countries and on the international level, as well as examples of successful action against corruption;
  • Promote the creation of feature columns and news and analysis columns by editorial offices of print media devoted to fighting corruption and creation of television and radio programs devoted to this topic;
  • Facilitate the creation of national, regional and international specialized television programs concerning anti-corruption; support and encourage initiatives of national and international media companies for voluntary placement of theme based video materials of these television programs in the capacity of social advertising, as well as their being made freely accessible on the internet;
  • Promote the widening of the audience of specialized national, regional and international publications on combating corruption, and the dissemination of these publications in various countries and in the languages of these countries, in particular, the official languages of the UN, official intergovernmental organizations and other languages of the world;
  • Facilitate the creation and dissemination of electronic versions of specialized periodical publications concerning anti-corruption action in all the official languages of the UN, the official languages of other intergovernmental organizations, and other languages of the world to be freely accessible on the Internet;
  • Promote the organization, conducting and extensive coverage of national, regional and international contests among journalists and other media specialists whose publications and professional activities are linked to the active and consistent opposition to corruption (including public encouragement of private sector organizations and individuals who have shown their support for holding such journalism contests and setting up award funds).

3.1.4. Take into account public opinion while developing and adjusting the strategy and tactics of anti-corruption activity at national and international levels the following:

  • Forming within the populations of the countries of the world a conscious and negative attitude towards any forms of corruption;
  • The influence of mass media in instilling legal awareness in the populations of various countries of the world and the forming of mass understanding of the necessity of rapid achievement of the goals of the UNCAC;
  • The factors which cause the populations of various countries and representatives of various social groups to form negative stereotypes about the futility and uselessness of combating corruption and the resources to overcome such stereotypes.

3.1.5. Promote the widespread involvement of academia, and expert communities to participate in multidisciplinary research on the whole range of issues of preventing and combating corruption:

  • Support the development of methods, procedures, an analysis for monitoring the state of corruption as a system of social relations; identify the most essential factors furthering more effective combating of corruption taking into account the economic, social and cultural set up of various countries and peoples; and prepare recommendations addressing specific measures in economic, social and legal development that contribute to the ousting of corruption in various countries of the world by healthier social relations without hindering economic development and without social upheaval;
  • Promote the development and widespread and appropriate use of accurate and reliable methods for the preliminary assessment (i.e. sociological expertise) of the planned events i.e. informational campaign within the framework of various national, regional and international initiatives, programs and projects in public sector, private sector, civil life also through public-private partnership;
  • Assist in development and widespread dissemination of methods and procedures and accurate assessment of the effectiveness of the measures taken by the government authorities and civil society to form an active position to support the UNCAC goals and specific steps taken by the national authorities to implement the UNCAC among the populations of various countries, regions and humanity as a whole;

Promote the organization, carrying out and extensive coverage of:

  • national, regional and worldwide contests and other forms of public recognition and encourage academia and scientific and expert groups whose activities have significantly impacted anti-corruption work;
  • national, regional and international research projects dedicated to various aspects of fighting corruption i.e. economic, social, psychological, judicial, political etc. (including public encouragement of private sector organizations and individuals who assisted in holding such contests and setting up award funds).

3.1.6. Promote the display of national, regional and global solidarity with individuals and organizations that have publicly spoken out against corruption, and provide them with international support, and if necessary, with legal assistance to protect them against unjust treatment:

  • Promote the widespread and worldwide dissemination through mass media of accurate information on cases of honest and justified public reports by citizens, private sector organizations, and non-commercial organizations regarding committed crimes or crimes in progress recognized as such in accordance with the UNCAC;
  • Promote public initiatives aimed at moral and other necessary legal support of entities (individuals) and organizations that have justifiably and publicly spoken out against corruption;
  • Promote public recognition, approval and support for the actions of the states in implementing the measures specified in the relevant clauses of Articles 32 and 33 of the UNCAC.

3.1.7. Promote the formulation and dissemination of practices of lawful pressure exerted by the business community, non-commercial organizations (including professional, labor and religious, as well as organizations functioning at the community level) on the private sector that do not wish to cease the use of corrupt business practices:

  • Promote the publication in mass media, translation into various languages and widespread dissemination of information on the justified refusal of private sector and non-commercial organizations to collaborate with companies that continue to engage in corrupt practices;
  • Promote public initiatives aimed at incentivizing private sector and non-commercial organizations to pursue policies of rejecting any form of collaboration with participants in corrupt activities;
  • Promote the initiatives of non-commercial organizations (including professional, labor and religious associations and organizations functioning on the community level) aimed at voluntary refusal to use the products - and services of private sector organizations that do not wish to cease the use of corrupt business practices and avoid publishing GRI (Global Reporting Initiative), including widespread dissemination of information about such initiatives on the national, regional and global levels.

3.2. Dissemination and popularization of best practices of anti-corruption in the private sector

3.2.1. Assist private sector organizations that develop and introduce corporate codes of conduct and effective methods of internal controls:

  • Facilitate the formulation of different forms of partnership of private sector organizations with national and international non-commercial and academic organizations that develop and implement projects aimed at strengthening legal and ethical norms in corporate practice and reducing the corruption among public officials;
  • Facilitate the establishment and maintenance of permanent exchange of positive experiences in developing and applying anti-corruption practices between private sector organizations and civil society institutions that are participants of national, regional and global anti-corruption initiatives, including the UN Global Compact;
  • Assist in the preparation, translation into various languages, publication and widespread dissemination of books, brochures, video materials and other informational and campaign materials containing accounts of successful internal corporate practices against corruption and various methodological information fostering the development and integration of anti-corruption mechanisms (first of all on corruption prevention issues) that take into account the national and industry related set up of enterprises, their corporate culture characteristics etc.
  • Promote the voluntary compliance of the private sector organizations with international standards of social responsibility and ethical conduct, in particular in the area of countering all forms of corruption;
  • Promote strengthening of trust and collaboration among private sector organizations and labor associations in reasonable and fair regulation of labor relations while implementing internal corporate anti-corruption policy.

3.2.2. Support and encouragement of the development and implementation of modern corporate codes of ethical conduct and effective methods of internal controls regarding anti-corruption action:

  • Creation of a system of incentives for academic and expert communities for continuous accumulation of positive experiences in developing and implementing corporate policy of anti-corruption conduct and preparation of codes of best practices, and other training materials that make it easier and cheaper for private sector organizations and, above all, for small- and medium-size business to create and introduce codes of ethical conduct, systems of internal controls and other anti-corruption mechanisms that take into account the nature and external conditions of enterprises' activities, including the types and scale of their activities and the social, economic and national cultural environment;
  • Assist in preparation, translation into various languages, publication and widespread dissemination of books, brochures, video materials and other publications devoted to diverse aspects of private sector organizations' activities that have achieved successful results in implementing their corporate anti-corruption policy;
  • Promote national, regional and international public initiatives aimed at the encouragement of private sector organizations that have made the most significant success in implementing internal corporate anti-corruption policy, including through the giving of public awards and other forms of public recognition and trust.

3.3. Strengthening collaboration and trust between society and private sector in the area of countering corruption

3.3.1. Promote awareness of the unity of the strategic interests of humanity and the private sector in overcoming corruption:

  • Promote the creation, translation into various languages, publication and dissemination of analytical, journalistic and artistic works (articles, brochures, books, films, plays, radio programs etc.) which allow for the widest possible circle of people in different countries to realize the extent of damage inflicted by corruption on private sector organizations and the degree and consequences of the negative impact of corruption on business activity;
  • Promote the dissemination of objective information among populations on the national, regional and global levels concerning real anti-corruption actions exercised by private sector organizations and business as a whole and practical support of the private sector organizations of the activity and initiatives of civil society institutions to combat corruption;
  • Promote the dissemination of documents and informational materials among populations on the national, regional and global levels concerning GRI of the private sector in the area of countering corruption, explain their contents and an important role in the activity of private sector organizations;
  • Promote the expansion and strengthening of contact between private sector organizations and civil society institutions non-commercial, professional and religious associations, labor organizations, community-based organizations and mass media in various countries, and joint preparation and implementation of projects to prevent and combat corruption, including efforts to eliminate corruption factors from the acts of national and local legislation.

3.3.2. Encourage the participation of business community and individual companies in the financing and direct implementation of projects aimed at combating and reducing corruption in various countries of the world:

  • Promote the dissemination of objective information among populations on the national, regional and global levels concerning specific practical efforts of private sector organizations to support civic initiatives and projects aimed at anti-corruption action;
  • Promote national, regional and international public initiatives to encourage private sector organizations rendering the most large-scale and effective practical support for civic initiatives and projects to prevent corruption, including through the giving of public awards and other forms of public recognition and trust and the widespread dissemination of information in various countries of the world on such encouragement and its grounds. In particular, promote the organization, conducting and extensive coverage of national, regional and international competitions of 'Business Against Corruption» in order to encourage private sector organizations that have made significant contributions to advancing the principles of the UNCAC;
  • Promote public support for the actions of public agencies to place at their disposal a policy of reasonable and fair policy favoring socially responsible private sector organizations which consistently and persistently demonstrate transparency, integrity and ethical behavior, as well as lending significant and practical assistance to the civil society institutions in combating corruption.

3.4. Ensuring the widespread support by society and the private sector for the efforts of national governments to achieve the Goals of the Convention

3.4.1. Promote the popularization of UNCAC and related international and national acts in various countries:

  • Promote the formulation within wide swaths of the populations of different countries - whether having joined or not joined the UNCAC - advocating accurate understanding of the content and meaning of UNCAC to strengthen national and international security, justice and the rule of law; ensure the sustainable development of the society, including assistance in disseminating of the text of the UNCAC in the languages of the world with explanations provided and prepared with the national-cultural particularities of the target audience factored in;
  • Support for public initiatives to include the national and local educational standards of the states that have joined the UNCAC, requirements to know the content, goals and meaning of the UNCAC and other related international agreements as well as anti-corruption legal tools included in the legal system of the corresponding state;
  • Promote the popularization of legal documents adopted by national governments that reflect the goals of the UNCAC, including through the dissemination of texts in the languages of the world with explanatory notes provided and prepared with the national-cultural particularities of the target audience factored in;

3.4.2. Support the efforts of national governments and other public sector agencies of government participants in the UNCAC in the practical implementation of the UNCAC provisions:

  • Promote holding on the national, regional and global level joint conferences, seminars, symposiums, working groups etc. with private sector organizations and civil society institutions (including non-commercial organizations, professional and religious associations, labor organizations and community-based organizations) for the purpose of drawing up a strategy and coordination of joint actions, as well as prepare and implement projects to support the efforts of respective national governments, aimed at practical implementation of the provisions of the UNCAC, including the area of lawmaking and anti-corruption expertise in legislation;
  • Informational and technical support on the national, regional and global level for national private sector organizations and civil society institutions in implementing projects aimed at boosting and supporting the efforts of authorities to implement the measures stemming from the provisions of the UNCAC;
  • Promote the preparation and conclusion of various agreements involving private sector, non-governmental, religious and labor organizations and other civil society institutions at the national, regional and global levels in accordance with Article 39 of the UNCAC and subject to applicable national norms and international private law mechanisms to counter corruption, including the formulation of voluntary mechanisms and procedures to render assistance to competent agencies in respective countries in implementing anti-corruption measures under Articles 21,22,23,24 and 40, as well as Chapter 5 of the UNCAC.

3.4.3. Support for anti-corruption policies of private sector organizations and civil society institutions in states that have not acceded to the UNCAC:

  • Promote holding on the national, regional and global level joint conferences, seminars, symposiums, working groups etc. with private sector organizations and civil society institutions (including non-commercial organizations, professional and religious associations, labor organizations and community-based organizations) for the purpose of drawing up a strategy and joint actions' coordination, as well as prepare and implement projects to support the efforts of respective national governments, aimed at the prevention and combating of corruption, so far as such efforts of the national governments do not run counter to the fundamental principles of human rights and international obligations of the state and conform to the spirit of the UNCAC;
  • Promote the development and implementation of initiatives, programs and projects to support and popularize the actions of national governments aimed at the accession of respective states to the UNCAC by civil society institutions and private sector organizations on the national, regional and global levels;
  • Promote the preparation (including informational and technical) and conclusion of various bilateral and multilateral agreements involving private sector, non-governmental, religious and labor organizations and other civil society institutions on the national, regional and global levels on leading the formation of mechanisms and procedures of cooperation in combating corruption on the grounds of applicable national legal norms and international private law and corresponding to the spirit and goals of the UNCAC, including definition of the conditions and method of voluntary assistance to law enforcement authorities of respective countries in combating the offences established in the UNCAC.

 

4. EXPECTED RESULTS

  • The implementation of the Program will assist in the achievement of the following general strategic goals of the peoples of the world - whether having acceded or not acceded to UNCAC - in the area of preventing and combating corruption:
  • Increase states' interest in joining the UNCAC, and widen the circle of state-participants in the UNCAC.
  • Increase the quality and effectiveness of developing and implementing national programs to reduce corruption in various countries on the basis of deeper and more extensive study of global experience and its adaptation to the specific conditions of these countries.
  • Increase the effectiveness of government efforts in various countries in combating corruption with regards to increasing the understanding and support of these efforts from society and the private sector.
  • Create more favorable conditions for the activation of positive individual and collective practical activity by civil society institutions, private sector organizations and citizens in combating any form of corruption.
  • Increase the effectiveness of the Program participants' practical efforts through consolidation to reduce corruption in respective countries and on the global level.
  • Increase the level of legal education and civic responsibility of the populations of various countries and the formulation of mass anti-corruption awareness and the restoration of the ethical norms deformed by corruption.
  • Increase the social responsibility and legitimacy of business and strengthen the social peace which is a necessary condition for healthy economic development as specific countries, regions and humanity as a whole.
  • Eliminate negative stereotypes, increase mutual understanding, strengthen and activate free and mutually beneficial international collaboration on the non-governmental level in both the business and humanitarian spheres, which is a necessary condition for sustainable human development and in particular, achievement of the Millennium Development Goals.