Article by Deputy Foreign Minister Oleg Syromolotov, Together Against Corruption, for TASS News Agency, December 9, 2019
Every year on December 9, the world marks International Anti-Corruption Day. On this day in 2003, the United Nations Convention against Corruption (UNCAC) was opened for signing. Unique in its own way, this multilateral document encapsulates the full scope of issues related to anti-corruption. The Convention has been signed by 186 states, which is declarative of the fact that the actions taken by the involved countries in line with UNCAC obligations are truly universal. No other similar document has been able to unite so many supporters behind one common goal, which is fighting corruption. Today this issue is becoming especially relevant. The links between corruption and other transnational threats, including organised crime and drug trafficking, are becoming increasingly evident.
Russia was one of the first countries to join the UNCAC and has unfailingly been one of the most active participants in international anti-corruption cooperation – which, in turn, gives a powerful impetus to the development of our domestic legislation aimed at improving the organisation and operation of authorities, and strengthening civil accord in society. Our country has been a proactive participant in all the sessions of the Conference of the States Parties to the United Nations Convention against Corruption (the main decision-making body of the Convention) and hosted this prestigious forum in 2016, when representatives of 162 countries, 21 international organisations and 88 NGOs came to St Petersburg. It was an exceptionally worthwhile experience that, to a large extent, contributed to boosting Russia’s international authority in the fight against corruption. The next regular UNCAC session will take place this December in Abu Dhabi, where Russia will host several special anti-corruption events.
Residents of the Russian capital have most likely seen the preparations for one of these events. Content by participants of the Together Against Corruption! youth public service advertising contest organised by the Russian Prosecutor General’s Office were displayed on information screens in the Moscow Metro. Contestants from Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and BRICS countries submitted entries for the contest. Of course, the majority of the participants represented universities and schools in Russia.
Projects of this type are a good example of practical multilateral work on preventing corruption. But, without a doubt, success would be impossible without exploring new trends and challenges and responding to them timely. These are the tasks we deal with every day.
One of these relatively new focus areas that are becoming more significant both within the UN framework and in other formats is countering corruption in sports. In June 2018, in view of the 2018 FIFA World Cup taking place in our country, Russia organised an international conference on preventing corruption in sports at the United Nations Office in Vienna. The event created much enthusiasm and, drawing on the success of the first conference, we held a second similar event in September 2019. Russia will by all means not only stay focused on this matter but will continue to play the most active role. As one of the avenues for further development of international cooperation with regard to counter-corruption measures in sports, the parties are discussing a Russia-proposed initiative for establishing a special forum under the auspices of the UN where countries could coordinate their approaches and efforts in this area in an open and practical dialogue.
At the same time, the continued attempts to politicise the multilateral dialogue on anti-corruption issues and to use it to ratchet up political pressure on “uncomfortable” states has not escaped our attention. In this regard, I would like to emphasise that our country has always supported the constructive nature of the Implementation Review Mechanism of the Convention against Corruption, based on the principles of equality and respect for the sovereignty of the participating states, transparency, impartiality and voluntariness – in a word, what the UN calls the Vienna Spirit. Russia is open to honest and mutually respectful work with all partners, including at multilateral platforms. We are confident that this is the most effective approach. Our work within BRICS is good proof of the above. Joint anti-corruption efforts are one of the association’s priorities and are reflected every year in the final documents of its leaders’ meetings. Less than five years ago, during the Russian presidency, Russia initiated a full-fledged specialised format – the BRICS Anti-Corruption Working Group (ACWG). In the Ufa Declaration, adopted in 2015, Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa reaffirmed their commitment and willingness to work together on this track. Meetings of our experts are held on a regular basis, and work is underway to strengthen the ties between the relevant authorities of our countries. Coordinating and consolidating, where possible, our positions in the run-up to major events have become a good tradition. Over the five years of work, the parties have clearly demonstrated that only an equal dialogue gives the maximum effect.
In 2020, when the rotating presidency will return to Russia, we intend to focus on coordinating our positions on fighting corruption at various multilateral forums, primarily the UN and the G20, strengthening cooperation with the BRICS partners in anti-corruption education and awareness, and furthering cooperation to prevent corruption in sports. An important part of our work will be to develop common approaches while preparing for the UN General Assembly special session against corruption in 2021.
Russia’s focus on strengthening cooperation with its BRICS partners does not mean, however, that we will pay less attention to other existing formats. On the contrary, while continuously promoting the central coordinating role of the UN mechanisms, our country seeks to apply any relevant experience to build up and supplement the existing anti-corruption policies through cooperation within different multilateral instruments.
Our cooperation in the G20 is particularly interesting and promising. The scope of matters that the group members keep in focus is very wide, and covers the most diverse aspects of the fight against corruption. In 2019, the G20 High Level Principles for Effective Protection of Whistleblowers and the G20 Compendium of good practices promoting integrity and transparency in infrastructure development were developed and adopted during the Japanese presidency. A study of the relationship between corruption and economic crime was also launched. In 2020, Saudi Arabia will take over. We have developed a very fruitful and cooperative relationship with Riyadh on the anti-corruption track, and we plan to work hard on the priorities declared by our Saudi partners, including the development and implementation of anti-corruption strategies and policies, the use of modern technology to enhance integrity, public-private partnerships and increased transparency in privatisation. Russia has extensive experience in all these areas, and is ready to share.
The work within the Council of Europe is making similar headway. In 2006, Russia ratified the Council of Europe’s Criminal Law Convention on Corruption. In 2007, Russia joined the Council of Europe’s Group of States Against Corruption (GRECO). Since then, Russia has been rather successfully completing GRECO evaluations of national government bodies dealing with preventing corruption and exemption of certain categories of government officials from criminal prosecution, exposing, seizing and confiscating income and property received as a result of corrupt activity, illegalising criminal activity, promoting transparency of political parties’ funding, and preventing corruption among parliament members, judges and prosecutors.
Russia is also a member of the Interstate Council on Combating Corruption under the Commonwealth of Independent States. Upon the council’s instruction, experts from the member states are drafting an agreement on cooperation between the CIS countries in fighting corruption. The latest meeting of the expert group, scheduled for approving the draft of the agreement, took place in Minsk on December 3−4.
This problem is addressed by other regional formats, including the OSCE. We support the organisation’s efforts to promote and implement advanced international legal standards and instruments with regard to anti-corruption.
Since 2005, Russia has been a member of the Anti-Corruption and Transparency Working Group of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) as well as the APEC Anti-Corruption Authorities and Law Enforcement Agencies Network established under its auspices. Currently, APEC is focusing on coordinated action to prevent corruption, to identify links between money laundering and corruption, and to protect those who report corruption-related crimes.
Another important multilateral specialised format is the Anti-Bribery Convention of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). Russia, although not an OECD member, has been a party to the OECD Convention on Combating Bribery of Foreign Public Officials in International Business Transactions since 2012. The implementation of this document consists of such measures as establishing an institutional mechanism to ensure measures against corruption, providing legal assistance to foreign states, modernising the national legislation in line with the Convention, as well as updating legislative and regulatory compliance practices. Right now in Paris, the OECD is discussing Russia’s new report on fulfilling the Convention. We hope it will be approved, which will allow our country to continue to the next level of this process.
When it comes to preventing corruption, we attach great importance to research and analytical support. In 2011, under a multilateral agreement, the International Anti-Corruption Academy (IACA) was established in Vienna. Currently, 73 states are IACA members. The Russian Federation was among this organisation’s co-founders and is largely involved in its activity. Educational courses and study programmes on anti-corruption research and action, collective measures for the private sector and business ethics take place under the aegis of the IACA. Additionally, the academy offers highly-qualified young corruption prevention researchers a three-month scholarship to conduct anti-corruption research. Funded by Russia’s voluntary contribution to the IACA budget, the academy organises an annual anti-corruption training course for industry experts from Russia and former Soviet republics, which is a noticeable investment in the practical development of the research aspect of multilateral anti-corruption cooperation. Recently, the academy has been going through certain difficulties caused by an overdue need to reform its management, finance and administration system. The situation is on the mend thanks to additional financial support from Russia and a number of other countries, as well as due to the passing of the academy’s development programme that envisages strengthening the academy’s research and analytical component, among others. Our opinion is that, remaining the leading international education centre for preventing corruption, the IACA will also be able to support its anti-corruption cooperation within the framework of the United Nations and the G20 with quality analytical material, and provide methodological assistance to the member states in developing specialised legislation.
Nevertheless, the research and educational work is not limited to the IACA format. Since 2015, Russia and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime have been successfully executing a collaborative project in anti-corruption training under the auspices of the UNODC Anti-Corruption Academic Initiative. The project has already produced various handbooks – for example, a standard study course on the UN Convention against Corruption that is currently being adapted to Russian education standards. Last November, the Moscow Institute of International Relations hosted the 2nd Anti-Corruption Academic Symposium as part of this project, and the event brought together over 100 teachers of related subjects, experts and students from various countries. A similar, now full-fledged, training event is scheduled for next spring.
Of course, Russia takes its main anti-corruption efforts at the national level. But at the same time, it is obvious that coordinating action, sharing experience and determining the format of international collaboration make this work more impactful. Therefore, the National Anti-Corruption Plan approved by the Russian President aims at boosting the efficiency of international cooperation in the area, on which we will, along with other competent agencies, continue to work further within the above listed frameworks. December 9 is an excellent occasion to remember once again that 16 years ago on this day, the international community agreed to join forces against corruption. We will continue this work for the benefit of the Russian people.