On 11-15 December 2023, the United States hosted the 10th session of the Conference of the States Parties (COSP) to the United Nations Convention against Corruption (UNCAC) in Atlanta.
The UNCAC has 190 States Parties and is the only legally binding universal anti-corruption instrument. It covers many different forms of corruption, including various acts of corruption in the private sector.
The COSP is the main policymaking body of the UNCAC and meets every two years to adopt decisions and resolutions that progress global anti-corruption efforts.
The recent COSP agreed 12 resolutions on a range of anti-corruption issues, including on procurement and private sector activities.
Some key takeaways include that the COSP acknowledged:
- corruption in public procurement impacts fair competition and can have exclusionary and negative effects on opportunities for small businesses
- governments need to ensure open, equitable and fair competitive tendering processes by publishing clear selection criteria and methods for awards
- robust internal governance and risk management systems in the private sector are important in preventing and detecting corruption and illicit activities
- integrity measures to prevent and combat corruption can provide tangible benefits to the private sector
- the important role that groups outside the public sector, including the private sector, play in preventing and detecting corruption.
The Bribery Prevention Network was also featured in the Private Sector Forum, which took place in the margins of the COSP, as an example of a collective action approach to combatting corruption.
Additionally, the BPN has been used as a case study in the UNODC and OECD’s draft Resource Guide on State Measures for Strengthening Business Integrity. The final publication will be released in 2024.
Read more about the UNCAC COSP and the full resolutions on the UNODC’s website.