“(1) In its resolution 55/61 of 4 December 2000, the General Assembly recognized that an effective international legal instrument against corruption, independent of the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime (resolution 55/25, annex I) was desirable and decided to establish an ad hoc committee for the negotiation of such an instrument in Vienna at the headquarters of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC). The text of the United Nations Convention against Corruption was negotiated during seven sessions of the Ad Hoc Committee for the Negotiation of the Convention against Corruption, held between 21 January 2002 and 1 October 2003. The Convention approved by the Ad Hoc Committee was adopted by the General Assembly by resolution 58/4 of 31 October 2003. The General Assembly, in its resolution 57/169 of 18 December 2002, accepted the offer of the Government of Mexico to host a high-level political signing conference in Merida for the purpose of signing the United Nations Convention against Corruption. In accordance with article 68 (1) of resolution 58/4, the United Nations Convention against Corruption entered into force on 14 December 2005. A Conference of the States Parties is established to review implementation and facilitate activities required by the Convention.
(2) First International Forum on Tax and Crime ∙ Oslo ∙ 21-23 March 2011. Issues related to greater inter-agency co-operation were discussed by more than 150 delegates from 54 delegations who participated in the first tax and crime forum on 21-23 March 2011 in Oslo hosted by the Norwegian government. The conference brought together representatives from a range of OECD and non-OECD governmental agencies, including Tax Administrations, Finance and Justice Ministries, Financial Intelligence Units, Central Banks, FATF, International Organisations, as well as business and NGOs. Second International Forum on Tax and Crime ∙ Rome ∙ 14-15 June 2012. This Forum brought together senior policy makers from different government agencies including the tax, anti-money laundering and anti-corruption communities, as well as private sector representatives, NGOs and other interested stakeholders. Participants examined best practice approaches to closer inter-agency co-operation at the domestic level and explore how to improve international cooperation. The conference also showcased specific key risks in the tax and crime area, allowing countries to target resources and learn from the experience of others. Building on previous events in Oslo and Rome, the Third Forum on Tax and Crime provided an opportunity for senior government officials from tax and customs administrations, anti-money laundering and anti‑corruption authorities, police and law enforcement, public prosecutors, financial regulators and government Ministries, as well as international organisations and NGOs, to discuss current issues and country experiences on key policy and operational topics in combating all forms of financial crime.
(3) The 4th Joint African Union Commission/United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (AUC/ECA) Conference of African Ministers of Finance, Planning and Economic Development was held in 2011. This Conference mandated ECA to establish the High Level Panel on Illicit Financial Flows from Africa. Illicit financial flows out of Africa have become a matter of major concern because of the scale and negative impact of such flows on Africa’s development and governance agenda. By some estimates, illicit flows from Africa could be as much as US $50 billion per annum. This is approximately double the official development assistance (ODA) that Africa receives and, indeed, the estimate may well be short of reality as accurate data does not exist for all transactions and for all African countries.
Fronting means a deliberate circumvention or attempted circumvention of the South African B-BBEE Act and the Codes. Fronting commonly involves reliance on data or claims of compliance based on misrepresentations of facts, whether made by the party claiming compliance or by any other person. Verification agencies, and /or procurement officers and relevant decision-makers may come across fronting indicators through their interactions with measured entities. The B-BBEE Commission may also approach a court of law to restrain any breach or for any appropriate remedial relief, which may include setting aside the transaction or initiative. The B-BBEE Commission will not discuss the merit or the details of its investigative process, but the findings will be published as required in the B-BBEE Act.
Lower rates applied by governments to company cars and diesel fuel in the 27 OECD countries & South Africa were a EUR 26.8 billion of foregone tax revenues in 2012.
But under-taxing of company cars in OECD means an overall cost much higher : an additionnal cost of EUR 150 billions follow from the increase of air pollution, carbon emissions, traffic congestions, road accidents and health ailments (EUR 116 billions additionnal annual cost).
According to the results of a new poll that were published on Saturday by Efimerida ton Syntakton newspaper, stupid Radical Left Coalition (SYRIZA) party has a 8.5% lead over corrupt New Kleptocracy (ND).
The rise of trade-based money laundering presents direct financial, reputational, and compliance risk to the financial services companies, banks, and global trade organizations that provide and utilize trade finance.
BRASILIA (Reuters) - Presidential candidates traded accusations over political corruption on Friday night in a last ditch attempt to sway undecided voters before Sunday's election runoff in Brazil's closest...
BY LORENZO MONTANARI - This push for a global tax crackdown ignores the reality that the modern globalized world is inevitably moving towards free markets, deregulation and mobile capital.
China’s fight against deeply ingrained corruption will never end, the country’s top official in charge of tackling graft said ahead of a key meeting to root out corruption in the world’s second-largest economy....
This paper attempts to clarify the links between illicit financial flows and corruption, and how corruption may be tackled by stemming such flows. For this purpose, it clarifies the terminology surrounding illicit flows, describes the impact of such flows, outlines the techniques used to launder them (with a particular focus on laundering of the proceeds of corruption), and critically analyses existing policies designed to tackle illicit flows.
This paper contributes to the regulatory debate that is emerging in response to the financial crisis, as the accepted wisdom of deregulated global financial markets is being challenged. A major change in approach to tackling illicit flows is recommended. Such an approach should be more evidence-based, and consider the costs and benefits of policy choices. It should also specifically go beyond the current reliance on anti-money laundering policies and embrace more fully other policies to tackle illicit flows – including good governance reforms to tackle corruption as a source of illicit funds, but also more decisive efforts by rich countries that shelter secrecy havens or the proceeds of grand corruption.
In April of 2012, a web-based platform to fight corruption was launched. This innovative civil society approach to tackle corruption through social media was introduced to the people of Kosovo. Just like other social media sites, this interactive site provides opportunities for citizens of Kosovo to freely report corruption cases that they face and exchange comments about corruption. Responsible bodies in the Government follow-up on reported cases and these reported cases will then appear as either “verified” or “unverified”.
This initiative is part of our work through the UNDP Kosovo Governance Team to improve capacities for policy planning, policy implementation and administration at central and local levels for effective and gender-responsive governance. My role in this initiative has been to develop the concept of the social media site, consult with civil society organisations and select a partner and coordinate the implementation of the concept. I also organized the launching event.
Constant consultation with civil society organisations on the development of the concept and its implementation was important since the initiative needed to be locally driven and sustainable. In light of this, Internews Kosova, a local partner, was selected to create and manage the social media site. This gave them an opportunity to further develop their capacity and knowledge.
For this social media site, the Kosovo Anti-Corruption Agency (KACA) and the Kosovo Prosecutorial Council were involved in the management of the data. From the beginning, I was regularly in touch with KACA, the Kosovo Judicial Council (KJC), the Kosovo Police (KP) and other relevant actors in ensuring commitment to help build better governance.
Many government officials participated in the launch to support this project. KACA, the Office of Disciplinary Council of KJC and KP showed excitement and appreciation of this initiative.
I am very grateful for the support I received from all stakeholders, partners and colleagues from the UNDP Governance Team and Communication Unit to help realize this project that included a successful launch. I look forward to seeing the citizens of Kosovo maximize use of the site through their active involvement in developing their own society. The website is accessible from www.kallxo.com.
Biography: Hiroko Oda is a UNV Governance Programme Analyst with UNDP Kosovo. More about: Civil society Governance ICT Countries: Kosovo - All references to Kosovo on this website are made in the context of UN Security Council Resolution 1244 (1999) Other languages: en español
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"It says something about this country. It says something about our standing in the world and our sense of duty in helping others... in short - it says something about the kind of people we are ... And that makes me proud to be British."
As exhibited by UK Prime Minister David Cameron, who made the above comment on 8 June 2013, governments of wealthy countries like to tell tales of generous aid spending and a common responsibility to help those less fortunate in the world. But there is another story to tell. And it is not a story of what is given to continents such as Africa, but of what is taken away.
Research published today reveals that whilst the continent receives $30 billion in aid a year, this figure pales in comparison to the $192 billion leaving the continent via illicit financial flows, the repatriation of multinational company profits, debt repayments, loss of skilled workers, illegal logging and fishing, and the costs imposed as a result of climate change.
When these losses are compared to overall financial inflows - including not just aid but foreign investment and remittances - Africa is left with a $58 billion a year net loss. To put it in to context, that is over one and a half times the estimated $37 billion a year extra funding it would cost to deliver universal health coverage for everyone in the world.
These figures expose the true financial relationship of wealthy countries with Africa, a relationship that is seldom mentioned by politicians. It is a relationship in which the world doesn't aid Africa, but in which Africa aids the world.
President Barack Obama's lengthy record of prosecuting whistleblowers and targeting journalists speaks for itself, according to Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist James Risen. Speaking to...
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Ukraine goes to the polls Sunday in elections set to dramatically reshape parliament after a year of violent upheavals in which a deadly pro-Russian uprising has threatened to splinter the ex-Soviet state.
Illicit financial flows (IFFs) are illegal movements of money or capital from one country to another. GFI classifies this movement as an illicit flow when the funds are illegally earned, transferred, and/or utilized. Some examples of illicit financial flows might include:
A drug cartel using trade-based money laundering techniques to mix legal money from the sale of used cars with illegal money from drug sales; An importer using trade misinvoicing to evade customs duties, VAT, or income taxes; A corrupt public official using an anonymous shell company to transfer dirty money to a bank account in the United States; An human trafficker carrying a briefcase of cash across the border and depositing it in a foreign bank; or A terrorist wiring money from the Middle East to an operative in Europe.
GFI estimates that in 2011, US$946.7 billion left developing countries in illicit financial outflows. This methodology is regarded as highly conservative, as it does not pick up movements of bulk cash, the mispricing of services, or many types of money laundering.
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