Welcome to the contribution to combating corruption provided by the Interpol Group of Experts on Corruption. These pages, which provide for both unrestricted access (for the public at large), and restricted access, are designed to be accessible for law enforcement only, and will initially serve:

• to introduce the IGEC along with its initiatives to combat corruption to the International community,
• to raise awareness of corruption and to provide tools for those dedicated to combating corruption,
• to facilitate easy access to these tools, such as the 'Global Standards to Combat Corruption in Police Forces/Services', and the 'Library of Best Practice'.

Background

Resolutions AG-2002-RES-01 71st Session Adopting the global standards to combat corruption in police forces/services AG-2001-RES-04 70th Session Global Standards to Combat Corruption in Police Forces/Services AGN/69/RES/5 69th Session Supporting further anti-corruption initiatives of the Interpol Group of Experts on Corruption AGN/68/RES/4 68th Session Supporting the initiatives of the Interpol Group of Experts on Corruption

Structure of the IGEC

The concept and structure of the Group is, in essence, that it should be made up in equal numbers with law enforcement representatives from the Interpol regions, namely Africa, the Americas, Asia, the Middle East and Europe. This would allow for co-ordination and harmonization of the different national and regional approaches to combating corruption. In addition, the IGEC is complimented by a variety of other international role players in the anti-corruption campaign. The motivation for this approach is the general belief that law enforcement should combat corruption (as a phenomenon) holistically, in co-operation with all the major role players and the community at large. 'Terms of Reference' for IGEC were endorsed in January, 2003 in Hong Kong.

IGEC 's current membership

The IGEC is currently chaired by the Honourable Justice Barry O'Keefe AM, and is comprised of the following experts :

• law enforcement representatives from Canada, Hong Kong (China), Egypt, Kenya, Malaysia, Mexico, the European Commission, the United Kingdom, the United States, South Africa, Thailand and the Interpol General Secretariat; representatives from the Financial Services Community, the Transparency International, the United Nations and the World Bank, a professor from the University of Ottawa (Canada).

Products

The IGEC has thus far met 13 times and has finalised the following projects :

• it has drafted a 'mission statement' for the Group, as well as a 'working' definition of corruption;
• it drafted a 'Declaration of Intent' for law enforcement, encompassing a 'Code of Ethics' and a 'Code of Conduct', which was subsequently adopted by the Interpol General Assembly in Seoul 1999;
• it conducted a 'Police Integrity Survey' of its 181 member countries; the objective of which was to benchmark member's current ability to effectively combat corruption;
• it formulated a draft set of 'Global Standards to Combat Corruption in Police Forces/Services', which were institutionalised by the Interpol General Assembly held in Cameroon in October 2002.
• it published in 2003 a 'Library of Best Practice' designed to aid investigators of corruption cases.

Current projects

The Group is now focusing its efforts on:

• conducting a further 'Police Integrity Survey';
  • refining and implementing an international network of 'national contact points', to serve as a point of 'first contact' with regards to operational cooperation;
• revising and updating the 'Library of Best Practice';
• developing a model for 'ethics-based training';
• developing a model to monitor within member countries the implementation and the efficacy of the Global Standards.
  

The Library of Best Practices

From the outset, it should be clear that this is the first edition, and it is envisaged that an even greater variety of subject matter will be available with the next edition. In addition to the hard copy version, the Library is available on a CD-ROM, as well as on the restricted access part of Interpol's web site.

The library should serve first and foremost as a reference or pointer system to those organisations that actively lead the fight against corruption. For this reason, each contribution clearly states the source of the article. The reader will also find (attached as an appendix) a comprehensive list of agencies with an anti-corruption mandate, including contact particulars for each of those agencies.

The library also serves as a tool, to provide law enforcement officers with sufficient information on an array of important topics, which should improve their ability and effectiveness in combating corruption. The objective of this tool is to facilitate the implementation and realisation of the 'Global Standards to Combat Corruption in Police Forces/Services'.

Interpol Global Standards to Combat Corruption in Police Forces/Services

These 'Global Standards' have been prepared by the Interpol Group of Experts on Corruption (IGEC), convened by Interpol as one of its initiatives to implement the General Assembly's Declaration to Combat Corruption, taken in Seoul, Korea in 1999, and mandated at the 69th Meeting of the General Assembly (Rhodes, 2000).

These Global Standards were presented to the 70th General Assembly (Budapest, 2001) which, in resolution AG-2001-RES-04 (adopted by 108 votes for, 1 against, 5 abstentions), commended the work of the IGEC, requested comments from the members by 30 June 2002, and directed the General Secretariat to make a final report to the 71st General Assembly to be held in Yaounde, Cameroon. During the General Assembly in Yaounde, the Interpol membership voted overwhelmingly in favour of adopting the 'Global Standards', and tasked the IGEC with facilitating the implementation of these Standards.

These Standards consist of several principles and numerous measures designed to improve the resistance to succumbing to corruption, as well as the efficacy in combating it, and to represent an ideal to which we are confident that our member countries will strive towards. These Standards have been well received by the international law enforcement community and mark the beginning of a pro-active approach for law enforcement to combating Corruption.