C- Fighter Anti-Corruption Guide - Word for the Day 07-09-09

CONVENTIONS

Definition

International and regional agreements signed or formally adopted through ratification by multiple states that establish rules and standards on issues which are typically cross-border in nature and require a common approach for effective, multilateral cooperation.


Example in practice

With 140 government signatories, the United Nations Convention against Corruption
(UNCAC) is the first international anti-corruption instrument that legally binds acceding and ratifying countries to implement far-reaching reforms and establishes a common stance for efforts to combat corruption. Other multilateral conventions on corruption include the OECD Anti-Bribery Convention, the African Union Convention on Preventing and Combating Corruption and the Inter-American Convention on Corruption.

Relevant links

—— Interpol: Conventions Regarding Anti-Corruption.
www.interpol.int/Public/Corruption/Conventions/default.asp

—— Transparency International: Anti-Corruption Conventions and Other International
Instruments.
www.transparency.org/global_priorities/international_conventions

—— U4 Anti-Corruption Resource Centre: Anti-Corruption Conventions – An Overview.
www.u4.no/themes/conventions/intro.cfm

—— UK Anti-Corruption Forum.
www.anticorruptionforum.org.uk/acf/fs/resources/instruments/

C- Fighter Anti-Corruption Guide - Word for the Day - 06-09-09

COMPLIANCE

Definition
Refers to the procedures, systems or departments within public agencies or companies that ensure all legal, operational and financial activities are in conformity with current laws, rules, norms, regulations and standards.

Example in practice

In Bhutan, those who are found guilty of failing to comply with the Anti-Corruption Act of 2006, which requires public servants to accurately declare their assets and liabilities, are subject to penalties under the country’s penal code.


Relevant links

—— Compliance Week.
www.complianceweek.com/

—— Ernst & Young: Corruption or Compliance - Weighing the Costs, 10th Global Fraud
Survey.
www.ey.com/Global/assets.nsf/International/FIDS_Corruption_or_compliance_weighing_t
he_costs/$file/Corruption_or_compliance_weighing_the_costs.pdf

—— GTZ: A Comparison of Compliance Reviews Based on the UN Convention against
Corruption.
www.igac.net/pdf/publications_gtz_compliance.pdf

C- Fighter Anti-Corruption Guide - Word for the Day - 05-09-09

COLLUSION

Definition

A secret agreement between parties, in the public and/or private sector, to conspire to commit actions aimed to deceive or commit fraud with the objective of illicit financial gain. The parties involved often are referred to as ‘cartels’. The collusion is a type of fraud and includes a secret agreement between two or more persons, who seem to, and promote the appearance of having conflicting interests, to abuse the law or the legal system, deceive a court or to defraud a third party.

Example in practice

The Ghanaian government has been accused of allegedly colluding with logging companies to allow them to operate without the proper licensing and certification standards, resulting in estimates by civil society organisations that only 5 of the 600 logging concessions in the country are legal.

Relevant links

—— European Investment Bank: Anti-Fraud Policy.
www.eib.org/attachments/strategies/anti_fraud_policy_20080408_en.pdf

—— OECD: Glossary of Statistical Terms.
http://stats.oecd.org/glossary/detail.asp?ID=3159

—— US Department of Justice: An Antitrust Primer.
www.usdoj.gov/atr/public/guidelines/211578.htm

-- List of 14 Links to Collusion releases, cases and judgments
http://www.serve.com/pfc/collusion.html

C- Fighter Anti-Corruption Guide - Word for the Day - 04-09-09

CODE OF CONDUCT

Definition
Statement of principles and values that establishes a set of expectations and standards for how an organisation, government body, company, affiliated group or individual will behave, including minimal levels of compliance and disciplinary actions for the organisation, its staff and volunteers.


Example in practice

The federal government of Nigeria has adopted a ‘Code of Conduct for Ministers and Special Advisers’ engaged in government business dealings to ensure that the actions and behaviour of public officers conform to the highest standards of public morality and accountability.

Relevant links

—— EU Code of Conduct on Arms Exports.
www.consilium.eu.int/uedocs/cmsUpload/08675r2en8.pdf

—— UN International Code of Conduct for Public Officials.
www.un.org/documents/ga/res/51/a51r059.htm

—— World Bank: Fighting Judicial Integrity – Examples of Judicial Codes of Conduct.
http://web.worldbank.org/WBSITE/EXTERNAL/TOPICS/EXTLAWJUSTINST/0,,contentM
DK:20756643~menuPK:2036129~pagePK:210058~piPK:210062~theSitePK:1974062,00.
html

C- Fighter Anti-Corruption Guide - Word for the Day - 03-09-09

CLIENTELISM

Definition

An unequal system of exchanging resources and favours based on an exploitative
relationship between a wealthier and/or more powerful ‘patron’ and a less wealthy and
weaker ‘client’.


Example in practice

- In Mexico, caciques, or local power brokers, provide peasants with plots of land, loans, security and a medium through which to sell their crops in exchange for the peasants’ votes and support, often using strong-arm tactics to reinforce their power.


Relevant links

—— USAID: Clientelism, Patrimonialism and Democratic Governance - An Overview and
Framework for Assessment and Programming.
http://pdf.usaid.gov/pdf_docs/Pnacr426.pdf

—— World Bank: Policy Research Paper, Democracy, Credibility and Clientelism.
www.0wds.worldbank.org/external/default/WDSContentServer/IW3P/IB/2005/02/02/000009486
_20050202165259/Rendered/PDF/wps3472.pdf

C- Fighter Anti-Corruption Guide - Word for the Day - 02-09-09

CIVIL SOCIETY

Definition

The arena, outside of the family, state and market where people associate to advance a common set of interests. Voluntary and community groups, non-governmental
organisations (NGOs), trade unions and faith-based organisations commonly are included in this sphere, making the term broader than an NGO.

Example in practice

- An assessment of Mali’s civil society has shown that at the grassroots level, there are numerous parents’ associations, community committees on health, women’s associations and other groups that have come together to advocate for their members’ interests vis-àvis the government’s provision of services. National-level groups, such as those representing journalists, have also formed, including to pressure the government to better and more systematically address corruption and poverty.
- In 2008 the Caribbean Procurement Institute and the International Federation of Purchasing and Supply Management (IFPSM) sponsored the establishment of the non-profit Caribbean Association of Procurement Professionals (CAPP) a civil society organisation dedicated to promoting public procurement reform and enhancing procurement professionalism throughout the Caribbean region.
- The C-Fighter Community (Right here!) is an example of a civil society initiative to help curb corruption in society. Join the C-Fighter Community on LMG World TV.

Relevant links

—— Civicus.
www.civicus.org

—— BBC World Service: Civil Society - The Ultimate Third Way.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/special_report/1999/02/99/e—cyclopedia/1156120.stm

—— European Commission: Justice and Home Affairs – Freedom, Security and Justice
Glossary.
http://ec.europa.eu/justice_home/glossary/glossary_c_en.htm

—— UN Non-Governmental Liaison Service.
www.un-ngls.org

—— World Bank: Civil Society.
http://web.worldbank.org/WBSITE/EXTERNAL/TOPICS/CSO/0,,pagePK:220469~theSite
PK:228717,00.html

C- Fighter Anti-Corruption Guide - Word for the Day - 01-09-09

BRIBERY

Definition

The offering, promising, giving, accepting or soliciting of an advantage as an inducement for an action which is illegal, unethical or a breach of trust. Inducements can take the form of gifts, loans, fees, rewards or other advantages (taxes, services, donations, etc.).

Example in practice

- More than 15 percent of respondents to a national household survey in Guatemala reported that they paid a bribe when trying to (re)connect to the public water system.
- In Bangladesh, 64.5 percent of citizens in a national survey responded that they paid a bribe when interacting with law enforcement agencies. Bribery across all agencies in Bangladesh is estimated to reduce the country’s national income by 3.84 percent.
- The State Administration for Industry and Commerce in China reported that in the first quarter of 2009 a total of 584 business bribery cases were uncovered, which was a decrease of 1.18% over the same period in 2008.


Relevant links

—— OECD Anti-Bribery Convention.
www.oecd.org/department/0,3355,en_2649_34859_1_1_1_1_1,00.html

——Transparency International’s Bribe Payers Index.
www.transparency.org/policy_research/surveys_indices/bpi

——Transparency International’s Business Principles for Countering Bribery.
www.transparency.org/global_priorities/private_sector/business_principles