global priorities/international conventions/conventions explained/purpose

How do anti-corruption conventions and instruments help?

Anti-corruption conventions and instruments are especially important in setting a framework for addressing cross-border issues, the latter arising naturally in an environment characterised by global investment, finance and trade.

These agreements also serve to establish valuable common standards for domestic institutions, policies, processes and practices, which are of assistance for anti-corruption efforts at national level.

The standards and requirements for governments established by international agreements cannot be easily dismissed given their international backing.

International anti-corruption conventions serve to:

facilitate international cooperation in the control and sanctioning of cross-border corruption
provide internationally agreed reference points, useful for reforming governments, citizens and donors.
create peer pressure on governments, especially when bolstered by an effective review process.
provide civil society with a tool for holding their governments accountable.
promote collective pressure on the private sector.
provide fora in which governments and other actors can discuss corruption issues, align concepts and review anti-corruption efforts.

Many anti-corruption conventions contemplate the creation of intergovernmental follow-up mechanisms in order to assure that the States Parties comply with their commitments. These monitoring or review mechanisms are essential for the conventions to be effective. See section on monitoring.