International Anti-Corruption Conference maps out global governance agenda

The 12th International Anti-Corruption Conference (IACC) today came to a close in Guatemala City with the publication of a powerful declaration that charts a course of action for the global anti-corruption movement in the coming years. The IACC brought together over one thousand governance practitioners and experts from a variety of fields and 115 countries.

“When we arrived in Guatemala, we asked a fundamental question: why is corruption still blocking the way towards a fairer world? The 12th IACC has made clear that there are no simple answers,” said the Honorable Justice Barry O’Keefe, Chairman of the International Anti-Corruption Conference Council. “But three simple truths emerged: countries cannot afford to be complacent about corruption; they must now move beyond expressions of political will to take concrete actions; the people must demand accountability.”

The declaration reaffirmed that civil society is an absolute requisite for a successful fight against corruption. This is more relevant than ever, as civil society freedoms are systematically being curtailed in countries around the globe, a development that generated grave concern among IACC participants.

The declaration also acknowledged the diversity of approaches that the anti-corruption fight necessitates by formulating conference conclusions on global and regional conventions, on humanitarian assistance, on the environment and the extractive industries.

The political weight of the conference was illustrated by the presence of six presidents – from Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Panama, along with two representatives from Belize and the Dominican Republic who signed the Guatemala Declaration that commits them to fight corruption and promote transparency.

The conference included a moving presentation of the Transparency International Integrity Award to Peruvian prosecutor and anti-corruption campaigner Dr. Ana Cecilia Magallanes, honoring her efforts in bringing members of the Fujimori-Montesinos network to justice.

The conference unanimously called for Chile’s speedy extradition to Peru of former Peruvian president Alberto Fujimori.

Justice O’Keefe observed, “This has been a conference of action”.

Click here to read the full declaration.

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