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Transparency International, in Merkel meeting, urges stronger G8 anti-corruption commitment

All G8 countries must ratify UN anti-corruption convention, says Labelle

In a meeting today of civil society representatives with German Chancellor Angela Merkel, Transparency International Chair Huguette Labelle urged the Group of Eight industrialised nations to adopt a stronger stance against corruption at its June summit in Heiligendamm, Germany.

“The German Presidency of the G8 has already shown that it understands the importance of good governance and anti-corruption,” Labelle continued. “But it cannot stop there. As president of the G8, Germany has a special responsibility to lead the G8 in ensuring that anti-corruption measures are central to the commitments of Heiligendamm and strongly reflected in the final communiqué.”

Corruption is a primary challenge to a strong and stable global economy. Reducing it is essential to increasing the material well-being and human development of the world’s most disadvantaged communities, as well as in fostering democracy, protecting biodiversity, and strengthening the global investment climate.

Following the meeting, Labelle called on Germany to promptly ratify the United Nations Convention against Corruption, the landmark global legal framework.

UNCAC establishes global benchmarks for regulation that are critical to stemming the supply side of corruption and assists some of the world’s poorest countries in recovering stolen assets. Ratification by all G8 nations will send a powerful signal that world leaders take the fight against corruption seriously. In addition, the G8 should support an effective and adequately funded monitoring mechanism for the Convention, with civil society as an integral component.

Germany is one of four G8 countries not to have ratified UNCAC. The others are Italy, Canada and Japan. It is important that all four countries ratify UNCAC as a matter of great urgency.


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