A/HRC/44/27 corruption authorities and national human rights institutions, where they existed, to cooperate through the exchange of information, where appropriate, and the development of joint strategies and plans of action to fight corruption and its negative impact on the enjoyment of human rights. Austria reported that its Federal Bureau of Anti-Corruption attempted to tackle corruption in a holistic way and that respect for human rights was part of the Bureau’s institutional identity and was reflected in its mission statement. Through preventive measures, it also contributed to countering the negative impact of corruption on the enjoyment of human rights. The State of Palestine referred to the weak link between human rights institutions and the Palestinian Anti-Corruption Commission, adding that human rights organizations did not contribute to studies and workshops undertaken by the Commission, nor did they refer allegations of corruption in the context of human rights violations to it. This is an area that would benefit from further study and the sharing of practical experiences. B. Public sector (art. 7), codes of conduct for public officials (art. 8) and measures relating to the judiciary and prosecution services (art. 11) 25. Article 7 of the United Nations Convention against Corruption addresses the public sector, including conditions of employment, the selection and training of individuals for public positions, criteria concerning candidature for and election to public office and transparency on the funding of candidatures for public office and political parties. PRI reported on the impact of corruption on criminal justice systems, highlighting that there was growing recognition of the problem of corruption within penitentiary settings and of the impact of corruption on the human rights of detainees. PRI emphasized a number of factors that facilitated or exacerbated corruption in penitentiary systems, such as poor detention standards, inadequate pay and understaffing. Corruption affected detainees and prisoners, as well as women and juveniles, disproportionately. PRI highlighted three main causes of corruption in prison staff, namely poor remuneration, a poor working environment and poor public perception of their position. It therefore recommended that prison administrations increase transparency, accountability and oversight; establish clear procedures for the taking and record-keeping of decisions; and improve the recruitment and training of prison staff. One positive example was the creation of the Counter Corruption Unit in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. Another was the creation of a database, accessible through the use of a personal electronic key, of prisoners containing complete information about their previous penalties. Yet another good practice was the provision of specialized training, including on human rights. 26. In line with article 8 of the United Nations Convention against Corruption, States parties should apply codes or standards of conduct for the correct, honourable and proper performance of public functions. Moreover, States parties should establish measures and systems requiring public officials to make declarations regarding their outside activities, employment, investments, assets and substantial gifts or benefits from which a conflict of interest may result. States parties should take disciplinary or other measures against public officials who violate codes or standards of conduct. 27. Several submissions drew attention to codes of conduct and ethics and included information on asset declaration systems. For example, all employees of the Mauritius Revenue Authority are required to file, on a regular basis, a declaration of assets that is subject to verification. 28. A fundamental pillar of the rule of law is an impartial and independent judiciary. The integrity of the judiciary and prosecution services are important elements of a fair trial and essential for combating corruption.10 Supporting the integrity of the justice system is therefore a good way to combat corruption. In 2018, UNODC established the Global Judicial Integrity Network with the aim of promoting opportunities for judges and other members of judiciaries to share experiences and knowledge, providing access to resources, 10 6 an initiative to elaborate similar standards for anti-corruption bodies, see the Jakarta Statement on Principles for Anti-Corruption Agencies. See article 11 of the United Nations Convention against Corruption and article 14 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.

Select target paragraph3

Connect to a paragraph
Connect to an entity
Disable highlights
Add to table of contents