A/HRC/4/71 page 29 • Access to information is fundamental to the elimination of corruption; • Importance of bottoms-up efforts was emphasized. 2. How human rights and good governance principles can help in fighting corruption The following points were raised during the presentations: • Potential positive role of national human rights institutions with anti-corruption mandates: the experience of Ghana, which has incorporated anti-corruption into its mandate; • Value of human rights experience, methods, advocacy, etc., for anti-corruption efforts; • Bangalore Principles of Judicial Conduct (2003) was a valuable exercise and showed where use of human rights mechanisms can be useful; • Importance of engaging different actors and building alliances between them on anti-corruption policies; • Importance of separating the political and administrative spheres to protect integrity and ensure accountability; • Poverty is caused by both “need and greed” that require different strategies; • There is also a need for judicial reforms: extending number of acts that are criminal; replacing old laws that facilitate corruption; providing clear rules of evidence that allow prosecution to take place; developing effective sanctions (such as seizure of assets and prevention of travel). Justice should be accessible, rapid and efficient, and the judicial system should be subject to public scrutiny; • Several examples of value and use of access to information laws around the world were presented. 3. Role of civil society, private sector and media The presentations in relation to this theme focused on the following issues: • Crucial role of civil society in addressing corruption issues and its ability to use human rights principles in fighting corruption (e.g.: through access to information laws); • Need to broaden anti-corruption efforts beyond governments to include focus on the supply side of corruption. One way to do this is to look for and correct problems from “the inside” of companies; change is often easier if the request for change comes from those who need it as opposed to from outside (like the United Nations);