A/HRC/44/27 and cultural rights (E/2017/70, para. 39). While there is no human right to freedom from corruption in international human rights law, corruption is antithetical to human rights. It is notable that, in its submission, Guatemala reported that its Constitution referred to the right to a life free from corruption. IV. Preventive measures A. Preventive anti-corruption policies and practices (art. 5) and preventive anti-corruption body or bodies (art. 6) 21. In line with article 5 of the United Nations Convention against Corruption, all States parties should develop and implement or maintain effective, coordinated anti-corruption policies that promote the participation of society and reflect the principles of the rule of law, proper management of public affairs and public property, integrity, transparency and accountability. Similarly, the World Conference on Human Rights recommended that each State consider the desirability of drawing up a national action plan identifying steps whereby that State would improve the promotion and protection of human rights. 6 22. An efficient anti-corruption strategy must be informed by key human rights principles. An independent judiciary, freedom of the press, freedom of expression, access to information, transparency in the political system and accountability are essential both for developing successful anti-corruption strategies and for promoting the enjoyment of human rights. So too is a serious commitment to the progressive realization of economic and social rights. 7 Moreover, participation leads to better informed and more sustainable decisionmaking and to more effective, accountable and transparent institutions. This in turn enhances the legitimacy of States’ decisions and their ownership by all members of society. 8 The inclusive nature of the processes for developing national anti-corruption strategies or policies, namely the engagement with a wide range of stakeholders, including civil society, has also been identified as a good practice by the secretariat of the Conference of the States Parties to the United Nations Convention against Corruption (CAC/COSP/2019/9, para. 12). 23. In this respect, Austria highlighted its national anti-corruption strategy, in which it had adopted a holistic approach to preventing and combating corruption. Not only was the strategy the result of cooperation between the federal ministries, the regions, civil society and other relevant institutions and stakeholders but, above all, its structure and goals were grounded in the protection and the furtherance of human rights. Georgia too drew attention to its national anti-corruption strategy and action plan, adding that civil society actively participated in the policy planning, monitoring and evaluation processes overseen by the State Interagency Coordination Council and that the reforms devised within the anticorruption policy framework corresponded to the objective of the national human rights strategy. Romania highlighted that its national anti-corruption strategy, which integrated human rights principles such as transparency and accountability, had been developed in consultation with some 90 civil society organizations, public institutions and companies. The Centre of Analysis and Research in Human Rights and the International Network of Human Rights recommended the active participation of national human rights institutions in the development and adoption of public policies for tackling corruption. 24. In line with article 6 of the United Nations Convention against Corruption, all States parties should ensure the existence of bodies to prevent corruption. As their counterparts, national human rights institutions play an important role in the promotion and protection of human rights.9 The Human Rights Council, in its resolution 41/9, encouraged national anti- 6 7 8 9 See Vienna Declaration and Programme of Action, part II, para. 71 (A/CONF.157/23). OHCHR, “The human rights case against corruption” (Geneva, 2013), p. 6. See the guidelines for States on the effective implementation of the right to participate in public affairs, p. 3. The principles relating to the status of national institutions for the promotion and protection of human rights (the Paris Principles) are the international standard for national human rights institutions. For 5