West Africans gather to map out campaign strategy for adopting anti-corruption conventions to end the “main drain” on development

Berlin, Accra 22 March 2006 — Anti-corruption treaties are the key to getting back monies stolen from African countries, such as an estimated $10 billion embezzled by former presidents Mobutu Sese Seko of Zaire and Sanni Abacha in Nigeria, according to a high-level West Africa Regional workshop organised by Transparency International (TI), the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the South African Institute for Security Studies (ISS).

The African Union and United Nations anti-corruption conventions can protect an African nation’s assets from theft by “kleptocrats” only if West African governments move quicker to ratify and implement them, concluded the workshop, which ended today. Africa’s future development depends on ending the “main drain” of capital siphoned off to European and other foreign banks.

The workshop held in Accra from 20 – 21 March, brought together about 90 parliamentarians, civil society organisations and media representatives from 13 West African nations, including TI chapters from eight West African countries.

“Corruption is economically, politically and socially undermining countries’ development in Africa. These anti- corruption conventions offer a real opportunity to check corruption, but for them to be effective sufficient political traction must exist to implement the necessary anti-corruption policies and to bestow anti-corruption bodies with the authority and independence they need,” said Akere Muna, founder of Transparency International’s chapter in Cameroon and Vice Chair of Transparency International’s Board of Directors.

“The effective implementation and monitoring of these conventions will make it harder for the corrupt to circumvent rules designed to ensure fairness and efficiency, and make it easier to punish them for illicitly enriching themselves at the expense of the people,” he added.

The forum examined the two key anti-corruption conventions, the African Union Convention on Preventing and Combating Corruption and Related Offences (AU Convention) and the United Nations Convention against Corruption (UNCAC). Wide-ranging legislative and institutional changes may be required for the adoption of the two conventions – thus putting into place the protective measures and effective sanctions against corruption. Both the AU Convention and the UNCAC include preventive and punitive measures as well as provision for international cooperation

The workshop:

National groups also presented action plans for advocacy work to promote ratification and implementation of the conventions in their countries. Anti-corruption conventions in Africa provide an international framework for governments and citizens in Africa to refer to in making efforts to strengthen their governance institutions and to tackle the problem of corruption. To date the AU Convention has been ratified by 12 and the UN Convention by 19 African countries.