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5th Global Forum on Fighting Corruption and Safeguarding Integrity in South Africa

"Fulfilling our commitments: effective action against corruption” was the slogan of the 5th Global Anti-Corruption Forum held from 2 to 5 April 2007 in Johannesburg, South Africa.

The Global Forum V (GFV) was opened on 2 April 2007 by the South African President, T.M. Mbeki, in the presence of UNUSG Antonio Maria Costa, UNODC. It was chaired by the South African Minister for the Department of Public Service and Administration, Geraldine Fraser-Moleketi. The approx. 900 delegates from 110 countries comprised, among others, ministers, deputy ministers as well as high-ranking officials and experts. Austria was represented by the Director of the Federal Bureau for Internal Affairs (BIA), Martin Kreutner.

Several plenary sessions, workshops and discussion rounds, including a ministerial segment, dealt with the topic of the fight against corruption. The plenary adopted a declaration negotiated within two days in an open-ended working group. It contains, inter alia, a commitment to the United Nations Convention Against Corruption (UNCAC) and recognizes the Convention as the global framework for the cooperation between governments, the private sector and independent organizations. The continuation of the Global Forum process was left open and the International Organizing Committee was charged with the elaboration of recommendations, in particular concerning the dissociation from the Conference of States Parties to the UNCAC. Last but not least, the declaration also mentions monitoring mechanisms.

Unfortunately, the host country of the Global Forum VI could not be determined at the end of the conference.In view of the creation of the International Anti-Corruption Academy, especially the commitment to enhance special anti-corruption educational and research institutions and programmes can be regarded as a success.