Anti-Corruption

International aspects of combatting corruption

Corruption benefits the few at the expense of the general public. Every year billions of Euros disappear into the pockets of corrupt individuals. Corruption undermines the rule of law and democracy and jeopardizes the development of entire nations. All too often, the poorest citizens are the most severely affected by corruption and its impacts. Austria is engaged in the international fight against corruption and has ratified several international agreements in this field. As part of their implementation, Austria takes part in periodic peer reviews conducted by other States.

The United Nations have been involved in combatting corruption since the mid-1970s. The Vienna-based United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) plays a key role in the UN’s anti-corruption efforts by joining forces in combatting corruption and cooperating with governments, experts and NGOs.

The United Nations Convention against Corruption (UNCAC) is the first legally binding universal anti-corruption instrument. UNCAC entered into force on 14 December 2005. Austria ratified UNCAC on 11 January 2006. The UNCAC Working Groups, the Implementation Review Group (IRG) and the Conference of the States Parties (CoSP) are mandated with facilitating the implementation of the Convention and provide a forum for exchange of information and expertise. To this end, the following subsidiary bodies hold periodic meetings: The UNCAC Working Groups, the Implementation Review Group (IRG) and the Conference of State Parties (CoSP). The COSP meets every two years at the invitation of a member government (the most recent meeting took place in Sharm el Sheik, Egypt, in December 2021). The IRG guides and oversees the centrepiece of UNCAC: The UNCAC Implementation Review Mechanism, a peer review process that assists States parties in effectively implementing the Convention.

A close partner in the international fight against corruption is the International Anti-Corruption Academy (IACA) based in Laxenburg, Lower Austria, which is the first such dedicated institution worldwide. As a training centre for anti-corruption experts, it also acts as a hub for the collection and dissemination of expert knowledge and expertise. Austria, together with UNODC, INTERPOL and the European Anti-Fraud Office (OLAF) was one of the driving forces behind the establishment of IACA and is its biggest financial supporter.

In addition, Austria ratified the OECD Anti-Bribery Convention on 20 May 1999. The convention establishes legally binding standards to criminalise bribery of foreign public officials in international business transactions and provides for a host of related measures that make this effective. It is the first international anti-corruption instrument focused on the “supply side” of the bribery transaction. The evaluation of implementation and enforcement of the OECD Anti-Bribery Convention takes place in successive phases through a rigorous peer-review monitoring system and is conducted by the OECD Working Group on Bribery in International Business Transactions.

Austria is also an active member of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) and participates in OSCE’s efforts on combatting and preventing corruption. In the framework of the economic and environmental dimension of the OSCE, the Office of the Co-ordinator of OSCE Economic and Environmental Activities (OCEEA) promotes an inclusive and multi-stakeholder approach that involves relevant government entities including prosecuting authorities, law enforcement and specialized anti-corruption agencies, Ministries of Finance and Justice, and Financial Intelligence Units, representatives of civil society, NGOs, private sector as well as academia. Given the cross-dimensional nature of its activities, the OCEEA also works closely together with other OSCE institutions, thematic units and network of Field Operations, as well as with international and regional partner organizations. The OCEEA is supported by Anita Ramasastry, the OSCE Special Representative on Combating Corruption.

On 1 December 2006, Austria became a member of the Group of States against Corruption within the Council of Europe (GRECO). Following the Council of Europe’s multi-disciplinary approach, GRECO’s task is the evaluation of compliance with and the implementation of the relevant legal instruments adopted by the Council of Europe. Austria has already been evaluated four times in the framework of GRECO. For information please consult the website of the Federal Ministry of Justice (in German). 

For further information on the international aspects of combatting corruption, please contact the Department I.5 of the Federal Ministry for European and International Affairs (AbtI5(at)bmeia.gv.at) or the Federal Bureau of Anti-Corruption.