For nearly twenty years, the biennial International
Anti-Corruption Conference (IACC) has brought together
anti-corruption practitioners and academics to share
ideas and information. Previous conferences were held
in Washington (1983), New York, (1985), Hong Kong (1987),
Sydney (1989), Amsterdam (1992), Cancun (1993), Lima
(1997), Durban (1999), and Prague (2001).
The idea for the conference first arose among a number
of anti-corruption law enforcement agencies, including
Hong Kong's Independent Commission. Against Corruption,
the Inspector General for the District of Columbia (Washington
D.C.), and the New York City Department of
Investigation. While the initial focus was on law enforcement
issues and on strategies for deterring and investigating
official corruption, the scope of the conference quickly
grew to include the entire spectrum of stakeholders
in efforts to combat corruption and fraud throughout
the world. The IACC is now the premiere global forum
for the networking and exchange of ideas that is indispensable
to effective global and national advocacy and action.
The conference series has come to attract politicians,
national and local government officials, representatives
of the world of business, the judiciary, law enforcement
officials, legal and accounting professions, researchers,
international development organisations, the media,
and NGOs.
The IACC Council ? the oversight body for the
conference series - was established in September
1996, with Transparency International (TI) as
its Secretariat. Since then, both the Council
and TI have helped organise the 8th IACC in Lima,
the 9th IACC in Durban (1999), and the 10th IACC
in Prague (2001). The IACC Council's principal
function is to provide advice and assistance to
the host of each conference and to ensure that
the IACCs are conducted in |
|
 |
accordance with the principles contained in the Guidelines
for the Holding of the International Anti-Corruption
Conference. As stated in the Guidelines, the objective
of the IACC series is "…to stimulate the global
exchange of experience and methodology in controlling
corruption, and to foster international co-operation
among citizens and institutions from all parts of the
world".
< Previous Conferences >
8th IACC
● Lima, Peru, 7-11 September
1997
● The State and Civil Society
in the Fight Against Corruption
Over 1000 delegates from 93 countries attended the
8th IACC. The conference was organised by a Peruvian
Organising Committee, consisting of public and private
sector institutions and civil society organisations.
The opening ceremony was highlighted by messages of
support from United Nations Secretary General Kofi
Annan and a speech by the Secretary General of the
OAS, Cesar Gaviria. The conference included representatives
from UNDP, the World Bank, the IMF, Interpol, World
Customs Organisation, the OAS, OECD, Council of Europe,
IADB, ICC, IFAC and the International Bar Association.
The conference offered 50 workshops addressing a
variety of issues, such as ‘Lawyers. Whose Side Are
They On?’,‘The Effects of Corruption on the Fight
Against Poverty’, and ‘Political Party Funding: Can
It Be Controlled?’. The conference culminated in the
formulation of an unprecedented international anti-corruption
work programme ? the Lima Declaration Against Corruption.
9th
IACC
●
Durban, South Africa, 10-15 October 1999
● Global Integrity: 2000 and
Beyond - Developing Anti-Corruption Strategies in a
Changing World. There were 1,500 participants
from 135 countries at the 9th IACC. It was the first
IACC to be held in Africa and was a testament to the
growing concern among African governments and civil
society organisations about the devastating effects
of corruption. The five-day conference was hosted
by the South African government and organised by a
South African Organising Committee convened by TI-South
Africa, including representatives of the public, private
and civil society sectors. It was opened by South
African President, Thabo Mbeki and addressed by plenary
speakers such as Ronald K. Noble, Secretary General
of Interpol, and Mustafa Kamal, Chief Justice of the
Supreme Court of Bangladesh It included participants
from the United Nations, UNDP, WHO, World Bank, IMF,
World Customs Organisation, Interpol, OECD, OAS, IADB,
African and Asian Development Banks, IAP, ICC, IFAC,
INTOSAI, IFJ and Article 19.
The conference offered over forty workshops covering
a wide range of corruption-related issues, including
topics such as ‘Good Corporate Governance and Business
Ethics’, ‘Corruption and the Role of the Media’, and
‘Developing an Ethical Police Force’. The conference
concluded with the adoption of the Durban Commitment
to Effective Action Against Corruption. This document
drew on the conclusions prepared in each of the conference
workshops, and was adopted by acclamation by conference
delegates.
10th
IACC
●
Prague, Czech Republic, 7-11 October 2001,
● Together Against Corruption
- Designing Strategies, Assessing Impact, Reforming
Corrupt Institutions. There were 1,200 participants
from 133 countries at the 10th IACC. This was the
first IACC to be held in the Central and Eastern Europe
region and focused in particular on the difficulties
of combating corruption in transition economies. It
was hosted jointly by the government of the Czech
Republic and TI-Czech Republic and was opened by Czech
President Vaclav Havel. The plenary sessions were
addressed by many distinguished speakers, including
Mexican President Vicente Fox Quesada, French investigating
judge Eva Joly, and philanthropist and financier,
George Soros. The conference included representatives
from the United Nations, UNDP, World Bank, IMF, WHO,
World Customs Organisation, Interpol, IAP, OECD, OSCE,
OAS, IADB, EBRD, IADB, the African and Asian Development
Banks, the EU Commission, the Council of Europe, ICC,
IFAC, INTOSAI, IFJ and Global Witness.
Over the course of four days, the conference delegates
met in morning plenaries, and in over seventy different
workshops addressing a wide range of issues such as
‘Judicial corruption: Causes, consequences and remedies’,
‘The private sector´s role in funding conflict: Can
it be contained? and ‘E-governance and the fight against
corruption’. The conference closed with the adoption
by delegates of the Prague Agenda, which summarised
its conclusions.
Complementing the main conference programme in Prague
were a number of Creative Workshops and a Students'
Forum, both new to the IACCs, as well as a series
of cultural events based on the theme of anti-corruption.
These events included a visual art exhibition, theatre
performances, and the first ever International Anti-Corruption
Film Festival. The 10th IACC also offered a venue
for the 2001 TI Integrity Awards.
|
