Corruption and Human Rights: Making the Connection
CORRUPTION AND HUMAN RIGHTS: MAKING THE CONNECTION, ICHRP, Geneva, Switzerland, 2009
119 Pages Posted: 16 Feb 2010
Date Written: 2009
Abstract
In recent years, governments and international organisations have taken many initiatives to reduce corruption. However, the issue has rarely been analysed from the point of view of human rights. Therefore, in 2007 the Council commenced a project focused on the connection between corruption and human rights. The project aims to assist organisations that prosecute or support anti-corruption policies to apply human rights effectively to strengthen their programmes; to make human rights bodies and mechanisms more accessible to those who work to end corruption; and to make anti-corruption methods and practices more accessible to human rights advocates.
This report, Corruption and Human Rights: Making the Connection, develops a conceptual framework enabling users to describe, in specific terms, how violations of human rights may be linked to particular acts of corruption. It sets out why those working on corruption and those working on human rights have reasons to cooperate, and delineates the main features of the two traditions of practice. It also builds links between specific acts of corruption and specific violations of rights – recognising that the links are sometimes indirect and that in some cases corruption may not violate human rights, strictly understood.
Using a conceptual framework for assessing when particular acts of corruption violate human rights, this report shows how organisations can promote human rights while working to end corruption.
Keywords: human rights, corruption
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