Integrating Human Rights in the Anti-Corruption Agenda: Challenges, Possibilities and Opportunities
104 Pages Posted: 9 Nov 2010
Date Written: October 1, 2010
Abstract
This report follows on from the ICHRP's 2009 report, Corruption and Human Rights: Making the Connection. It builds on the conceptual framework developed in that report to address issues of implementation, providing a practical tool for applying and operationalising human rights principles and methods in local and national anti-corruption programmes. Innovatively tackling alleged tensions between certain anti-corruption and human rights practices, the report shows how practitioners in both fields can unite efforts and effectively collaborate in the struggle to root out entrenched corruption.
The report is divided into four sections. It begins by analysing principles that are important to both the human rights and anti-corruption movements – participation, transparency and access to information and accountability – and examines how a human rights understanding of these principles can enhance anti-corruption strategies.
The second section focuses on four areas in which human rights can have a specific impact on the global anti-corruption agenda: (1) measurement of corruption, (2) public procurement, (3) political finance and (4) social service provision. In doing so, the report explores how the use of human rights standards and tools can increase the impact of traditional anti-corruption approaches.
The third section discusses the impact of corruption on women and the value of adopting a gender strategy, recognising that corruption disproportionately affects vulnerable and disadvantaged women.
The fourth section discusses the alleged tensions between anti-corruption and human rights and concludes that problems are confined to certain anti-corruption investigation and prosecution procedures and that these are absent from anti-corruption law enforcement in most states.
Keywords: Corruption, human rights, accountability, participation, transparency, gender, access to information
Suggested Citation: Suggested Citation