Jump to Navigation | Jump to Content
 American Bar Association - Defending Liberty, Pursuing Justice ABA Logo

Anti-Corruption Programs

Corruption undermines democratization and the rule of law. It impedes every development objective that the Rule of Law Initiative seeks to promote, whether in reform of criminal justice systems, judicial reform, advancement of human rights, or the professionalization of lawyers. The goal of the Rule of Law Initiative's anti-corruption and public integrity work is to contribute to host countries' efforts to develop legal frameworks, institutions, and capacity to prevent and punish corruption, encourage public integrity, and foster accountability, transparency, and public participation.

The Rule of Law Initiative's anti-corruption work emphasizes the following areas:

  • National Anti-Corruption Strategies and Action Plans
  • Public Integrity – Conflict of Interest Rules and Internal Oversight
  • Freedom of Information Laws
  • Civil Society – Awareness, Civic Education, and Advocacy
  • Ethics Codes – Drafting and Enforcement
  • Corruption and Financial Crimes Investigation Training
  • Preventive and Enforcement Tools and Institutions
  • Multilateral Cooperation

To learn more, please visit our Anti-Corruption Program resource page.

Regional Anti-corruption Program (Asia)

 

Thai Lawyers Day Conference: The Role Of Lawyers, The Bar and the Bench in Preventing and Combating Corruption Within the Justice System: Bangkok, Thailand, February 2007

Panelists at the Thai Lawyers Day Conference in Bangkok, Thailand, February 2007
Panelists at the Thai Lawyers Day Conference in Bangkok, Thailand, February 2007

In partnership with the Lawyers Council of Thailand (TLC), in February 2007 the Asia Division co-hosted a two-day conference, “The Role of Lawyers, the Bar and the Bench in Preventing and Combating Corruption Within the Justice System,” in Bangkok, Thailand. 

In honor of the 50th anniversary of Thai Lawyers’ Day, the program brought together bar association leaders, judges, prosecutors and lawyers from Thailand, other Asian countries, the U.S. and Europe, to discuss their respective roles in improving governance in the justice system.  The agenda for the program follows below.

UN Conference Centre in Bangkok, Thailand
UN Conference Centre in Bangkok, Thailand

The program was opened by Her Royal Highness Princess Bajrakitiyabha.  H.R.H. Princess Bajrakitiyabha is a trained lawyer and works as a public prosecutor in Thailand.  U.S. Ambassador Ralph Boyce delivered closing remarks.  A range of experts spoke at the program, including ABA President Karen Mathis, Asia Division Chair Laura Stein, Asia Division Board member J. Clifford Wallace, and the Asia Division's former Regional Anti-Corruption Advisor, Charles Caruso.  Mr. Caruso's successor, Andrew Boname, who now serves as the Asia Regional Anti-Corruption Advisor, also participated in the program. 

Following the first day of the conference, the Asia Division convened an informal roundtable meeting for Asian and international bar leaders who had traveled to Bangkok to attend the larger program.  The group discussed challenges confronted by lawyers in Asia, and explored ways to strengthen networking and information exchange activities.  Represented at the program were bars from Bangladesh, Burma, Korea, Nepal, India, Cambodia, Lao, the Philippines, Indonesia, Timor Leste, and Mongolia, as well as representatives of the International Bar Association, LAWASIA, and Law Council of Australia.

Related Documents:
International Participants at the Thai Lawyers Day Conference pose with ABA President Karen Mathis in Bangkok, Thailand, February 2007
International Participants at the Thai Lawyers Day Conference pose with ABA President Karen Mathis in Bangkok, Thailand, February 2007

The conference was generously funded by the U.S. State Department and U.S. Embassy/Thailand.

 

 

Prosecutorial Ethics Program: Bangkok, Thailand, May 2006

In May 2006, Charles Caruso, the Asia Division’s Regional Anti-Corruption Advisor, presented at a seminar organized by the NAS program dealing with prosecutorial ethics and co-sponsored by the Attorney General of Thailand.  The seminar was two days in length and was attended by members of the Attorney General’s Office as well as local and provincial prosecutors. 

Related Documents:

 

Regional Seminar on Combating Corruption in the Justice Sector in Cooperation with the Malaysia Anti-Corruption Agency Training Academy: Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, May 2006

Participants at the Malaysia Anti-Corruption Academy workshop in Kuala Lumpur, May 2006
Participants at the Malaysia Anti-Corruption Academy workshop in Kuala Lumpur, May 2006

In May 2006, the Asia Division organized and held a seminar in Kuala Lumpur in coordination with the Malaysia Anti-Corruption Academy titled ‘Combating Corruption in the Criminal Justice System.’  The seminar covered a two day period and was alternately attended by between 50 and 75 persons from 13 different countries including members of the judiciary, the prosecution service and various law enforcement agencies. 

Related Documents:
Brian Pearce gives a presentation at the MACA workshop in May 2006.
Brian Pearce gives a presentation at the MACA workshop in May 2006.

 

APEC Conference: Shanghai, China, April 2006

In April 2006, the Asia Division organized a seminar co-sponsored by the People’s Republic of China and APEC which was entitled “Denial of Safe Haven, Asset Recovery and Extradition.”  During the course of the seminar, Charles Caruso, the Asia Division’s Regional Anti-Corruption Advisor, moderated the panel dealing with extradition and presented at the panel discussing “Core Elements of a Denial of Safe Haven Strategy.”  The seminar attracted an audience of over 100 attendees with over 60 persons from 18 different APEC economies.

Related Documents:

 

ADB/OECD Denial of Safe Haven Workshop: Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, March 2006

In March 2006, Charles Caruso, the Asia Division’s Regional Anti-Corruption Advisor, attended the ADB\OECD workshop held in Kuala Lumpur at the Malaysia Anti-Corruption Training Academy.  Mr. Caruso acted as a moderator on two separate panels held at the “Denial of Safe Haven and Return of Corrupted Assets” seminar, dealing with extradition matters.  The first panel discussed problems and solutions dealing with practical problems encountered in routine state practice, while the second dealt with overcoming legal obstacles to extradition. 

Related Documents:

 

The International Evolution of Judicial Ethics and the Bench of Thailand/ Analysis of the Corruption Trial of a Political Figure: Bangkok, Thailand, November 2005

In conjunction with the Criminal Division for Persons Holding Political Positions of the Thai Supreme Court, the Asia Division produced a seminar concentrating on two discreet although philosophically related topics: (1) the development of judicial codes of conduct and ethical standards at an international level and the response of the Thai judiciary to those developments; and (2) the prosecution and resulting trial of a political figure for acts of corruption.  A portion of the seminar featured Thai officials presenting talks on judicial ethics and codified rules of behavior through which the Thai judiciary meets its professional obligations.  During the second part of the program, and in order to present an analysis of how political corruption cases are handled in the U.S., an American judge, prosecutor and defense attorney who were involved in an actual judicial corruption trial in the U.S. made presentations on their respective roles in the case.  

The objectives of the seminar were: (1) to provide an overview of the professional codes of conduct presently in place in Thailand; (2) to share with the audience experiences in the prosecution of a political figure charged with corrupting a legitimate political organization for personal gain; (3) to acquaint the audience with the structure of the U.S. Racketeer Influenced Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO); and (4) to share with the audience elements of the investigative techniques and criminal procedure upon which such a trial is grounded. 

Related Documents:

 

APEC ACT Symposium: Seoul, Korea, September 2005

 

Thai Ministry of Justice Third National Symposium on Anti-Corruption Measures: Bangkok, Thailand, August 2005

 

UNODC UNCAC Training Seminar: Vientiane, Laos, March 2005

 

ADB/OECD and NAB Anti-Corruption Conference: Islamabad, Pakistan, February 2005

 

For more information, contact Rabya Chaudhry, <ChaudhrR@staff.abanet.org>

 

Regional Anti-Corruption Advisors: Eurasia, Asia and Central Asia

 

Regional Anti-Corruption Advisor (RACA) training. Prague, Decemebr 2006.

At the center of the Rule of Law Initiative anti-corruption programming are the Regional Anti-Corruption Advisors or "RACAs." These individuals, anti-corruption and law enforcement experts, act as regional resources not only to support the Rule of Law Initiative's overseas staff in developing anti-corruption programming, but also to help build the capacity of local governments and NGOs involved in anti-corruption activities. In addition, the RACAs support efforts to implement multilateral initiatives and instruments on a regional level and serve as a resource for training and information regarding "best practices" in anti-corruption methods and techniques. All of the Rule of Law Initiative RACA programs have been funded by the State Department's Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement (INL).

The first RACA program, based in Kyiv, Ukraine, was developed by ABA-CEELI in October 2000, and served several countries in the Eurasia region by backstopping the activities of the Rule of Law Initiative's field staff in the development and implementation of anti-corruption technical assistance activities. This support, which concluded in December 2006, included assistance in developing anti-corruption training programs and materials and fostering and maintaining contacts with U.S., foreign and multilateral governmental and nongovernmental agencies (NGOs) involved in anti-corruption activities.

Building upon this success, in 2002 the Rule of Law Initiative placed a RACA in Bangkok, Thailand to support efforts to combat corruption and promote good governance in countries across the Asia region. The Asia RACA works in close cooperation with local stakeholders, including government agencies, judges, lawyers, and NGOs, to devise programs to promote government accountability and transparency and to help build the capacity of governments to investigate and prosecute corruption.

In April 2006, the Rule of Law Initiative established a RACA for Central Asia, also supported by INL. The basic goals of the program, which concluded in December 2006, included an assessment of opportunities for anti-corruption reform, including  strengthening of anti-corruption legislation in Kyrgyzstan; and efforts to assist citizens and civil society groups in understanding their rights in fighting corruption, particularly the ability to draw on the Kyrgyzstan Prosecutor's Office in reporting and pursuing instances of corruption.

 

Stability Pact Anti-corruption Initiative (SPAI) and SPAI Regional Secretariat

 

The SPAI was adopted in Sarajevo in February 2000 to address corruption in South Eastern Europe. The SPAI Steering Group (SG), made up of SPAI partner states and international organizations (including ABA-ROLI) and the governments of Albania, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Macedonia, Moldova, Romania, Serbia and Montenegro, agreed at its September 2002 meeting to establish the Regional Secretariat Liaison Office (RSLO) in Sarajevo to promote local ownership of the Initiative and to enhance regional capabilities to lead the fight against corruption in South Eastern Europe.

 In September 2003, ABA-ROLI received a grant from INL to execute anti-corruption projects in six SPAI countries in response to project proposals submitted by the countries to the SPAI SG. Projects included freedom of information advocacy in Croatia; anti-corruption awareness raising and training for justice system professionals Macedonia; transparency in court administration in Moldova; judicial integrity and anti-corruption capacity building in Romania; anti-corruption law enforcement legal reform and implementation in Serbia and Montenegro; and institution-building support to the RSLO in Bosnia and Herzegovina. ABA-ROLI received a grant from the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) in early January 2004 to further this institution-building assistance and provide support to the SPAI in developing the RSLO in Sarajevo. The bulk of ABA-ROLI’s initial work with the RSLO included institution-building assistance through the ABA-ROLI Regional Institution Building Advisor (RIBA) program. From January through May 2004, the RIBA program provided initial training in financial management, accounting and reporting; setting up office procedures; and strategic planning. ABA-ROLI has continued to work with the RSLO on topics such as multiple-grant accounting, proposal writing, strategic planning and fundraising.

As a result of ABA-CEELI’s support, the RSLO was physically established in March 2004 and began carrying out programming within a few months. Beginning in May 2004, the RSLO assumed organization of the semi-annual SPAI SG meetings; drafted and received approval from the SG for its workplan; began regularly publishing an outreach bulletin, the SPAIgram; received co-funding from international organizations for several conferences and workshops; and had its executive director and anti-corruption expert featured at numerous regional meetings. In a major step toward post-U.S.-government funding sustainability of the RSLO, in 2007 seven SPAI countries committed funding to the RSLO through 2008, allowing for continued implementation of relevant activities such as twinning-type projects related to investigation and prosecution of high-level corruption; a summer school for junior magistrates; and training on using public procurement reforms to fight fraud. More information can be found on the RSLO’s Web site at www.spai-rslo.org.

 

Costa Rica

 

Anti-Corruption Initiatives in Costa Rica Assessment and Recommendations

In 2004, the International Narcotics and Law Enforcement (INL) office of the US Embassy in Costa Rica contracted the ABA Rule of Law Initiative to undertake a targeted assessment of components of the Costa Rican Ministry of Public Security (MPS) and the Treasury Ministry (Ministerio de Hacienda) to determine the institutional capacity to establish and implement programs designed to confront internal institutional corruption.  The report outlined recommendations for technical assistance to targeted institutions of the Government of Costa Rica to meet the overall objective of strengthening its’ capacity to address corruption within vulnerable governmental institutions.

 

Back to Top

Copyright American Bar Association. http://www.abanet.org