UNODC: GOPAC is the only entity for Parliamentary Forum at the Conference of the State Parties
The UN Office on Drugs and Crimes (UNODC), the guardian of the UN Convention against Corruption, recognizes GOPAC as the only entity that has consistently organized a Parliamentary Forum at every session of the Conference of the State Parties (CoSP).
“From Jordan in 2006 to Sharm El-Sheikh in 2021. Now in 2023, we look forward to continuing to work and engage with GOPAC and see how the outcome of this Dialogue and others can be brought to the attention of the Conference,” said Giovanni Gallo, Chief of Thematic Support Section of the Corruption and Economic Crime Branch of UNODC, during the 2023 Parliamentary Dialogue on UNCAC, 8 March, in Doha, Qatar.
Giovanni explained that the CoSP acts as the highest decision-making body to the UNCAC. He welcomed the Dialogue as timely; after almost ten years of the functioning of UNCAC review mechanisms, the international community finally recognizes, specifically, the role of parliament. From 2006 to 2019, there were already 20 resolutions referring to legislative measures. “But nothing specifically called parliament by name. That changed in 2019 with the 9th CoSP whereby Abu Dhabi Declaration and Resolution 8/14 specifically acknowledged the role of parliament and recognized that legislative and oversight roles of a parliament are equally important to support UNCAC implementation,” he said.
UNODC presented a glimpse of recommendations, including gaps within the legislative measures to implement UNCAC. For example, in article 12 of UNCAC, during the review mechanism, countries identify the lack of or inadequate legislation to regulate the transfer of a person taking a public sector work to a private one.
Architect of the Convention, Muhyiedden Touq, the acting Chair of the Ad-Hoc Committee for the negotiation of UNCAC, said that it is time for parliament to take part in UNCAC implementation and its review mechanism. He shared several significant parliaments and parliamentarians’ roles in implementing UNCAC, such as introducing or developing legislation on corruption prevention. Parliament must be involved in several ways in the Mechanism for the Review of the Implementation (MRI) of UNCAC.
“That parliament can ensure a timely reporting of the review report provided by the Government to UNODC. Parliamentarians can also ensure that a report copy is sent to the parliament and shared with the public. Parliament needs to be informed about the result as well upon review,” he shared.
