Second meeting of the G20 Anti-Corruption Working Group
The Group reached consensus on two additional critical documents namely, the High-Level Principles on Corruption in Sport, and the Progress Report on Foreign Bribery.
July 20th, 2021
The second meeting of the G20 Anti-Corruption Working Group took place from 5 to 8 July. Significant progress has been achieved in the Group’s agenda: in particular, further to broader negotiations carried out remotely during the past two months, the Group reached consensus on two additional critical documents namely, the High-Level Principles on Corruption in Sport, and the Progress Report on Foreign Bribery.
The High-Level Principles on Corruption in Sport are in line with the Political Declaration adopted by the recent United Nations General Assembly Special Session (UNGASS) against corruption and with two other relevant resolutions of the Conferences of the States Parties, in the framework of the United Nations Convention against Corruption (namely Resolutions 7/8 and 8/4). The document aims to raise awareness on the threat that corruption poses to the integrity of sport and calls for the strengthening of international anti-corruption efforts to safeguard sport as a source of inspiration and shared values.
The Progress Report on Foreign Bribery, drafted in cooperation with the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) is based on a self-assessment questionnaire voluntarily compiled by members. The document provides an overview of the progress made by G20 countries in implementing their past commitments in this field.
The Group also recorded an acceleration in Corruption Measurement, one of the flagships of the Italian Presidency this year. The Compendium of Good Practices on Corruption Measurement was presented; drafted with the support of the OECD, the Italian Statistical Institute (ISTAT) and the National Anti-Corruption Authority (ANAC) on the basis of a questionnaire compiled by delegations. The Compendium provides an overview of the approaches on corruption measurement by the different G20 countries and the sharing of good practices. In his keynote speech, Professor Giancarlo Blangiardo, President of ISTAT, highlighted the critical importance of obtaining a thorough investigation on the corruption phenomenon through a sophisticated set of approaches and data services and stated that the Compendium marks a milestone in this process.
During the second annual meeting, the Group continued fruitful negotiations on pending deliverables and documents, including on the G20 Anti-Corruption Action Plan 2022-2024, whose contents will also be shaped in line with the UNGASS Political Declaration.
The second meeting hosted Sessions dedicated to the dialogue with the International Organizations (UNODC, OECD, IMF, World Bank, FATF and, for the first time, UNICRI and IDLO) and with the Engagement Groups (B20, C20, T20 and L20). These sessions are essential to engage all stakeholders in the discussion on global anti-corruption efforts, within the context of an inclusive approach which remains at the very core of the G20 ACWG’s actions.
Moreover, the second meeting hosted a Joint session with the OECD Working Group on Bribery in International Business Transactions (WGB), now at its fourth edition. The meeting consisted of two sessions dedicated, respectively, to promoting transparency and integrity in the corporate sector, and enforcement of the foreign bribery offence. Keynote speeches by Drago Kos, Chair of the WGB, Nicola Allocca, Risk, Compliance and Quality Director of Autostrade per l’Italia and Lorenzo Salazar, Vice Chair of the WGB, highlighted the importance of the effective implementation and enforcement of the G20’s past commitments on foreign bribery, especially in this challenging time of the pandemic.
The Group’s work and virtual negotiations will continue during the intersessional period in view of the third meeting of G20 ACWG, scheduled for 28 September to 1 October.