United against corruption?

The political and economic developments of the final years of the 20th century gave the fight against corruption a significance it had not previously held at the international level. The increasing transnational nature of commercial activities, the greater mobility of capital and the internationalisation of organised crime have provided new opportunities for both those who bribe and those who accept bribes. Gradually, the principle of international mobilisation against this phenomenon has gained ground, even within the United Nations. Against this backdrop, the Mérida Convention (UNCAC), which came into force in 2005, provides a universal legal framework for international cooperation in this field. Written in 2009, this book outlines the theoretical foundations of the international fight against corruption, traces the key stages of multilateral negotiations - from the adoption of regional conventions to the UN's Mérida Convention - comments on the provisions of the UNCAC and the monitoring of their effective implementation, and examines the interplay between the fight against corruption and development.