INTERNATIONAL ANTI-CORRUPTION DAY - THURSDAY 9TH DECEMBER 2004
PRESS RELEASE
The Anti-Corruption Commission wishes to inform the
public that Thursday 9th December 2004 has
been officially designated as “International Anti-Corruption
Day” by the United Nations to mark the anniversary of
the opening to signature of the UN Anti-Corruption Convention
by Member Countries of the UN. It will be recalled that
the UN General Assembly from 9th – 11th
December 2003 opened the Convention for signature in Merida,
Mexico and thereafter at UN Headquarters in New York until
9th December 2005. Sierra Leone is already
a signatory to this Convention.
The UN Convention constitutes the very first global
Anti-Corruption Legal Instrument. It stipulates a number
of preventive measures to fight corruption, and requests
from all UN Member states to establish as a criminal offence
such acts as bribery, embezzlement, money laundering and
obstruction of justice.
The Convention also encourages member states to enact
laws, which establish as a criminal offence such acts
as the abuse of office, illicit acquisition of wealth,
bribery in the private sector, embezzlement of property
in the private sector and laundering of the proceeds of
crime and concealment.
The effectiveness of this Convention lies in its flexibility
and universality brought about by its taking into full
account the Legal, Social, Cultural, Economic and Political
differences of countries as well as their different levels
of development.
The need to have in place such a Convention with clear,
precise and realistic provisions, which are relevant and
applicable on various national levels as well as strike
a balance between preventive and enforcement measures,
is of much value.
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