International Anti-Corruption Day on 9 December, 2004 marked one year since the signing conference for the United Nations Convention against Corruption was held in Mérida, Mexico.
Over 110 countries have signed on to the Convention and 15 have ratified it. Ratificiation by 30 Member States is necessary for the Convention to enter into force. Effective action against corruption is the responsibility of governments, and implementation of the Convention rests in the hands of States. Civil society and the private sector also have an active role to play in these efforts by supporting governments and holding them accountable. However, the capacity to take these actions does not always exist in many developing and least developed countries. For this reason, UNODC provides technical assistance through legal advisory services for the ratification of the Convention and technical cooperation projects focusing on preventive measures. The Convention must come into force as soon as possible to provide the legal framework for countries to criminalize corrupt practices, as well as to cooperate to deny safe havens to corrupt officials and to help each other recover illicitly acquired assets.
