Conference programme

Although the UN Convention Against Corruption (UNCAC) requires its 190 parties to criminalise several corrupt acts, kleptocrats often enjoy impunity by abusing their control over the administration of justice. This gap has inspired a growing coalition of governments and civil society to advocate for an International Anti-Corruption Court (IACC) to hold corrupt public officials, bribe payers and money launderers accountable for grand corruption when national governments are unwilling or unable to enforce laws required by the UNCAC. Supporters argue that an IACC would help deter corrupt offenses, recover and repatriate illicit assets for victims’ benefit, and develop national anti-corruption capacity. This panel of experts involved in drafting the model IACC treaty will unpack their approach to designing an effective institution based on lessons learned from existing and past international courts and drawing on novel approaches to enhancing anti-corruption accountability in various jurisdictions. The panel will welcome a robust discussion of the challenges related to potentially creating a new international court.

The IBA recently completed a global lawyers’ survey assessing corruption risks facing practitioners in many different jurisdictions and practice areas. This panel will provide a detailed briefing about the survey results, including comparisons to a similar survey conducted over ten years ago, and explore potential next steps using the survey results as a guide for combatting corruption risks facing the legal profession.