Past Newsletters

Issue 7: “III Newsletter - President Sandu backs Int'l Anti-Corruption Court, cross-party support in the UK, & more,” May 2023

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Welcome to the seventh issue of the quarterly newsletter from
Integrity Initiatives International (III, pronounced "triple I") concerning global efforts to strengthen the enforcement of criminal laws to punish and deter corrupt leaders and end impunity for grand corruption.

INTERNATIONAL ANTI-CORRUPTION COURT

United Kingdom

Yesterday, Lord Jonny Oates delivered a speech on behalf of Lord Peter Hain, the former Foreign Office minister, in the Lords Grand Committee on why the United Kingdom should support the creation of an International Anti-Corruption Court (IACC).

Lord Hain - with cross-party support from Lady Patience Wheatcroft, Lady Ros Altmann, and Lord Oates - introduced an amendment to the economic crime bill that would require the UK government to back the court's establishment. You can watch the speech and the debate on the amendment using this link and navigating to timestamp 18:29:45 of the video.

You can read more about Lord Hain's efforts in this article by Patrick Wintour in The Guardian.

Moldova

In March, President Maia Sandu made Moldova the fifth country in the past year and a half to make a commitment to working towards the creation of an IACC, joining Canada, Ecuador, the Netherlands, and Nigeria. She recently spoke about the need for the Court on Moldovan television (interview in Romanian).

European Parliament

In January, the European Parliament took a favorable stance on the International Anti-Corruption Court (IACC). Its annual resolution on human rights and democracy in the world (in paragraph 33):

"calls for the creation of an international anti-corruption court"

On March 20, the European Parliament Subcommittee on Human Rights organized a workshop on the IACC in Brussels. III Chair Judge Mark Wolf (pictured above with III Senior Treaty Advisor Maja Groff after the workshop) and Juan Francisco Sandoval, a courageous prosecutor who served as Head of the Special Prosecutor's Office against Impunity in Guatemala, spoke about the need for an IACC. You can watch the workshop using this link and navigating to timestamp 17:02 of the video.

For more background, you can read:

The briefing paper for the workshop by Professor Cedric Ryngaert: Towards an International Anti-Corruption Court?
The latest paper on the IACC concept by III Chair Judge Mark Wolf and III Vice Chairs Justice Richard Goldstone and Professor Robert Rotberg: The Progressing Proposal for An International Anti-Corruption Court

While in Brussels, the Co-Chairs of the International Coordinating Committee for the IACC campaign - Judge Mark Wolf, Maja Groff, and Augusto Lopez-Claros - and III staff met with Members of the European Parliament who have signed the IACC Declaration including (pictured above in clockwise order): Professor Danuta Hübner of Poland, Mr. Thijs Reuten of the Netherlands, Mr. Fabio Massimo Castaldo of Italy, and Mr. Stelios Kouloglou of Greece, among others.

NATIONAL ANTI-CORRUPTION EFFORTS

Ukraine

Following a necessary pause in our activities in Ukraine due to Russia's illegal invasion, III will be engaging again in anti-corruption activities there in 2023. Effectively combatting corruption is critical to maintaining the international community's trust in Ukraine and to ensuring its recovery from the war.

In April, the III team attended Renew Democracy Initiative's Heroes of Democracy Gala. In the fight against authoritarianism, Renew Democracy Initiative (RDI) provides a platform for its global network of dissidents to promote democracy and the rule of law. III and RDI collaborate to support democracy and anti-corruption in Ukraine.

At the Gala, Judge Wolf met Oleksandra Matviichuk (left), who leads the Centre for Civil Liberties, which won the Nobel Peace Prize for its work documenting Russian war crimes in Ukraine.

In September, III will host a delegation of judges from Ukraine's High Anti-Corruption Court (HACC) in Boston. III has been involved in successfully recommending international experts to serve on judicial selection committees in Ukraine and in mentoring HACC judges, both in person in Kyiv and virtually during the pandemic.

VOICES FROM III'S YOUTH LEADERS NETWORK

by Estefanía Medina, Esq. - Co-Founder of TOJIL, Mexico

We are a nonprofit organization led by female lawyers and our main objective is fighting corruption and impunity. We use strategic litigation to seek that every citizen and the country as a whole are recognized as victims of corruption. In addition, by collaborating with national institutions, Tojil develops and innovates in public policies so that our population can access justice.

One of our main projects is CHATBOT TEO.

TEO #YourOnlineLawyer is a chatbot in which you can report cases of corruption that will be referred to the Prosecutor's Offices for investigation. TEO is a secure and easily accessible reporting platform for #VictimsofCorruption. Your information is safe and can be treated anonymously if you wish. Use TEO.

Follow Tojil:

IN THE NEWS

Putting an end to kleptocracy and recovering the assets stolen by corrupt leaders.
Daily Maverick, May 9, 2023
by Lord Peter Hain

Former minister urges UK to back international anti-corruption court.
The Guardian, May 8, 2023
by Patrick Wintour

Cedric Ryngaert on Why the World Needs an

International Anti-Corruption Court

In April, Augusto Lopez-Claros, Executive Director of the Global Governance Forum and Co-Chair of the International Coordinating Committee for the IACC campaign, interviewed Professor Cedric Ryngaert about the IACC on the Global Governance Podcast. Professor Ryngaert said that he sees the IACC "as a proposal to decolonize international criminal law". Click here to listen to the interview.

Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty Interview with Judge Wolf

In March, Dragan Štavljanin interviewed Judge Mark Wolf for RFE/RL about potential mechanisms to prosecute high-level Russian leaders for atrocity crimes in Ukraine. They also discussed the proposal for an IACC. Click here to watch the interview.

Maia Sandu: „Pe cazurile de corupție mare este bine să avem și o Curte Anticorupție la nivel internațional”. (Romanian)
Maia Sandu: "It is good to have an Anti-Corruption Court at the international level to deal with major corruption cases". (English)
Radio Moldova, March 30, 2023
by Viorica Rusica

How to Jail the World’s Most Privileged Crooks.
Center for European Policy Analysis, March 28, 2023
by Krista Viksnins

Club de Madrid calls on World Leaders to Work Towards the Creation of an International Anti-Corruption Court.
Brussels Morning, March 17, 2023
by Club de Madrid

The Emerging Idea of an International Anti-Corruption Court.
Just Access, February 20, 2023
by Marija Chekredji

Corruption War: Nigeria Makes Case for International Anti-corruption Court.
This Day, January 24, 2023
by Alex Enumah

OPPORTUNITIES

We're Hiring: Program Associate

We are looking for an exceptional Program Associate to play an important role in advocacy for an IACC, supporting the work of the IACC treaty drafting process, and in designing and executing III's communications strategy.

Application deadline: May 21

Note that we can only consider applicants with U.S. work authorization.

Click here to learn more and apply.

International Bar Association Essay contest on the IACC

The International Bar Association (IBA) Anti-Corruption Committee is organizing an essay competition for young lawyers on the topic:

Do we need an International Anti-Corruption Court to strengthen the enforcement of criminal laws against corrupt leaders?

The winner of the essay competition will be provided a scholarship to attend this year's IBA Annual Conference, held in Paris from October 29 to November 3. The scholarship includes: waiver of the conference registration fee, accommodation costs, travel expenses, and two years' free membership of the IBA.

Application deadline: May 31

For those interested, please find additional information and requirements regarding the scholarship using the link below. The International Anti-Corruption Court essay topic can be found under the Criminal Law Section.

Click here to learn more and submit an essay.

Contribute to Integrity Initiatives International

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The mission of Integrity Initiatives International is to strengthen the enforcement of criminal laws to punish and deter leaders who are corrupt and regularly violate human rights.

The Board of Integrity Initiatives International: Judge Mark Wolf, Chair; Judge Claudia Escobar, Vice-Chair; Justice Richard Goldstone, Vice-Chair; Robert Rotberg, Vice-Chair; Farid Rohani, Treasurer; Elaine Dezenski, Secretary; Robert Abernethy; Emil Bolongaita; Landon Butler; James Cottrell, Jr.; Geoffrey Cowan; Jonathan Fanton; Thomas Firestone; Ambassador Robert Gelbard; Tara Giunta; Paul Hoffman; Julia Makayova; Nicco Mele; Mary Page; Governor Deval Patrick; Jill Schuker; Dawn Smalls; José Ugaz; and Daniel Weintraub.

Issue 6: “Nigeria calls for an Int’l Anti-Corruption Court (IACC)”, February 2023

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Welcome to the sixth issue of the quarterly newsletter from
Integrity Initiatives International (III, pronounced "triple I") concerning global efforts to strengthen the enforcement of criminal laws to punish and deter corrupt leaders and end impunity for grand corruption.

At the end of 2022, there were several promising developments on the international stage for anti-corruption, including for the growing international campaign for the creation of an International Anti-Corruption Court. 2023 has kicked off with more progress. Nigeria has now joined Canada, Ecuador, and the Netherlands in supporting the creation of an IACC. Read more here.

The next stop for III is the Munich Security Conference on February 17, where we will host a discussion about the IACC. III Chair Judge Mark Wolf will be joined on the stage by Russian democracy activist Garry Kasparov, who is a signatory to the Declaration calling for the creation of the IACC and Founder and Chair of Renew Democracy Initiative, among other things. Nearly 300 world leaders from more than 80 countries have now signed the Declaration, including Russian opposition leader Vladimir Kara-Murza from the confines of his unjust imprisonment in Russia.

III Chair Judge Mark Wolf is pictured left with Vladimir's wife Evgenia Kara-Murza at the Magnitsky Awards Dinner in November. Evgenia has taken up Vladimir's mantle advocating for political prisoners and for a free and democratic Russia. Click here to watch a screening of Vladimir's latest documentary My Duty to Not Stay Silent and discussion hosted by the Reagan Institute and the National Endowment for Democracy on February 1 in Washington, D.C.

Unfortunately, the end of 2022 also saw the rollback of some progress on anti-corruption, including a ruling in November from the European Union (EU) Court of Justice that reduces transparency and makes it easier to hide the flow of dirty money. Then, in December, the Qatargate scandal broke around accusations that a Vice President of the European Parliament accepted bribes from Qatar and Morocco in exchange for votes on parliamentary resolutions. The full extent of the scandal continues to unspool as more current and former Members of the European Parliament and their staff are implicated.

III was originally scheduled to participate in a workshop on the IACC in January organized by the European Parliament's Subcommittee on Human Rights, which included the IACC in its 2022 Corruption and Human Rights Recommendation. The turmoil created by Qatargate led to the workshop being postponed until March. The scandal highlights the urgent need for anti-corruption reform in the EU. III and our partners will use the opportunity in Brussels to advance the IACC and other anti-corruption initiatives.

Other events at the end of 2022 indicate that there is growing political will from many countries to find innovative ways to hold kleptocrats accountable. In November, Canada, Ecuador, and the Netherlands convened a High-Level Roundtable on Anti-Corruption in The Hague. 7 of the 14 countries present at the ministerial session expressed support for the creation of an IACC.

More than 40 states attended the non-ministerial session and a mixed session with intergovernmental organizations and civil society, where many ideas for addressing gaps in the international framework for combating corruption were discussed.

In December 2022, thousands of anti-corruption experts and activists gathered at the International Anti-Corruption Conference hosted by Transparency International (TI) and the U.S. State Department. Dozens of governments sent delegations to interact with civil society and build will towards a range of important anti-corruption innovations. You can read TI Chair Delia Ferreira Rubio's interview about the conference here, including discussion of the IACC.

III Chair Judge Mark Wolf and Vice Chair Judge Claudia Escobar spoke about the IACC on a panel at the conference. There was passionate support for the idea during the Q&A after the panel from citizens of Cote d'Ivoire, Honduras, Nicaragua, and Pakistan who viscerally understand the devastating consequences of grand corruption. Judge Escobar also discussed the IACC idea in a plenary session of the conference, III Board Member José Ugaz spoke about the Court on a panel on grand corruption and state capture, and, while moderating another panel, Amb. Norman Eisen described the IACC as an important idea that would complement the development of national institutions.

At the TI conference: III Vice Chair Judge Claudia Escobar speaking on the plenary stage (left) and Amb. Norman Eisen and III Chair Judge Mark Wolf (right)

The week of the conference, Amb. André Haspels hosted an briefing on the IACC and the campaign to create it at the Dutch Embassy in Washington, D.C. for ambassadors and embassy staff from two dozen countries and representatives of more than fifty civil society organizations.

The attendees were overwhelmingly supportive of the IACC idea. Left to right in the photo, III Vice Chair Judge Claudia Escobar of Guatemala, III Chair Judge Mark Wolf of the United States, III Vice Chair Justice Richard Goldstone of South Africa, and III's close partner and Chair of HEDA Resource Centre Lanre Suraju of Nigeria gave remarks on the Court.

Gerard Steeghs, Director for Multilateral Organizations and Human Rights at the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs, also spoke about the Dutch government's commitment to work towards the creation of the IACC and the path forward.

In The Hague and Washington, D.C., III began positive dialogues with officials from more than a dozen states about the IACC. In 2023, III will continue to advance support for the IACC idea among interested states and work with its civil society partners to strengthen the campaign for the Court. III has also formed several committees of leading international law and corruption experts to draft a proposed treaty for the establishment of the IACC.

We are deeply grateful to our many new and existing partners working to develop a range of more effective transparency and accountability tools to combat corruption. Powerful vested interests will always fight to prevent accountability, but they can and will be countered by the vibrant anti-corruption community dedicated to promoting democracy, human rights, and the rule of law. Continue reading for more about III's activities in late 2022 and early 2023.

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Ukraine

Following a necessary pause in our activities in Ukraine due to Russia's illegal invasion, III will be engaging again in anticorruption activities there in 2023. Effectively combatting corruption is critical to maintaining the international community's trust in Ukraine and to ensuring its recovery from the war. Ukraine has proven its willingness in recent weeks to investigate accusations of corruption against high-level officials.

In September, III will host a delegation of judges from Ukraine's High Anti-Corruption Court (HACC) in Boston. III has been involved in successfully recommending international experts to serve on judicial selection committees in Ukraine and in mentoring HACC judges, both in person in Kyiv and virtually during the pandemic. Read more on the III website.

III's partner Iegor Soboliev, who was a driving force behind the creation of the HACC when he was chair of the anti-corruption committee in the Ukrainian Parliament, and his wife Marichka Padalko, a leading Ukrainian news host, are scheduled to be featured on ABC's Nightline program on February 24. They are pictured right with their family and Judge Wolf.

Soboliev has fought in Kyiv, Bucha, Kharkiv, Kherson, and Zaporizhia and now serves in the Ukrainian special forces. Padalko will run the Boston Marathon in April to raise money for an organization that supports Ukraine.

Just Peace Month Webinar on the IACC

In October, Just Peace Month, a month-long program in The Hague featuring public events related to peace and justice topics, held a discussion with key leaders of the campaign to create the IACC including:

Maja Groff - Co-Chair of the International Coordinating Committee for the IACC campaign
Slagjana Taseva - Chair of Transparency International Macedonia
Wim Jansen - Director of International Affairs at the Municipality of the Hague

Policy Lab: Protecting Democracies from Corruption

In November, III's partner in the effort to create an IACC, Club de Madrid (CdM) hosted a policy lab on Protecting Democracies from Corruption at the Universidad Francisco de Vitoria in Madrid, Spain. The CdM is composed of more than 120 former presidents and prime ministers.

Former President of Slovenia and current President of CdM Danilo Türk (on the screen) opened the policy lab, stating that he and dozens of his fellow former heads of state and government strongly support the IACC idea.

CdM continues to engage Spanish society in a discussion about the creation of an IACC, which could help safeguard democracies around the world. Additional speakers at the policy lab who support the IACC included:

Hanna Suchocka, Prime Minister of Poland (1992-1993) and Member of Club de Madrid
Judge Mark Wolf, Chair of Integrity Initiatives International
Javier Cremades, lawyer and President of the World Jurist Association
Augusto López-Claros, Executive Director of the Global Governance Forum and Co-Chair of the International Coordinating Committee for the IACC campaign
Magistrate Joaquín Elías Gadea Francés, National Court, Juzgado Central de Instrucción número 6 de la Audiencia Nacional

Sierra Leone's Anti-Corruption Commissioner Francis Ben Kaifala (right), a signatory of the Declaration calling for the creation of the IACC, asked a question at the event.

You can watch the full policy lab here.

UNCAC Coalition Special Event on the IACC

In November, UNCAC Coalition’s Grand Corruption and State Capture working group hosted a discussion on the IACC moderated by Gillian Dell (Transparency International) and Cynthia Gabriel (C4). Over 60 members of the Coalition's network attend the event.

Three legal experts from III's committee working on developing a draft treaty to establish the IACC shared their vision for the Court:

III Vice Chair Justice Richard Goldstone, a former Justice of the Constitutional Court of South Africa
Justice Maria Wilson, Justice of Appeal of the Supreme Court of Trinidad and Tobago
Ambassador Allan Rock, former Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada

You can watch their remarks below and read more about the event here.

The Hague Academy of International Law

On January 17, III Senior Treaty Advisor Maja Groff gave remarks on the IACC and the campaign to create it at The Hague Academy of International Law's winter course held at the Peace Palace.

COUNTERING THE CORRUPT

Reform of the Criminal Justice Administration in South Africa

On February 6, III's South African partner organization Accountability Now co-organized a hybrid event at the Oliver Tambo Moot Court in Cape Town on Countering the Corrupt.

III Vice Chair Justice Richard Goldstone (left) moderated a panel about the IACC on which III Youth Leaders Network member and founder of BeRelevant Africa Mwila Bwanga (right) argued that African states should lead the efforts to create the Court.

Among the participants (below) in the day-long event's high-level panel discussions were several signatories to the IACC Declaration, including Archbishop Thabo Makgoba, Anglican Archbishop of Cape Town, and Judge Ian Farlam, former Judge at the South African Supreme Court of Appeal.

The IACC in the News

Corruption War: Nigeria Makes Case for International Anti-corruption Court. This Day, January 24, 2023.
by Alex Enumah

Een nieuw internationaal hof - om de 'plunderende' Poetin te vervolgen (A new international court - to prosecute the 'plundering' Putin). NRC, January 11, 2023. (Subscription required to read).
by Steven Derix

VOA Interview: Global Corruption Fight Needs More Action. Voice of America, December 14, 2022.
by Akmal Dawi

Transparency International Chair Delia Ferreira Rubio told VOA, "I think there are lots of things to do, including discussions on an international anti-corruption court. We at Transparency International are researching that possibility but we also foster the possibility of using the regional institutions in order to guarantee the enforcement of conventions."

Are corruption and global warming two sides of the same coin? The Hill Times, December 12, 2022. (Subscription required to read).
by Joseph Ingram

The international community needs to reflect on whether, as a condition of supporting the newly created “climate funds” proposed at COP27, donor governments contributing to them should themselves be required to become members of the new International Anti-Corruption Court, as would governments receiving support from them. In this way, both the developed and poorer emerging economies will subject themselves to the kind of due diligence and legal safeguards that would give voting publics assurances that increased financing will indeed be used for what it was intended: to benefit growing climate induced impoverishment, and by extension, all of humanity and our planet as a whole.

Hoekstra wil corruptie op kaart zetten (Hoekstra wants to put corruption on the map). BNR, November 28, 2022.
by Mark van Harreveld

Dutch Foreign Minister Wopke Hoekstra told BNR that he would discuss the establishment of an IACC with his Canadian and Ecuadorian counterparts, among others. "We want to put large-scale corruption more on the map," he said. "It always undermines democracy and the rule of law."

Countries Call for World Anti-corruption Court. Barron's, November 28, 2022.
by AFP - Agence France Presse

"The Netherlands, Canada and Ecuador backed calls Monday for the creation of a global anti-corruption court, saying it would help tackle "kleptocrats" at the head of governments."

Es el momento de promover la creación de una Corte Internacional Anti-Corrupción (It is time to promote the creation of an International Anti-Corruption Court). Asociación Profesional de la Magistratura, November 22.
by Magistrate Joaquín Elías Gadea Francés

We need an international corruption court. The Times of London, November 21, 2022. (Subscription required to read).
by Edward Lucas

Mark Wolf: Does the world need a new anti-corruption court? BBC HARDtalk, November 16, 2022.

Zeinab Badawi interviewed III Chair Judge Mark Wolf on many common questions about the proposal for an International Anti-Corruption Court and the urgent need for the Court.

The case for an international anti-corruption court. International Bar Association, September 13, 2022.
by III Vice Chair Justice Richard Goldstone, Director of Instituto Anticorrupción Michel Levien González, and III Program Director Ian Lynch

The mission of Integrity Initiatives International is to strengthen the enforcement of criminal laws to punish and deter leaders who are corrupt and regularly violate human rights.

The Board of Integrity Initiatives International: Judge Mark Wolf, Chair; Judge Claudia Escobar, Vice-Chair; Justice Richard Goldstone, Vice-Chair; Robert Rotberg, Vice-Chair; Farid Rohani, Treasurer; Elaine Dezenski, Secretary; Robert Abernethy; Emil Bolongaita; Landon Butler; James Cottrell, Jr.; Geoffrey Cowan; Jonathan Fanton; Thomas Firestone; Ambassador Robert Gelbard; Tara Giunta; Paul Hoffman; Julia Makayova; Nicco Mele; Mary Page; Governor Deval Patrick; Jill Schuker; Dawn Smalls; José Ugaz; and Daniel Weintraub.

Issue 5: “III Summer Newsletter: Your update on the Int’l Anti-Corruption Court campaign,” September 2022

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Welcome to the fifth issue of the quarterly newsletter from
Integrity Initiatives International (III, pronounced "triple I") concerning global efforts to strengthen the enforcement of criminal laws to punish and deter corrupt leaders and end impunity for grand corruption.

Integrity Initiatives International (III) and its partners around the world have continued to advocate energetically and effectively for the creation of an International Anti-Corruption Court (IACC). In May, III and Club de Madrid announced that 42 former presidents and prime ministers, as well as the new President of Timor-Leste, have signed the Declaration in Support of the Creation of an IACC. The Washington Post covered the news in an article on May 25.

The Declaration now has more than 280 signatories - including former cabinet ministers, high court judges, and leaders of civil society, faith, and business communities - from over 80 countries.

On June 24, 2022, President Danilo Türk wrote in Politico that the world needs and IACC.

Read his op-ed here.

III and its partners continue to work closely with Canada and the Netherlands, which have made working with international partners to establish the IACC a part of their foreign policies. In November, they will host, with Ecuador, a conference of ministers from many countries in The Hague at which gaps in the international legal architecture for combatting corruption will be assessed, and potential solutions to addressing those gaps, particularly the IACC, will be discussed. Several more governments have shown an interest in the IACC and III is working with its civil society partners to secure commitments from them to support the Court's creation.

III is also working to refine the evolving concept of the IACC with advice from its growing network of partners around the world. In May, the American Academy of Arts and Sciences hosted a three-day conference of international experts to discuss issues concerning the IACC and a strategy for its creation. In August 2022, the Academy published a comprehensive paper on the IACC written by III Chair Judge Mark Wolf and III Vice-Chairs Justice Richard Goldstone and Professor Robert Rotberg. Building on the discussion at the conference, the paper answers many of the frequently asked questions about the IACC and will be the foundation for further work on the details of the Court. You can read the paper here.

Accountability for the War in Ukraine

III also contributes to the development of national level anti-corruption institutions. III has long been involved in Ukraine's judicial reform, including the establishment of its national High Anti-Corruption Court, helping develop the process to select its judges, and mentoring them.

As the Kremlin wages its aggressive war, III continues to support Ukraine. In an essay on the NBC News opinion page THINK, III Chair Judge Mark Wolf shines a light on the wrongful imprisonment of Russian journalist and human rights activist Vladimir Kara-Murza for, in meaningful measure, calling for a special international tribunal to prosecute Putin and his collaborators for the crime of aggression. Judge Wolf joins Kara-Murza's call for such a special tribunal and explains the important effects it could have.

Read the op-ed here.

$45,000 Matching Grant from the Wayfarer Foundation

III is pleased to announce that its work catalyzing and coordinating the global campaign for the IACC has received generous support from the Wayfarer Foundation. In addition to a $75,000 capacity building grant, Wayfarer will match dollar-for-dollar individual contributions to III through the end of 2022 up to $45,000.

Please consider making a tax deductible donation through III's U.S. charitable fiscal sponsor, Third Sector New England (TSNE). Click the button below for instructions on how to make a contribution online, by mail, or by wire transfer.

Contribute to Integrity Initiatives International

Recent Advocacy for the IACC

III began the summer with a productive trip to The Hague for the World Justice Forum and meetings with its partners in civil society, the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and the City of The Hague. III Chair Judge Mark Wolf is pictured right with Dutch Foreign Minister Wopke Hoekstra at the Peace Palace before the Minister's keynote speech in support of the IACC to begin the panel pictured below.

In his speech, Minister Hoekstra reiterated the Dutch government's commitment to work with international partners to establish the IACC.

Left to Right: III Youth Leader Bianca Bolaños of Mexico, former Polish Prime Minister Hanna Suchocka, Judge Mark Wolf, International Court of Justice Deputy Registrar Jean-Pelé Fomété, III Youth Leader Serena Ibrahim of Lebanon, and Co-Chair of the Campaign for the IACC Maja Groff.

Watch the remarks from Dutch Foreign Minister Wopke Hoekstra, former Polish Prime Minister Hanna Suchocka, and more on the IACC at the World Justice Forum in June

Judge Wolf and III's program director Ian Lynch were joined at the World Justice Forum by three members of III's Youth Leaders Network. Bianca Bolaños of Mexico, Serena Ibrahim of Lebanon, and Carlos Vargas of Venezuela spent the week helping III form new partnerships with civil society representatives from around the world and learned from participants in the Forum meetings and each other's experiences combatting corruption in their countries and internationally.

In June, IACC advocates also participated in panels at other major events to discuss the Court idea, raising awareness and support for it from new audiences.

At the Annual Meeting of the Academic Council on the UN System in Geneva on June 25, Co-Chair of the Campaign for the IACC Maja Groff moderated a panel on the IACC with keynote remarks from former President of Slovenia and current President of Club de Madrid Danilo Türk.

Justice Maria Wilson of Trinidad and Tobago also participated in-person and they were joined virtually by III Vice-Chair Justice Richard Goldstone of South Africa, the founding director of the Center to Combat Corruption and Cronyism Cynthia Gabriel of Malaysia, and the director of Instituto Anticorrupción Michel Levien of Mexico.

On June 28, the International Bar Association (IBA) Anti-Corruption Committee, the IBA Business Crime Committee and the IBA Criminal Law Committee hosted a webinar on the IACC that was well received by its global membership.

Moderated by the Co-Chair of the IBA Anti-Corruption Committee Leopoldo Pagotto and his colleague Karla Lini Maeji, both of Brazil, the webinar speakers included:

III Vice Chairs Justice Richard Goldstone and Judge Claudia Escobar-Mejia, and Co-Chair of the Campaign for the IACC Maja Groff.

Voices from III's Youth Leaders Network

Two years have passed since the explosion
In August 2020, a massive explosion ripped through Beirut when a warehouse fire reached a large amount of ammonium nitrate stored at the city's port. This was a direct consequence of longstanding government corruption, which resulted in mismanagement and criminal negligence. Below is a reflection on the anniversary of the Beirut blast by Serena Ibrahim, founder of Youth Against Corruption (YAC) in Lebanon and member of III's Youth Leaders Network.

Two years have passed since we stopped believing that there will be a better future for us, our families and youth in Lebanon. Two years have passed since we became convinced that nothing and no one can stop what Corruption can do to our Nation. Two years have passed since the biggest non-nuclear explosion in history, since our capital was destroyed in 1 second. Hundreds were killed and thousands injured.

For several months we couldn’t speak, we couldn’t talk, we couldn’t breathe. Having people you love killed by accident is one of the worst things that can happen to a human being, but having them murdered by the silence, carelessness and hidden political agendas of our government is something else.

Since August 4, 2020, the Government of Lebanon has done nothing to support investigation into the causes of the explosion nor to bring justice to the population. The Youth of Lebanon have lost hope and are leaving to any nation that will give them the chance to live a better life. At YAC, we are working relentlessly to create a space where talents and collective intelligence are mobilized to fight for a future that we deserve.

The IACC in the News

Looking for a succinct briefing on the IACC? Journalist Janet Anderson produced this excellent recent episode of the Asymmetrical Haircuts podcast on the IACC from a recent interview with III Vice-Chair Justice Richard Goldstone and Co-Chairs of the Campaign for the IACC Augusto Lopez-Claros and Maja Groff.

He Got Away With Robbing a Bank. Here’s How to Hold Him Accountable. The Diplomat, August 1, 2022.
III intern Vivian Zhao wrote:

"Malaysia’s gargantuan 1MDB scandal shows why the world needs to establish an International Anti-Corruption Court."

The Security Crisis: Sahel, Maghreb, and the European Union, Centre 4s, July 20, 2022.
by Ahmedou Ould-Abdallah

Read the original article in French here.

Nigerian international lawyer and prosecutor Charles Adeogun-Phillips shares his enthusiasm for the IACC initiative in his acceptance speech on July 20, 2022 for his Honorary Doctor of Laws Degree from the University of Warwick.

Published on June 17, 2022, the Road to 2023 report from the Stimson Center includes the IACC as one of its 20 main recommendations intended to encourage more ambitious, forward-looking thinking and deliberation on global governance renewal and innovation in the run-up to next year’s Summit of the Future.

Bring Hope to Whistleblowers, says International Court of Justice Official, Whistleblower Network News, June 6, 2022
by Mark Worth

In the Global Governance Spotlight 1|2022 from the Development and Peace Foundation (SEF), Co-Chair of the Campaign for the IACC Maja Groff explores what changes are needed to help revitalize international law by strengthening institutions such as the International Court of Justice and creating the International Anti-Corruption Court.

Australia could take the lead in curbing global kleptocrats, The Australian Financial Review, April 29, 2022
In calling for Australia to support the creation of an IACC, former Australian Foreign Minister Gareth Evans and III Board Member Emil Bolongaita wrote:

"By taking a strong leadership role on this issue, Australia would be not only striking an important blow for decency in global governance but for the overdue restoration of our own foreign policy credibility."

III is Hiring: Outreach & Communications Coordinator

III is recruiting an Outreach and Communications Coordinator who will take a leading role in building the global coalition of civil society organizations for the IACC and in planning, designing and executing a communications strategy to inform and educate key governments, the public, media, and other audiences about III’s activities and accomplishments. The ideal candidate is entrepreneurial, capable of balancing multiple competing activities and working independently, and can excel in a fast-paced organization.

For details and to apply, click here.

The mission of Integrity Initiatives International is to strengthen the enforcement of criminal laws to punish and deter leaders who are corrupt and regularly violate human rights.

The Board of Integrity Initiatives International: Judge Mark Wolf, Chair; Judge Claudia Escobar, Vice-Chair; Justice Richard Goldstone, Vice-Chair; Robert Rotberg, Vice-Chair; Farid Rohani, Treasurer; Elaine Dezenski, Secretary; Robert Abernethy; Emil Bolongaita; Landon Butler; James Cottrell, Jr.; Geoffrey Cowan; Camilo Enciso; Jonathan Fanton; Thomas Firestone; Ambassador Robert Gelbard; Tara Giunta; Paul Hoffman; Julia Makayova; Nicco Mele; Mary Page; Governor Deval Patrick; Jill Schuker; Dawn Smalls; José Ugaz; and Daniel Weintraub.

Issue 4: “30 Additional Nobel Laureates Call For The Int'l Anti-Corruption Court,” April 2022

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Welcome to the fourth issue of the quarterly newsletter from Integrity Initiatives International (III, pronounced "triple I") concerning global efforts to strengthen the enforcement of criminal laws to punish and deter corrupt leaders and end impunity for grand corruption.

Message from the Chair of Integrity Initiatives International Judge Mark L. Wolf

As described in this newsletter, Integrity Initiatives International (III) has catalyzed a rapidly progressing campaign to create an International Anti-Corruption Court (IACC). It has also been deeply involved with the creation of the Ukraine national anti-corruption court, and the selection and training of its judges. III was scheduled to host a delegation of judges from the Ukrainian Court in Boston in March.

Of course, they could not come. As former U.K. Prime Minister Gordon Brown recently wrote, “every day Putin continues to hold power, the case for an International Anti-Corruption Court grows.” If the IACC had been established years ago, it is more likely that Putin would now be in prison, rather than criminally killing Ukrainians.

Two recent events gave me an even deeper understanding of the urgent importance of III’s mission of strengthening the enforcement of criminal laws against kleptocrats. III’s primary partner in Ukraine Iegor Soboliev – a former member of Parliament and father of four – was in a trench outside of Bucha. In a lull in the Russian shelling, a citizen-soldier in another trench yelled “Iegor, do you think that when we win this war we can end corruption in Ukraine too?”

A few days later, III’s partner in Nigeria, Lanre Suraju, was finalizing planning for a major conference on the IACC in Abuja, Nigeria. Armed thugs broke into his home, and took his computer, mobile phone, and passwords, before brutally beating Lanre and his wife. Undeterred, several days later Lanre and his colleagues at the HEDA Resource Centre held what was an excellent conference.

My colleagues and I are inspired by Iegor and Lanre to rededicate ourselves to advancing III’s vital mission. Thank you for being part of this crucial cause.

32 Nobel Laureates and other luminaries endorse the IACC

On April 20, III announced that 30 additional Nobel Laureates have signed the Declaration in support of the creation of an IACC. The Declaration, first released in June 2021 with the signatures of more than 100 world leaders from 45 countries, has now been signed by more than 200 eminent individuals from over 60 countries.

The new signatories have voiced their support for the initiative because they recognize that the global community needs innovative tools in the fight against corruption. “Tackling corruption is fundamental to bolstering democracy around the world. New international institutions are also critical elements of strengthening multilateralism and the rule of law which have been under attack in recent years,” said Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Jody Williams.

IACC Declaration signatories & Nobel Laureates: Leymah Roberta Gbowee, Shirin Ebadi, Jody Williams, Tawakkol Karman, and Rigoberta Menchú Tum.

“I am impressed by the quality of world leaders who have expressed their support for this initiative, reflecting growing awareness of the extent to which corruption undermines human progress and democracy. I am confident that we can find the political will to make this happen,” said Augusto Lopez Claros, Executive Director of the Global Governance Forum and Co-Chair of the International Coordinating Committee for the IACC campaign.

Read the III press release here.

Dutch Foreign Minister champions the IACC

After III Chair Judge Mark Wolf and III Program Director Ian Lynch visited The Hague at the end of February for meetings with government officials and civil society, the Dutch government joined Canada in committing to work to create the IACC. On April 11, Dutch Foreign Minister Wopke Hoekstra told his EU counterparts of his commitment to champion the creation of an IACC.

Recognizing that establishing an IACC will be a long-term endeavor requiring broad support within the international community, the Netherlands, Canada, Ecuador, and other partners will hold a conference of Ministers from many countries in late 2022 on combating corruption, including how an IACC should be shaped and to build international support for it. III is working closely with the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs on the preparations for the conference.

Former UK Prime Minister Gordon Brown calls for the IACC

Mr Brown wrote in the Times of London that "every day Putin continues to hold power, the case for an International Anti-Corruption Court grows as a forum of last resort, a court of final appeal to intervene where domestic law has not or cannot act against misappropriation of a country’s wealth, and to punish, deter and diminish corruption whenever a nation fails to enforce their own criminal laws against corrupt leaders."

Read more here.

Former Indonesian Anti-Corruption Commissioner advocates for the IACC

On March 22, GOPAC (the Global Organization of Parliamentarians Against Corruption) held a joint event with the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) discussing International Cooperation to Prosecute Corruption and Recover Stolen Assets during the 144th IPU Assembly in Bali, Indonesia.

Dr. Laode Syarif, former Commissioner of the Indonesian Anti-Corruption Commission (KPK), Executive Director of Kemitraan (the Partnership for Governance Reform in Indonesia), and member of the the Asia-Pacific Subcommittee for the IACC campaign called on parliamentarians and other dignitaries to work to create the Court.

Conference on the IACC in Abuja, Nigeria

On March 31, the HEDA Resource Centre in Nigeria organized a conference on the IACC in the capital Abuja in partnership with III. Chaired by Dr Oliver Stolpe, United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) Representative in Nigeria, the event brought together many active supporters of the IACC.

Upcoming Events

Symposium on Supranational Responses to Corruption

April 28 - 29 in Vienna, Austria

At the symposium, organized by the World Bank, OECD, and the American Society of International Law, III Chair Judge Mark Wolf will present a forthcoming paper titled The International Anti-Corruption Court: A Transnational Response to Grand Corruption that he co-authored with Justice Richard Goldstone, Bethany Adam, Emil Bolongaita, and Robert Rotberg.

You can watch Judge Wolf's remarks this Friday April 29 at 12:30pm CEST (6:30am EST). Register to watch online here.

Australian Leadership Summit 2022

April 29 - 30 in Brisbane, Australia

Organized by the ADC Forum, the Australian Leadership Summit is an important gathering of Australian agenda setters. At the Summit, III Board Member Emil Bolongaita will moderate a session on Strengthening Accountability in a Rules-Based World Order: Establishing an International Anti-Corruption Court. The panel will include:

Gareth Evans, former Australian Foreign Minister
Richard Goldstone, former Justice of the Constitutional Court of South Africa
Nikola Stepanov, Queensland Integrity Commissioner
Sarah Chayes, author and former special advisor to the Chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff

World Justice Forum

May 30 - June 2 in The Hague, the Netherlands

On June 1, III will host an event at the Forum on Addressing the Enforcement Gap: The Proposal for an International Anti-Corruption Court. Speakers will include:

Former Prime Minister of Poland Hanna Suchocka
Judge Mark Wolf of the United States, III Chair and Co-Chair of the International Coordinating Committee for the IACC Campaign
Judge Antoine Kesia-Mbe Mindua of the Democratic Republic of the Congo
Maja Groff, Esq., Co-Chair of the International Coordinating Committee for the IACC Campaign
Dr. Jean-Pelé Fomété of Cameroon, and more.

Academic Council on the UN System (ACUNS) Annual Meeting

June 23 - 25 in Geneva, Switzerland

Co-Chair of the International Coordinating Committee for the IACC Campaign Maja Groff, an international lawyer based in The Hague, will moderate a panel on Addressing the Accountability Gap: An International Anti-Corruption Court. Speakers will include:

Justice Richard Goldstone of South Africa
Justice Maria Wilson of Trinidad and Tobago
Cynthia Gabriel, Founding Director of the Center to Combat Corruption and Cronyism (C4) in Malaysia
Michel Levien, Director of Streiner Anti-Corruption Bureau in Mexico

The IACC in the News

Peter MacKay: An international court to crack down on corruption, National Post in Canada, February 1, 2022
Former Canadian Minster of Justice, Minister of Foreign Affairs, and Minister of National Defence Peter MacKay wrote:

"An IACC based in our country would have the added benefit of forcing us to strive for even higher domestic standards of ethics and accountability, and would no doubt bring a more serious approach to domestic corruption issues."

To Address Inequality and Poverty, Start By Tackling Corruption, World Politics Review, February 12, 2022
III Board Members Justice Richard Goldstone and Paul Hoffman wrote:

"We argue that an IACC would be a key institution to help address the deep structural dysfunctions and vested interests that are behind the worst global injustices and challenges."

Kick kleptocrats in the wallet, The Strategist in Australia, February 28, 2022
Australian journalist Graeme Dobell wrote:

"In seeking to buttress a rules-based international order against Putin and other autocrats, we need to reach beyond the old rules to create new institutions to police the rules. ...
The cold shadow cast by an anti-corruption court would fall on the property and loot beyond the nation being looted. The very idea will madden and frighten autocrats everywhere.

In Australia’s election campaign in April and May, all sides of politics should follow Canada’s example and commit to a court to kick the kleptocrats."

Judge Mark Wolf’s Magnum Opus: The International Anti-Corruption Court, Whistleblower News Network, March 11, 2022
by Mark Worth

Allan Rock on the creation of an International Anti-Corruption Court (IACC), World Refugee & Migration Council, March 24, 2022
World Refugee & Migration Council Special Advisor Allan Rock spoke at the University of British Columbia Peter A. Allard School of Law’s event International Anti-Corruption Court: An Idea Whose Time Has Come? He said:

"Given the scale of grand corruption and its global nature, there needs to be a global response. Everything the international community is doing now is not succeeding. The status-quo is failing. The IACC is a tool that can truly tackle the scourge of grand corruption."

Stakeholders back creation of International Anti-Corruption court, Vanguard News in Nigeria, April 1, 2022
by Luminous Jannamike

Kabinet gaat zich inzetten voor anticorruptiehof (Cabinet is committed to anti-corruption court), De Telegraaf in the Netherlands, April 11, 2022

Dutch gov't wants to establish international anti-corruption court, The NL Times, April 11, 2022

An Anti-Corruption Court could stop kleptocrats and oligarchs fuelling wars seen in Ukraine, Daily Maverick in South Africa, April 12, 2022
III Board Members Justice Richard Goldstone and Paul Hoffman, and III Program Director Ian Lynch wrote:

"The crisis in Ukraine will not graduate into something terminal if the political will to deal appropriately with the kleptocrats and oligarchs worldwide can be generated. The establishment of an IACC is a practical and useful way of demonstrating that the necessary will among nations does exist."

Establishing IACC: Everyone must be committed- Anti-Corruption Groups charge, The Sun in Nigeria, April 16, 2022
by Henry Uche

Subscribe to this Newsletter

The mission of Integrity Initiatives International is to strengthen the enforcement of criminal laws to punish and deter leaders who are corrupt and regularly violate human rights.

The Board of Integrity Initiatives International: Judge Mark Wolf, Chair; Elaine Dezenski, Vice-Chair; Robert Rotberg, Vice-Chair; Farid Rohani, Treasurer; Julia Makayova, Secretary; Robert Abernethy; Emil Bolongaita; Landon Butler; James Cottrell, Jr.; Geoffrey Cowan; Camilo Enciso; Judge Claudia Escobar; Jonathan Fanton; Thomas Firestone; Ambassador Robert Gelbard; Tara Giunta; Justice Richard Goldstone; Paul Hoffman; Nicco Mele; Mary Page; Governor Deval Patrick; Jill Schuker; Dawn Smalls; José Ugaz; and Daniel Weintraub.

Issue 3: “Canada will work to create an International Anti-Corruption Court,” January 2022

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Welcome to the third issue of Integrity Initiatives International's quarterly newsletter concerning global efforts to strengthen the enforcement of criminal laws to punish and deter corrupt leaders and end impunity for grand corruption.

Canada will take a leading role in the efforts to establish an International Anti-Corruption Court (IACC).

In December 2021, the Canadian government directed the new Foreign Minister Mélanie Joly (right) to:

"[Work] with international partners to help establish an International Anti-Corruption Court, to prevent corrupt officials and authoritarian governments from impeding development that should benefit their citizens."

At President Joe Biden's Summit for Democracy in December 2021, Canada also committed to convening "a national high level, multi-sectoral roundtable to explore options to strengthen the international legal framework and architecture to combat corruption globally."

High-level support for the IACC has also developed in the Netherlands, Spain, and Sweden. Integrity Initiatives International (III) has further strengthened its global civil society network and is planning to engage governments in Chile, Colombia, South Korea, Nigeria, Zambia, and elsewhere following recent and upcoming elections.

2022 promises to be a significant year for the campaign for an IACC. To capitalize on this momentum, III is working with an ever-expanding and diverse coalition of individuals and organizations. We hope that you will continue to support the campaign and advocate for the Court in your own countries.

Contribute to Integrity Initiatives International

World Refugee & Migration Council (WRMC) Launches
High-Level Canadian Task Force Against Global Corruption

Today, III's partner in the campaign for an IACC, the WRMC, launched a new Canadian Task Force Against Global Corruption that will focus on strengthening and developing key instruments of national and international governance to tackle the scourge of grand corruption, including the IACC. One of the task force's key priorities will be to build on the Canadian government's commitment to advance creation of the IACC.

Chaired by former Canadian Foreign Minister Lloyd Axworthy, the task force members include: former Canadian Ministers of Justice Allan Rock and Peter MacKay; Senators Ratna Omidvar and Mobina Jaffer; Maureen O'Neil (former President of the International Research Development Centre); Angus Reid (CEO and Founder of Angus Reid Global); and more. The full list of task force members and related resources can be found here.

Corruption and the Climate Crisis

Enhancing Global Governance to Address the Climate Crisis
In the margins of the Glasgow Climate Summit in November 2021, III organized a panel on global governance proposals with the Global Challenges Foundation. Remarks on the IACC by Judge Mark Wolf (Chair of III) begin at 37 minutes in the video below:

Governing Our Climate Future: Interim Report of The Climate Governance Commission
III contributed a section to the Global Challenges Foundation's Climate Governance Commission report on why an IACC is needed to ensure that the immense sums of financing needed to combat climate change are not lost to corruption.

Taking the Climate Crisis Seriously Requires Ambitious Anti-Corruption Solutions, The Diplomat, November 5, 2021
Ian Lynch (III Program Director) and Maja Groff (Co-Chair of the International Coordinating Committee for the IACC campaign and Convenor of the Climate Governance Commission) wrote:

"Developing nations stand to pay a disproportionate price for the effects of climate change, despite having contributed the least to the problem and having the least resources to mitigate it. ... To take climate change seriously, governments must both boost climate investments and develop novel global governance solutions like the IACC to protect them."

BoldRoom Webinar with Justice Richard Goldstone
Wednesday February 2 at 1PM EST / 8PM CAT

III Board member Justice Richard Goldstone of South Africa will join the BoldRoom hosted III Youth Leaders Network member Mwila Chriseddy Bwanga (Founder and Director of BeRelevant Africa).

To register click here.

Voices from III's Youth Leaders Network

by David Ogungbesan, Esq. - Legal Officer at HEDA Resource Centre, Nigeria

Over the years, Human and Environmental Development Agenda (HEDA Resource Centre) has been at the center of the fight against corruption in Nigeria and illicit financial flows from Nigeria. In addition to the traditional methods of speaking out against corruption – including protest, whistleblowing, public engagement, and public interest litigation, amongst others – HEDA Resource Centre took a bold step by independently investigating the illicit assets of public office holders and introducing the Compendium of 100 High Profile Corruption Cases in Nigeria. The Compendium is the first of its kind in Nigeria and it is otherwise known as a hall of shame for the featured politically exposed persons.

The Compendium has attracted international recognition. It has been used by international law enforcement agencies in the United Kingdom and United States as background material for investigations into some corruption and illicit asset recovery cases for Nigeria. It has also provided the foundation for scholarly research projects.

Due to the difficulties of prosecuting corruption in Nigeria, HEDA strongly endorses the creation of an IACC and the creation of a specialized national anti-corruption court in Nigeria.

The IACC and Anti-Corruption Enforcement in the News

How to Cure Creeping Kleptocracy: It’s time to establish an international anti-corruption court, Inkstick, December 3, 2021
III Vice Chair Robert I. Rotberg wrote:

"Grand corruption of the venal kind most responsible for contract fraud, money laundering, large scale theft from public purses, and deleterious educational, public health, and infrastructural disasters, can only be pursued and prevented by investigators and prosecutors who are loyal to an impartial institution independent of domestic and tainted ruling cliques — thus the need for an IACC."

Triangle of Corruption: Why Washington Needs to Get Tough on Central American Kleptocrats, Foreign Affairs, November 26, 2021
III Board member Judge Claudia Escobar shares her recommendations on how the U.S. administration can help promote stronger judicial institutions to counter corruption in Central America. She wrote:

"A priority of any U.S. foreign policy strategy for the region should be to help Central Americans guarantee the independence of their judicial systems. Time and again, corrupt politicians have stymied judges and prosecutors who have attempted to root out malfeasance."

Daniel Kaufmann on the Destructive Effects of Corruption, Global Governance Podcast, October 2021
Esteemed economist and anti-corruption expert Daniel Kaufmann and podcast host Augusto Lopez-Claros (Co-Chair of the International Coordinating Committee for the IACC campaign and Executive Director of the Global Governance Forum) had a wide-ranging conversation about the devastating consequences of grand corruption and potential solutions, including the establishment of an IACC.

Advocacy for the IACC

International Conference of Chief Justices of the World
hosted by City Montessori School in Lucknow, India on November 21, 2021

III Chair Judge Mark Wolf and III Board member Justice Richard Goldstone were honored to received the Mother Teresa Award and the Mahatma Gandhi Award respectively. Augusto Lopez-Claros moderated a discussion about the IACC with Judge Wolf and Justice Goldstone. Judge Antoine Kesia-Mbe Mindua, a judge of the International Criminal Court, gave closing remarks.

Subscribe to this Newsletter

The mission of Integrity Initiatives International is to strengthen the enforcement of criminal laws to punish and deter leaders who are corrupt and regularly violate human rights, and also to create opportunities for the democratic process to replace them with leaders dedicated to serving their citizens rather than enriching themselves. Integrity Initiatives works to end grand corruption by supporting national measures, such as the recently created special anti-corruption court in Ukraine; promoting understanding of the close connection between grand corruption and violations of human rights; forging a network of young people dedicated to combatting corruption; and catalyzing a campaign to establish the International Anti-Corruption Court.

The Board of Integrity Initiatives International: Judge Mark Wolf, Chair; Elaine Dezenski, Vice-Chair; Robert Rotberg, Vice-Chair; Farid Rohani, Treasurer; Julia Makayova, Secretary; Robert Abernethy; Emil Bolongaita; Landon Butler; James Cottrell, Jr.; Geoffrey Cowan; Camilo Enciso; Judge Claudia Escobar; Jonathan Fanton; Thomas Firestone; Ambassador Robert Gelbard; Tara Giunta; Justice Richard Goldstone; Paul Hoffman; Nicco Mele; Mary Page; Governor Deval Patrick; Jill Schuker; Dawn Smalls; José Ugaz; and Daniel Weintraub.

Issue 2: “Canadian Liberal & Conservative parties endorse the IACC,” October 2021

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Welcome to the second issue of Integrity Initiatives International's quarterly newsletter concerning global efforts to strengthen the enforcement of criminal laws to punish and deter corrupt leaders and end impunity for grand corruption.

The Pandora Papers, released this month by Integrity Initiatives International's (III) colleagues, the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ), provide additional powerful evidence that corrupt leaders throughout the world are enriching themselves at the expense of the health and welfare of their often desperate citizens. The Pandora Papers expose the secret finances and lavish lifestyles of more than 330 politicians, including 35 current and former heads of state. They include the King of Jordan, who purchased 14 luxury homes worth $100 million in the United States and United Kingdom through front companies registered in tax havens; the President of Kenya, whose family secretly owned a network of offshore companies for decades; the President of Azerbaijan, who amassed a London property empire worth $694 million; and Russian President Vladimir Putin, who evidently made his mistress a very rich woman.

The Pandora Papers follow ICIJ's Panama and Paradise Papers, which provided similar evidence of grand corruption, but resulted in the conviction of only one politician, the former Prime Minister of Pakistan. Corrupt leaders have long enjoyed impunity because they control the administration of justice in the countries that they rule. Therefore, it is being increasingly recognized that an International Anti-Corruption Court (IACC) is urgently needed. Read on for an update on the Court.

International Anti-Corruption Court: Update

Integrity Initiatives International (III) and its partners continue to make significant progress in the emerging international campaign to establish the IACC.

Endorsements from Canada
Following the publication in June of the Declaration in Support of the Creation of an International Anti-Corruption Court (IACC) signed by more than 125 world leaders from 46 countries, the IACC was included in both the Liberal and Conservative party platforms for the elections in Canada on September 20.

The Liberal platform:
"Help establish an International Anti-Corruption Court, to prevent corrupt officials and authoritarian governments from raiding the resources of their citizens and impeding development."

The Conservative platform:
"Advance the idea of an International Corruption Court to prosecute the world’s worst offenders who deny progress and democracy on the backs of the world’s most vulnerable."

With bipartisan support, III plans to work with the new Canadian government to move the proposal forward. Additional official interest in the Court is being expressed around the world, including in the Netherlands.

International Coordinating Committee
In July, III formed an International Coordinating Committee to lead the international campaign for the IACC. The Committee will work to catalyze a group of governments to initiate a diplomatic process for negotiating a treaty to establish the IACC and to coordinate an international civil society coalition for the campaign to create it.

The IACC in the News

Canada should lead in creating an international court to fight corruption, The Toronto Star, October 12
Lloyd Axworthy, former Foreign Minister of Canada and Chair of the World Refugee and Migration Council (WRMC), and Fen Osler Hampson, Chancellor's Professor at Carleton University and President of the WRMC, wrote:

"Canada should take the lead in promoting the development of an IACC. The Liberals and Conservatives championed the idea in their party platforms in the recent election. Bipartisanship is a rare commodity, but this is one initiative where our two major parties can work together with like-minded countries, like the Netherlands and Norway, where there is also keen interest in the proposal."

Para impedir la cleptocracia es necesario un Tribunal Internacional Anticorrupción, esglobal, October 13
Deterring Kleptocracy Demands an International Anti-Corruption Court, Global Governance Forum, October 9
Susana Malcorra, the former Foreign Minister of Argentina, and Ian Lynch, III's Program Director, wrote that the Pandora Papers demonstrate the urgent need for an International Anti-Corruption Court to hold kleptocrats and their professional enablers accountable.

Covid-19: Pandemic heightens calls for international court to tackle grand corruption, the International Bar Association's (IBA) magazine Global Insight, September 24
The article quotes III Chair Judge Mark Wolf and III Board members Justice Richard Goldstone and Judge Claudia Escobar. It also quotes IBA President Sternford Moyo - a signatory to the Declaration in support of an IACC - who said the time has come for a dedicated international institution to address corruption when national governments are unable or unwilling to do so. He stated that:

"The adverse effects of corruption are, in many cases, comparable to the effects of crimes against humanity. Given the frequent cross-border transfer of looted resources to tax havens and jurisdictions which uphold secrecy in connection with such resources, and the fact that international aid to poor countries would be unnecessary but for corruption, it has assumed strong international dimensions and requires international collaboration and cooperation to fight and combat it effectively."

Advocacy for Strengthened Anti-Corruption Enforcement

UN High-Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development
On July 12, III and the International Chamber of Commerce co-hosted a side event at the UN High-Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development. III Vice Chair Elaine Dezenski provided opening remarks, III board member Chip Cottrell moderated the second session of the event, and III board member Judge Claudia Escobar offered closing remarks, among numerous distinguished speakers:

Deloitte UK's Tackling Illicit Finance videocast
The Honourable Peter MacKay PC QC, former Minister in the Canadian Government, and Judge Mark Wolf, Chair of III, discussed the urgent need for an International Anti-Corruption Court:

Watch their discussion on Tackling Illicit Finance here

Global Governance Forum Briefing
On July 28, Augusto Lopez-Claros, Chairman of the Global Governance Forum, moderated a briefing on the International Anti-Corruption Court for senior business leaders on July 28 by III's Chair, Judge Mark Wolf, and Board member Justice Richard Goldstone. Steve Sarowitz, Chairman and Founder of Paylocity, gave opening remarks and Ken Robinson, Board Member of Paylocity, gave closing remarks.

Voices from III's Youth Leaders Network

The Network held its first meeting in July with representatives from anti-corruption organizations around the world. Representatives from Venezuela, Russia, Lebanon, Uzbekistan, Mexico, Norway, Uganda, Latvia, Zimbabwe, Nigeria, Tajikistan, Turkey, Peru, India, Germany, Malta and the United States shared their experiences and anti-corruption related projects.

Concerned by the dire conditions in Lebanon, YAC-Youth Against Corruption, a youth-led organization that leverages youth talents, social innovation and entrepreneurship in the fight against corruption, founded and directed by Network member Serena Ibrahim, published the following open letter in September calling for the creation of the IACC, among other actions.

Upcoming Events

Just Peace Month

III and its partners will host virtual events as part of Just Peace Month organized by The Hague Humanity Hub and supported by the Municipality of The Hague. The program from September 19 - October 24 focuses on human stories of peace and justice.

Human Stories from the Frontlines of Anti-Corruption
October 21 at 11 am EDT / 5 pm CEST
Members of III's Youth Leaders Network will tell stories of their experiences with corruption and how they are working to address it in their countries. You can pre-register here.

A 21st Century United Nations for a Just Peace? Personal Stories in Building a Renewed Global Governance
October 23 at 8 am EDT / 2 pm CEST
III's partners international economist Augusto Lopez-Claros, international lawyer Maja Groff, and environmental scientist/international ecological policy-maker Arthur Lyon Dahl will discuss what motivated them to write their book, Global Governance and the Emergence of Global Institutions for the 21st Century, which includes a chapter on the IACC.

International Chamber of Commerce
"Make Climate Action Everyone’s Business" Forum

III and the Climate Governance Commission will co-host a virtual panel at the International Chamber of Commerce's November 1-13 virtual forum in the margins of the COP26 UN Climate Change Conference in Glasgow.

Enhancing Global Governance to Address the Climate Crisis
November 9th at noon EST / 5:00 pm GMT.
Panelists will discuss proposals in Governing Our Climate Future including: an International Anti-Corruption Court, an International Court for the Environment, reform of the UN Charter, international criminal law on "ecocide," and more.
To register, use the form at the bottom of this webpage.

Contribute to Integrity Initiatives International

The mission of Integrity Initiatives International is to strengthen the enforcement of criminal laws to punish and deter leaders who are corrupt and regularly violate human rights, and also to create opportunities for the democratic process to replace them with leaders dedicated to serving their citizens rather than enriching themselves. Integrity Initiatives works to end grand corruption by supporting national measures, such as the recently created special anti-corruption court in Ukraine; promoting understanding of the close connection between grand corruption and violations of human rights; forging a network of young people dedicated to combatting corruption; and catalyzing a campaign to establish the International Anti-Corruption Court.

Issue 1: “World Leaders Call for an International Anti-Corruption Court,” July 2021

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Welcome to the first issue of Integrity Initiatives International's quarterly newsletter concerning global efforts to strengthen the enforcement of criminal laws to punish and deter corrupt leaders and end impunity for grand corruption.

International Anti-Corruption Court
On June 10, Integrity Initiatives International (III) announced that more than 100 world leaders from over 45 countries signed a Declaration in support of the creation of an International Anti-Corruption Court (IACC). Among them are 7 former Heads of State or Government, 2 Nobel Peace Prize Laureates, and many more former cabinet ministers, intergovernmental officials, business leaders, and representatives of civil society. Concerned with the threats corruption poses to human rights, human health, and international peace and security, the signatories recognize the need for an IACC that can hold corrupt officials and their enablers accountable when national governments are either unable or unwilling to do so. More information about the proposed Court can he found here.

A feature about the Declaration in MacLean's Magazine generated further high-level policy discussion in Canada about the potential for Canadians to lead a campaign to establish the Court. The news was also covered positively in Guatemala, Brazil, Nigeria, and elsewhere, and reached millions on social media in Arabic, English, Farsi, French, Portuguese, and Spanish.

Op-eds advocating for the creation of the Court were published by III Vice Chair Elaine Dezenski in the Financial Times, Judge Claudia Escobar in Americas Quarterly, Cristina Manzano in El País, Farid Rohani in the Toronto Star, and Justice Richard Goldstone and Paul Hoffman in the Daily Maverick, South Africa.

The Declaration was mentioned at the June 10 launch of the bipartisan U.S. Caucus against Foreign Corruption and Kleptocracy - the first of its kind in the world - and it was highlighted as one of the key anti-corruption happenings of 2021 by the organizer of the Oslo Anti-Corruption Conference during his opening remarks at the conference on June 11. The Declaration is the foundation for an emerging coalition, catalyzed by III, that will campaign throughout the world for the creation of an IACC.

The Declaration comes at a time when corruption is increasingly recognized as a major international problem. On June 2, the G7 Foreign Ministers stated that they “recognize that corruption is a pressing global challenge,” and, on June 13, the G7 Leaders announced that they will take collective action to combat corruption. On June 3, President Joe Biden issued a Memorandum establishing the fight against corruption at home and abroad as a core U.S. national security interest. He stated: “Corruption erodes public trust; hobbles effective governance; distorts equitable markets; undercuts development efforts; contributes to national fragility, extremism, and migration; and provides authoritarian leaders a means to undermine democracy worldwide.”

President Biden also plans to host a Summit for Democracy, at which anti-corruption will be a key priority. In March, III Chair Judge Mark Wolf wrote a widely read essay for NBC News on why the Summit is urgently needed to promote democracy and combat corruption.

UNGASS
The UN General Assembly held its first Special Session against Corruption (UNGASS) from June 2-4. In April, III partnered with Transparency International to organize a letter signed by 96 civil society organizations - including the International Chamber of Commerce and the UNCAC Coalition - urging UN delegations to, at a minimum, form an intergovernmental working group tasked with proposing mechanisms to address gaps in the UN Convention Against Corruption (UNCAC) that entered into force in 2005. Unfortunately, the UNGASS political declaration, agreed by consensus, did not create a working group.

III Youth Leaders Network
After several months of planning with its partners, III will launch its Youth Leaders Network in July. The Network will hold regular collaborative meetings that bring together young people fighting corruption around the world to present their work, workshop new ideas, and share lessons learned on how to stay safe while working in challenging environments.

Advocacy for Strengthened Anti-Corruption Enforcement
In April, III Chair Judge Mark Wolf spoke regarding the formation of Ukraine's High Anti-Corruption Court at a conference hosted by the Harriman Institute at Columbia University. In May, Judge Wolf and III board member Justice Richard Goldstone of South Africa gave a briefing hosted by the Global Governance Forum on why the world needs an International Anti-Corruption Court. The Slovakian Ambassador to the UN Michal Mlynár also made remarks.

Voices from III's Youth Leaders Network

by Bianca Bolaños, analyst at Impunidad Cero, Mexico

Impunidad Cero is a civil society organization based in Mexico that measures, analyses and makes impunity visible in order to tackle it. One of our main areas of research is to uncover corrupt networks, especially in the health sector, including our Operación Desabasto investigation. We recently published an article in The Global Anticorruption Blog regarding the use of fake invoices by shell companies to embezzle millions of dollars from public health institutions in Mexico.

Another line of our work has been generating practical tools to incentivize the reporting of corruption. In collaboration with Action4Justice, we recently published the Legal Anti-Corruption Guide. This guide seeks to provide practical tips and accessible information to assist groups, communities, civil society organizations or any individual in:

Understanding and identifying corruption;
Gathering and putting together evidence to prove corruption;
Reporting corruption to law enforcement authorities and other reporting bodies;
Using legal mechanisms to challenge corruption; and
Finding support and further information on how to challenge corruption.

This guide is general in scope, highlighting international standards, concrete examples from different legal systems and jurisdictions, and cross-cutting practical guidance.

For more information, visit www.impunidadcero.org and www.denuncia.org

Kleptocracy in the News

A new bipartisan Congressional Caucus against Foreign Corruption and Kleptocracy was established in the United States. It is co-chaired by Representatives Tom Malinowski, John Curtis, Bill Keating, and Brian Fitzpatrick. Its members are introducing a raft of anti-corruption bills into Congress including the CROOK Act and the Justice for Victims of Kleptocracy Act.

On June 3, the UN launched the The Global Operational Network of Anti-Corruption Law Enforcement Authorities (GlobE Network) to provide a platform for information exchange between frontline anti-corruption law enforcement practitioners across borders.

Upcoming Events

III and the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) are co-hosting an official side event on Public Private Action to Combat Corruption at the UN High Level Political Forum (HLPF) on July 12 from 7:30-9:00 a.m. EDT.

Click here to register. Connection details will be shared with registrants in due course.

The panelists will discuss the evolving role of multilateral engagement in the fight against corruption, anti-corruption enforcement, and new opportunities to create a level playing field.

Contribute to Integrity Initiatives International

The mission of Integrity Initiatives International is to strengthen the enforcement of criminal laws to punish and deter leaders who are corrupt and regularly violate human rights, and also to create opportunities for the democratic process to replace them with leaders dedicated to serving their citizens rather than enriching themselves. Integrity Initiatives works to end grand corruption by supporting national measures, such as the recently created special anti-corruption court in Ukraine; promoting understanding of the close connection between grand corruption and violations of human rights; forging a network of young people dedicated to combatting corruption; and catalyzing a campaign to establish the International Anti-Corruption Court.