Skip to main content

Advertisement

Log in

The United Nations Convention Against Corruption and its Impact on International Companies

  • Published:
Journal of Business Ethics Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Corruption is a serious economic, social, political, and moral blight, especially in many emerging countries. It is a problem that affects companies in particular, especially in international commerce, finance, and technology transfer. And it is becoming an international phenomenon in scope, substance, and consequences. That is why, in recent years, there has been a proliferation of international efforts to tackle the problem of corruption. One such international cooperative initiative is the United Nations Convention against Corruption, signed in 2003, which came into force in December 2005. This is the first truly global instrument to prevent and combat corruption, built on a broad international consensus. The purpose of this article is to explain the origin and content of the Convention, what it adds to existing international instruments for combating corruption, and its strengths and weaknesses, mainly from the point of view of companies.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Argandoña, A.: 2000, ‹Sobre la corrupción’, Estudios de Comunicación y Derecho. Homenaje al profesor Manuel Fernández Areal (Editorial Compostela, Santiago), pp.␣53–71

  • Argandoña, A.: 2001, Corruption: The Corporate Perspective, Business Ethics. A European Review, 10(2), 163–175

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Argandoña A.: 2003a, Political Party Funding and Business Corruption, in J. Wieland (ed.), Standards and Audits for Ethics Management Systems. The European Perspective (Springer, Berlin), 163–190

    Google Scholar 

  • Argandoña, A.: 2003b, ‹Private-to-Private Corruption’, Journal of Business Ethics, 47(3), part II, 253–267

  • Asian Development Bank: 2001, ‹Anti-Corruption Action Plan for Asia and the Pacific’, Tokyo

  • Asian Development Bank: 2004, ‹Technical Assistance for␣the Implementation of the ADB-OECD Anti- Corruption Initiative for Asia and the Pacific’, Asian Development Bank, TAR:OTH 37476, November

  • Babu, R. R.: 2006, The United Nations Convention against Corruption: A Critical Overview, Asian African Legal Consultative Organization, New Delhi

    Google Scholar 

  • Carlson, J.: 2000, ‹Money Laundering and Corruption: Two Sides of the Same Coin’, No Longer Business as Usual (Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, Paris), pp. 127–136

  • Corr, C., J. Lawler.: 1999, Damned if You Do, Damned if You Don’t? The OECD Convention and the Globalization of Anti-Bribery Measures, Vanderbilt Journal of Transnational Law 32, 1249–1344

    Google Scholar 

  • Elliott, K. (ed.): 1997, Corruption and the Global Economy (Institute for International Economics, Washington, DC)

  • George, B. C., K. A. Lacey, J. Birmele.: 2000, The 1998 OECD Convention: An Impetus for Worldwide Changes in Attitudes Toward Corruption in Business Transactions, American Business Law Journal 37(3), 485–525

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Glynn P., S. Kobrin, M. Naim: 1997, The Globalization of Corruption, in K. Elliott (ed.), Corruption and the Global Economy (Institute for International Economics, Washington, DC), 7–30

    Google Scholar 

  • Heimann, F.: 2005a, ‹Follow-Up Monitoring Needed for the UN Convention against Corruption’, Compact Quarterly, 22 January

  • Heimann, F.: 2005b, ‹Making the United Nations Convention against Corruption Work’, Business Against Corruption. Case Stories and Examples. Implementation of the 10th United Nations Global Compact Principle Against Corruption (Global Compact, New York, NY), pp. 17–25

  • ICC: 2005, ‹ICC Views on the UN Convention Against Corruption’, 194/44, 12 May

  • Jain, A. (ed.): 1998, Economics of Corruption (Kluwer Academic Publishers, Boston)

  • Low, L. A., A. K. Bjorklund and K. C. Atkinson: 1998, ‹The Inter-American Convention Against Corruption: a Comparison with the United States Foreign Corrupt Practices Act’, Vanderbilt Journal of International Law 38

  • Michael, B.: 2004, ‹What does the UN Convention on Corruption Teach us About International Regulatory Harmonization?’, Linacre College

  • OECD: 2006, ‹Mid-Term Study of Phase 2 Reports. Application of the Convention on Combating Bribery of Foreign Public Officials in International Business Transactions and the 1997 Recommendation on Combating Bribery in International Business Transactions’, Paris: OECD, Working Group on Bribery in International Business Transactions, 22 May

  • Pacini, C., J. A. Swingen and H. Rogers: 2002, ‹The Role of the OECD and EU Conventions in Combating Bribery of Foreign Public Officials’, Journal of Business Ethics 37(4), part 1, pp. 385–405

    Google Scholar 

  • Posada, A.: 2000, Combating Corruption under International Law Duke Journal of Comparative and International Law 10(2), 345–414

    Google Scholar 

  • Quinones, E.: 2000, ‹The Promise and the Reality of Monitoring Compliance with the Convention’, No Longer Business As Usual (Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, Paris), pp. 101–109

  • Rose-Ackerman S.: 1997, Corruption as an International Policy Problem: Overview and Recommendations, in K. Elliott (ed.), Corruption and the Global Economy (Institute for International Economics, Washington, DC), 175–233

    Google Scholar 

  • Rose-Ackerman S.: 1999, Corruption and Government: Causes, Consequences, and Reform (Cambridge University Press: Cambridge)

    Google Scholar 

  • United Nations: 2001a, ‹Existing International Legal Instruments, Recommendations and Other Documents Addressing Corruption. Report of the Secretary General’, Economic and Social Council of the United Nations, E/CN.15/2001/3, 2 April

  • United Nations: 2001b, ‹Peru’s Proposal to the Preparatory Meeting of the Ad Hoc Committee for the Negotiation of a Convention Against Corruption’, A/AC.261/IPM/11, 12 November, no. 6, 2 and 3

  • United Nations: 2001c, ‹Argentina’s Proposal to the Preparatory Meeting of the Ad Hoc Committee for the Negotiation of a Convention Against Corruption’, A/AC.261/IPM/6, 12 November

  • United Nations: 2001d, ‹Philippines’ Proposal to the Preparatory Meeting of the Ad Hoc Committee for the Negotiation of a Convention Against Corruption’, A/AC.261/IPM/24, 7 December, no. 4

  • United Nations: 2001e, ‹Canada’s Proposal to the Informal Preparatory Meeting of the Ad Hoc Committee for the Negotiation of a Convention against Corruption’, A/AC.261/IPM/27, 7 December

  • United Nations: 2003a, Resolution 58/4 of 31 October

  • United Nations: 2003b, ‹Report of the Ad Hoc Committee for the Negotiation of a Convention Against Corruption on the Work of its First to Seventh Sessions’, United Nations, General Assembly, A/58/422, 7 October

  • Vincke, F. and F. Heimann (eds.): 2003, Fighting Corruption. A Corporate Practices Manual, 2nd edition (International Chamber of Commerce, Paris)

  • Vlassis, D.: 2002, ‹The Negotiation of the Draft United Nations Convention Against Corruption’, Forum on Crime and Society 2(1)

  • Vlassis, D.: 2005, ‹Why the UN Convention Against Corruption Matters to business’, Compact Quarterly, 10 January

  • Webb, P.: 2005, The United Nations Convention Against Corruption: Global Achievement or Missed Opportunity?, Journal of International Economic Law 8(1), 191–229

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Antonio Argandoña.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Argandoña, A. The United Nations Convention Against Corruption and its Impact on International Companies. J Bus Ethics 74, 481–496 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10551-007-9524-z

Download citation

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10551-007-9524-z

Keywords

Navigation