Delivering justice on the ground: the challenges of fighting corruption at the national and international levels.

• Author: Sajdik, Martin

The fight against corruption at the national and international levels is a topic of unabated relevance for the United Nations and its Member States, as intolerance of corruption is growing around the world.

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On the occasion of the first High-level Meeting of the General Assembly on the Rule of Law at the National and International Levels on 24 September 2012, the Heads of State and Government and heads of delegation adopted an important political Declaration by consensus. With this, they reaffirmed their commitment to the rule of law and its fundamental importance for political dialogue and cooperation among all States and for the further development of the three main pillars upon which the United Nations is built: international peace and security, human rights and development. They agreed that the collective response to the challenges and opportunities arising from the many complex political, social and economic transformations before us must be guided by the rule of law, as it is the foundation of friendly and equitable relations between States and the basis upon which just and fair societies are built.

Quite remarkably, the Declaration contains a separate paragraph on the issue of corruption, which is dealt with rather extensively:

25. We are convinced of the negative impact of corruption, which obstructs economic growth and development, erodes public confidence, legitimacy and transparency and hinders the making of fair and effective laws, as well as their administration, enforcement and adjudication, and therefore stress the importance of the rule of law as an essential element in addressing and preventing corruption, including through strengthening cooperation among States concerning criminal matters. It seems to be common sense that corruption has enormous detrimental effects. However, the fact that the Declaration adopted unanimously deals with the topic of corruption in such an extensive way clearly shows that the United Nations membership, as a whole, attaches great importance to it and the rule of law, and rightly so.

Corruption is a phenomenon that affects all countries. No State is immune to it, regardless of its level of economic or social development. When we read our own countries' newspapers, corruption scandals are regularly featured. The forms and intensity of corruption might differ from country to country, and some societies are definitely more affected by it than others, but it is a fact that...