Report on OSCE contributions to combat corruption

VIENNA, 27 November 2000 - The international fight against corruption should combine regulation, enforcement and monitoring into one strategy, according to the latest OSCE report on the issue, released today at the OSCE Ministerial Council meeting. The Report on the OSCE Contributions to International Efforts to Combat Corruption also cites raising awareness and promoting transparency as necessary parts of a plan to solve the problem.

The report reviews the international framework and ongoing OSCE activities that combat corruption. The OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) contributes to combating corruption by advocating democracy based on the rule of law, especially in the electoral process. A number of OSCE Missions and Field Activities, in particular the OSCE Mission to Bosnia and Herzegovina, are active in programmes to fight corruption in their regions.

The report on combating corruption concludes with suggestions on how to strengthen the work of the OSCE in the future. International agreements, strengthening the rule of law in the OSCE region, intensified dialog with NGOs and promoting investigative journalism are some of the areas mentioned for future consideration.

For the full text of the report, see the OSCE website at www.osce.org. For further information contact the Press and Public Information Section of the OSCE Secretariat, tel.: (+ 43-1) 514 36 180 or e-mail: info@osce.org