Principles for Anti-Corruption Agencies: a Game Changer

International - Wednesday, August 1, 2012

Over the past 60 years, almost 150 specialised anti-corruption agencies (ACAs) have been established all around the world. Nearly every country nowadays has an ACA. Some, such as the Hong Kong Independent Commission against Corruption, have been hailed as successes, whereas others have been dismissed as failures in the fight against corruption. This article reviews their achievements and failures. It argues that their ‘operational independence’ is the quintessential requirement for effectiveness and success. It proposes a set of twelve principles to ensure their independence from government and a mechanism to monitor compliance, analagous to the international experience with national human rights institutions (NHRIs).
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