A campaign led by Integrity Initiatives International to establish an international court that would prosecute political and corporate leaders responsible for egregious acts of corruption, when their national judicial systems are unable or unwilling to do so.
Corruption significantly hinders efforts to protect the environment, by enabling illegal activities and undermining environmental policies and regulations. It facilitates environmental crimes, diverts funds intended for conservation, and weakens the enforcement of environmental laws, leading to increased environmental degradation.
The UN Convention against Corruption requires the States parties (190 governments) to criminalize corrupt acts, but currently it is powerless to enforce this, resulting in rampant corruption in autocratic countries.
An International Anti-Corruption Court (IACC) would provide jurisdiction over crimes set out in the UN Convention against Corruption and in other international anti-corruption law, when national governments are unable or unwilling to do so.
This Court will form a critical part of efforts to fight global corruption, ensuring that general public funds are available, that finances designated for climate and planetary action reach their intended recipients, and that the environmental rule of law is enhanced through the protection of implementation measures from corruption.
For example, the IACC would help tackle illegal logging, fishing and wildlife trade which depend on the corruption of officials for permits, access, the movement of resources and money laundering. This business has an estimated value of $1 trillion or more per year and depletes the world of its natural resources and threatens the health and stability of ecosystems.
The call for establishing an IACC is supported by 275 world leaders from more than 80 countries, including 40 former Heads of State and Government, 30 Nobel laureates, many current and former government officials, and representatives of civil society, business, and faith communities.
For more information visit Integrity Initiatives International website.