Combating Corruption in the Digital Age
Units: 6
This course will address the implementation challenges facing international anti-corruption agreements, notably the UN Convention against Corruption and the OECD Anti-Bribery Convention. Getting signatory countries' laws and regulations to be consonant with the provisions of these conventions is only the first stage of what is, in fact, a two-stage implementation process. The second stage is the enforcement of anti-corruption laws and regulations. This stage, which fosters deterrence and strengthens the rule of law vital to economic development, will be the focus of the course. The course will examine cases of grand corruption across the world, including in Africa, Asia, Europe and Latin America. Among the countries to be covered will be the US, China, Russia, Brazil, India, South Africa, Philippines, Indonesia, Singapore, and others. The course will discuss different strategies and solutions that leaders in governments, non-government organisations and private sector can consider to improve, at a global level, the implementation of UNCAC and OECD anti-bribery convention. At the national level, the course will discuss and develop recommendations to enhance the enforcement of anti-corruption laws in terms of effective detection, investigation, prosecution and sanctions against corruption, with due consideration to different country contexts.
The objective of this course is to provide an intensive introduction to the persistent and pervasive problem of grand corruption and the mixed results in international and national efforts to address it.