Strengthening the global fight against corruption: G20 ACWG meets in Brazil
Brazil's Minister of State for the Office of the Comptroller-General, His Excellency Vinícius Marques de Carvalho, delivered the keynote address, stressing the significance of inclusive approaches in anti-corruption efforts. He underscored the complex nature of corruption, requiring diverse perspectives and expertise. Carvalho called for a multi-agency strategy, urging the involvement of civil society, academia, and the private sector in shaping effective anti-corruption policies.
At the heart of the meeting were the discussions of the draft G20 High-Level Principles on the Management of Seized and Confiscated Assets. These draft principles aim to provide a framework for G20 countries to manage seized assets, closing gaps identified by the ACWG to strengthen asset recovery.
The group also considered the Zero Draft Ministerial Declaration, encapsulating the commitment of G20 countries to address corruption through prevention. This draft will be presented for adoption at the ACWG Ministerial Meeting to be held in Mpumalanga in October 2025.
In addition to the main sessions, a side event — co-hosted by the UN Development Programme (UNDP) — was held on measuring integrity in public procurement, exploring challenges in quantifying corruption, and the need for evidence-based methodologies. The UNDP announced that it was establishing a framework for measuring integrity, collecting data from 60 countries by the end of 2025. This initiative aims to provide objective tools to gauge the effectiveness of anti-corruption measures.
Another side event — co-hosted by EL PACTO 2.0, a partnership with the EU focused on justice and security — was held to address the preventive dimension in the fight against corruption and new forms of organised crime.
The G20 ACWG and Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development Working Group on Bribery held a joint meeting aimed at supporting the shared commitment to combatting the bribery of foreign public officials in international transactions.
The second G20 ACWG meeting provided an opportunity for delegates to exchange views, share experiences, and deepen understanding of the evolving challenges and opportunities in the fight against corruption through the lens of the SA presidency's theme of 'Solidarity, Equality, and Sustainability'.
The ACWG acknowledged that there remained considerable work ahead to fully realise the deliverables committed to at the start of the year, including timely responses to the questionnaires, substantive inputs towards the draft Ministerial Declaration, and the High-Level Principles on the Management of Seized and Confiscated Assets.
Through these efforts, the G20 ACWG seeks to instil confidence in its commitment to combatting corruption and promoting sustainable development, ensuring a brighter future for all.
As SA and Brazil lead this charge, the hope is that the momentum generated from this meeting will translate into tangible actions that resonate beyond borders, creating a global environment where corruption has no place.
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Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Video Player is loading. 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