Calls for Africa to play strong role in anti-corruption court reflects commitment to global efforts

The proposal is led by Integrity Initiatives International (III) and the declaration calling for its creation has been signed by over 300 world leaders from 80 countries. In early 2024, an expert group composed of international judges, international prosecutors, scholars, and other leading experts in international law and anti-corruption began drafting a treaty to establish the IACC.

At a recent launch of a new policy brief, titled ‘International Anti-Corruption Court: How Will It Serve Africa?’, a panel of judges, scholars and policymakers called for African leaders to take ownership of the movement to establish the IACC and to ensure that African interests are served and met by the court.

Edward James, an expert in anti-corruption at Pinsent Masons, said: “The call for Africa to play an integral role in the establishment of the IACC is reflective of the continent's increased commitment to fighting corruption."

“This follows Botswana president Duma Boko announcing a forensic audit, which will investigate past irregular spending and uncover any misuses of state resources and the Interpol partnership with African Development Bank on anti-corruption,” he said.

“In keeping with this trend, Nigeria recently formalised a partnership with the UK to intensify efforts against fraud and financial crime.”

Speakers at the panel noted that Africa remains one of the regions most challenged by corruption, which cripples development projects and devastates local communities. A report from the High-Level Panel on Illicit Financial Flows estimated that Africa has lost more than US$1 trillion to corruption and illicit outflows over the past 50 years.

Vishana Mangalparsad, an investigations lawyer from Pinsent Masons, said: “Multinational companies that do business in Africa face an array of corruption challenges.”

“These range from small shake downs by low level officials at border crossing to grand-scale corruption by high-level government officials who can decide whether companies do or do not get awarded lucrative contracts or licenses,” she said.

“The risks need to be managed sensibly through common sense compliance, especially with an increased focus on enforcement.”