INTERPOL Group of Experts on Corruption
The INTERPOL Group of Experts on Corruption (IGEC) develops and implements new anti-corruption initiatives to strengthen the law enforcement response in the fight against corruption.
Representing all of INTERPOL's regions, the IGEC is a multi-disciplinary group which facilitates the coordination and harmonization of the different national and regional approaches to combating corruption.
In addition, the group involves a wide range of other international stakeholders in the global anti-corruption campaign. The rationale underlying this structure is the general belief that law enforcement should tackle corruption as a phenomenon holistically, in cooperation with all major players and the community at large.
IGEC’s role and activities
The IGEC provides essential information and feedback to INTERPOL on matters pertaining to all aspects of corruption, and is mandated to advise INTERPOL on how best to combat this phenomenon, both operationally and strategically.
The experts generally meet twice a year, and the IGEC is present at all major anti-corruption meetings and participates in most international anti-corruption forums. It has also conducted numerous anti-corruption workshops and seminars and hosted several conferences. The group has established substantial credentials as being an innovative leader in the fight against corruption globally.
The IGEC has put in place a number of best practice guidelines and references for the law enforcement community worldwide.
- It has conducted two Police Integrity Surveys of INTERPOL’s member countries dealing with existing anti-corruption measures and their efficiency, with the objective of better addressing and meeting the needs of member countries.
In response to the results of the surveys, the IGEC has produced:
- A Declaration of Intent for law enforcement, encompassing a Code of Ethics and a Code of Conduct, adopted by the INTERPOL General Assembly in Seoul in 1999.
- A set of Global Standards to Combat Corruption in Police Forces/Services. The aim is to ensure that police in each INTERPOL member country demonstrate high standards of honesty, integrity and ethical behaviour in the performance of their police functions, and to promote measures to bring to justice any officers who are corrupt. The Global Standards are available in five languages – English, French, Spanish, Arabic and Chinese.
- A Library of Best Practice designed to aid investigators in corruption cases. It covers a number of topics, including anti-corruption strategies and structures and their potential weaknesses, operatives and techniques in undercover investigations, witness protection, corruption legislation, prevention, training and education. It also includes a comprehensive list of agencies with an anti-corruption mandate and their contact details. It is available to law enforcement on CD and on INTERPOL’s restricted website, and to other stakeholders in the anti-corruption community by request.
The IGEC meets regulary, usually twice annually. Here is a list of past meetings that have been held across the world:
- Informal gathering, November 2010 – Bangkok, Thailand, during the International Anti-Corruption Conference (IACC)
- 25th IGEC, November 2009 – Washington D.C., USA
- 24th IGEC, February 2009 – Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
- 23rd IGEC, October 2008 – Athens, Greece
- 22nd IGEC, April 2008 – New York, USA
- 21st IGEC, October 2007 – Lyon, France
- 20th IGEC, May 2007 – Vienna, Austria
IGEC's mission statement
“We believe in a free and just society. To be truly just, society must embrace high standards of integrity and openly resist corruption.
To this end, we join with the community to ensure such standards and accept responsibility to fight all forms of corruption through education, prevention and effective law enforcement.”