The Second G20 Anti-Corruption Working Group (ACWG) Meeting was held in Washington D.C. on 16-17 June 2015. G20 members, invited countries and international organizations attended the meeting. Representatives of B20 and Transparency International also attended certain sessions held on the 2nd day of the ACWG meeting.
William R. Brownfield, U.S. Assistant Secretary attended the meeting and made opening remarks. The meeting started with the presentation of Turkey and the United States, as the Co-Chairs of the G20 ACWG, on the 2015 works done up to date and workplan and continued with discussions and exchange of views on the following topics covered by 2015-2016 G20 ACWG Action Plan.
Private Sector Transparency and Integrity(Partnership with Business and Civil Society), Beneficial Ownership Transparency(BO), Public Sector Transparency and Integrity(Immunities from Prosecution, Asset- Financial Disclosure, Procurement, Open Data), Foreign Bribery, International Cooperation(UNCAC, Asset Recovery Regimes, Denial of Entry, Immunities), Preventing and Combating Corruption in High-Risk Areas(Extractives, Fisheries and Primary Forestry, Construction)
The participants had the opportunity to continue to share their views on the ongoing work led by the Co-Chairs within the framework of the 2015-16 ACWG Action and Implementation Plans. Accordingly a number of concrete deliverables on various priority areas contained in the Plans were discussed as possible deliverables of 2015.
Under Private Sector Transparency and Integrity, developing an SME toolkit for anti-corruption issues and establishing an international centre for ethics and integrity for business community in close cooperation with B20; producing a G20 high-level principles on anticorruption ethics and compliance, in line with the principles developed by APEC as well as OECD and UNODC, and drawing on existing research and information on the issue; initiating dialogue with financial institutions to discuss their role in and experiences with handling the risks related to the movement of proceeds of corruption were amongst the highlighted and agreed topics.
The Group also reaffirmed UNCAC’s vital role on international cooperation, welcomed presentation of written individual implementation plans on the High Level Principles of BO, continuing analysis of immunities from prosecution and, finalizing draft principles on procurement at the June meeting.
The ACWG will continue its work in accordance with the agreed agenda at the next meeting which will take place on 15-16 October 2015 in Paris.
