Date: 8-9 November 2006
Location: Warsaw, Poland
Please note that the deadline for registration at the Conference has been extended to 2 November 2006
Background – Corruption negatively impacts all human right and can have devastating affects on the more vulnerable groups in developing and developed countries. It negatively affects the exercise of civil and political rights by compromising democratic institutions and diminishing access to justice, weakens the ability of governments to deliver basic public services and impedes the access of the poor to these services. While fighting corruption can contribute to the promotion and protection of human rights, anti-corruption policies and efforts can greatly benefit from strategies grounded in internationally recognised human rights.
Mandate – A seminar jointly organized by Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) and UNDP held in Seoul in 2004, emphasized the mutually reinforcing and sometimes overlapping relationship between good governance and human rights. In order to further explore this relationship, the 61 st Commission on Human Rights requested that the OHCHR “convene a seminar in 2006 ... on the role of anti-corruption measures at the national and international levels in good governance practices for the promotion and protection of human rights.”
Conference – The conference is being organized by OHCHR and hosted by the Government of Poland, with logistical support from UNDP Country Office in Warsaw, Poland on 8 and 9 November 2006 . The objective of the conference, which will have a practical approach, is to advance the understanding of good governance practices that contribute to fight against corruption by focusing on human rights.
Themes to be explored - The conference will have a practical approach and will focus specifically on: (a) the impact of corruption on human rights; (b) how human rights and good governance principles can help in fighting corruption; (c) the role of civil society, private sector, and the media; and (d) fighting corruption while safeguarding human rights.
Participants - The target participants will include: (a) state officials involved in anti-corruption and human rights agencies, including representatives from 50 least developed countries (LDCs); (b) representatives from relevant UN agencies; and (c) representatives of civil society, industry, experts and academia active in the fields of anti-corruption, human rights, good governance, and development.
Structure – The conference will be launched by keynote speech on ethics and integrity. In each session of the Conference an expert will explore issues related to the above mentioned themes and relevant practices will be presented. These presentations will be followed by commentary and analysis, the aim of which is to broaden the discussion on the issue. The results of each session will be presented in plenary. At the end of each day, the Rapporteur will wrap up key discussion points.
Output & Outcomes – A declaration/statement will outline the main conclusions of the Conference and a report will synthesise all the important conclusions, interventions, and practices presented at the Conference. Two outcomes are expected from this Conference: (a) increased awareness among participants of the conceptual and functional relationships between corruption and human rights; and (b) improved integration of human rights principles and principles of good governance into anti-corruption policies and strategies.
More information at http://www.ohchr.org/english/issues/development/governance/Warsawconference.htm