Preventing corruption in the Palestinian security sector : improving the consistency of Palestinian security sector legislation with the United Nations Convention against corruption

Abstract

On 2 April 2014, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas signed the United Nations Convention Against Corruption (UNCAC), the only globally agreed framework for combating corruption One month later, the UNCAC entered into force in Palestine. Palestine is now obliged to incorporate the convention into domestic legislation. It must also make the necessary changes to its institutions and practices. This requires effecting corruption-preventive measures at both the domestic and international level. At the domestic level this involves criminalizing certain conducts. At the international level it means strengthening international law enforcement, judicial cooperation, technical assistance, and the provision of effective legal mechanisms for stolen asset recovery and exchange of information. Although the UNCAC outlines international standards, it does not stipulate how to put them in place. Each state must determine its own priorities and the appropriate sequencing of reform steps. This requires a broad political dialogue with domestic and international stakeholders and the crafting of technical assistance programmes.