Adoption of UN Convention against Corruption helps
(Xinhua)
Updated: 2005-11-09 14:08

China's adoption of UN Convention against Corruption October this year, the most comprehensive document against corruption, will help police to capture corrupted officials and businesspeople who fled overseas, said an official with the Ministry of Supervision.

The official told Xinhua Tuesday that the convention has outlined five mechanisms to combat corruption, including one on asset recovery that stipulates signatories must cooperate with and assist each other to recover embezzled money flown overseas.

It also demands signatories to guard against and monitor transfer of suspected assets and the return and disposal of the assets.

The convention, adopted by the UN General Assembly in October 31, 2003, stipulates on the prevention, criminalization, international cooperation, assets recovery and implementation mechanism in the fight against transnational crimes of corruption.

China's top legislature ratified the document unanimously on October 27, after signing it in December in 2003. By September 15, 30 countries have ratified the convention, which will goes into effect on December 14 this year.

According to the official, the other four mechanisms in the convention stresses prevention, crime conviction and law enforcement, protection of anyone suffering from corrupted behavior and international cooperation.

The convention puts equal emphasis on cracking down on corruption of briber takers and givers in both public and private sectors as well as international organizations.

"It facilitates not only China's anti-corruption campaign, but also its fiscal, financial and judicial reforms," said the official.

China is preparing to draft and revise some major domestic laws to conform with the convention's requirements, he said.