DIRECTOR of the Office of Global Programs and Policy, Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs in the US Department of State Barry Fullerton says the United States will continue to rally its allies and partners to impose swift and severe consequences on criminal actions globally.

“Our work to preserve and strengthen international anti-corruption standards, advance diplomatic engagement, and leverage foreign assistance will be key in turning the tide against kleptocracy and corruption of all forms,” Fullerton told journalists at a recent three-week virtual reporting tour on the US’s efforts to counter corruption.The tour was hosted by the Foreign Press Centers – part of the US State Department’s Bureau of Global Public Affairs – for 50 journalists selected from more than 112 nominations from US embassies and consulates around the world.Speaking on the topic ‘Strengthening the multilateral anti-corruption architecture, improving diplomatic engagement, and leveraging foreign assistance related to anti-corruption’, Fullerton stressed that the international community has established a robust architecture to strengthen cooperation and coordination between and among Governments and the fight against corruption.“This is why the fourth pillar of the US strategy on countering corruption focuses on preserving and strengthening this multi-architecture. To meet this objective we’ve renewed our commitment and our leadership across multilateral fora to advance our priorities through engagement in the UN convention against corruption, the G7, the G20, the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, and regional bodies such as the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation Forum, the Organization of American States, and the Council of Europe. In each of these fora, we are promoting implementation of international anti-money laundering and anti-corruption obligations and standards,” he outlined.

The director pointed out that the US is also reinvigorating its participation in the Open Government Partnership and Extractive Industry’s Transparency Initiative, and has received support to host the next biennial UN Convention against Corruption Conference of State Parties (COSP) in 2023.

He stressed that hosting the COSP gives the US the opportunity to reaffirm its resolve to work with foreign partners to tackle some of the toughest corruption-related challenges facing the countries, and to advance shared priorities.“First and foremost of these is protecting the seen international anti-corruption framework that we worked so hard to develop over the last few decades. Promoting the fight against corruption is a shared responsibility, and taking a holistic approach that addresses prevention, criminalisation, and enforcement in the coming years, the international community also has the important task of acting on the commitments made in the June 2021 UN General Assembly Special Session against corruption,” he outlined.

Fullerton emphasised that international partnerships are crucial to the collective commitment to hold kleptocrats and other corrupt people accountable, and as such the US is leveraging the Summit for Democracy, which was held in December 2021, and the Year of Action (2022) to encourage implementation of international anti-corruption standards and obligations.

“We expect this group of governments and non-governmental experts to share best practices and brainstorm solutions to address deficiencies and global financial systems, such as proving information, sharing, information, gathering, strengthening prevention and enforcement measures, and broadening tools for recovering stolen assets,” he said.He argued that the US has a lot to share on anti-corruption efforts, but that it also has a lot to learn, which is why it is placing significant emphasis on bringing governments and non-governmental stakeholders together.