What resolution 11/7 means for political finance and corruption

Resolution 11/7, adopted by the Conference of the States Parties (CoSP) to the United Nations Convention against Corruption (UNCAC), is a consensus framework designed to prevent corruption fuelled by money in politics. The resolution addresses a significant vulnerability, noting that in 102 (5) out of 157 (5) examined countries, donor information for political campaigns remains hidden from the public. Adopted by 192 (6) governments, it establishes international standards for political finance, an issue largely unaddressed for 22 (6) years.

How to use this guide

The guide unpacks the 22 (5) commitments detailed in Resolution 11/7, dividing them into four distinct categories: transparency, clean money safeguards against illicit funding, state neutrality, and oversight and accountability. It is structured to help legislators and officials turn the resolution’s guidelines into concrete national practices.

Glossary

The glossary defines international bodies, mechanisms, standards, and technical terms to ensure consistent interpretation across different jurisdictions.

Transparency

Transparency is foundational to the framework. Key directives include maintaining recordkeeping based on standard accounting practices and ensuring regular financial reporting to an oversight body. Furthermore, the timely and online publication of financial reports is highlighted to guarantee effective public access to political finance information.

Clean money (Prevention of illicit political finance)

The framework seeks to restrict or prohibit donations by legal entities, those with anonymous sources, foreign legal entities, and public contractors. Donation caps and the disclosure of third-party influence on election results are recommended. For example, in 2024 (26), the Washington Court of Appeals penalised Meta with nearly USD$25 million (26) for failing to include required information in its Ad Library.

State neutrality (Curbing misuse of state resources)

Measures must be taken to implement objective and transparent public political finance. The report calls to restrict or prohibit donations by state companies and ban the misuse of public resources to influence electoral results. Jurisprudential examples include a ruling by Mexico’s Electoral Tribunal, which imposed a fine of 1 billion (29) pesos on a party for diverting funds from a parastatal company.

Oversight and accountability

An independent and well-resourced oversight body is essential. These bodies must be empowered to monitor compliance, impose sanctions, and make referrals to law enforcement. Active participation in promoting transparency, confidential whistleblowing mechanisms, and robust inter-agency cooperation are core components of this accountability.

Other issues covered in preambular paragraphs

The guide also touches on underlying issues addressed in the resolution’s preambular paragraphs, such as the mechanisms of vote buying, funding originating from organised criminal groups, and the distinct impact of these issues on women. It additionally discusses the necessity of establishing internal political party integrity and ethics standards.

Implementation of resolution 11/7

To follow up on the resolution, UNCAC States Parties and the Secretariat will utilise mechanisms like voluntary self-reporting. The provision of technical assistance is encouraged to aid compliance. States parties are expected to provide extrabudgetary resources to support implementation, whilst the working group on prevention will continually discuss good practices and challenges concerning political finance.