the Office of Dick Lugar, U.S. Senator for Indiana
August 2, 2006
The U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee has approved the United Nations Convention Against Corruption for ratification.

The Convention, signed by the United States in December 2003, was
sent to the Senate for advice and consent in October 2005.

Encouraging the U.S. Senate to provide prompt ratification of the
treaty, Dick Lugar, Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee,
said that the Convention was ‘fundamental’ to U.S. national security
interests.

“If we fail to ratify,” he said, “not only will the chances of a
national security disaster increase, but our advocacy on numerous
anti-corruption issues, including those involving U.N. reform,
multilateral development bank reform, the transparency of international
development assistance, and the dispensation of the huge profits
flowing into the hands of oil-rich regimes around the world, could be
diluted.”

As examples, the senator said the Convention would enable the U.S. to
prevent foreign officials from accepting bribes that might lead to a
dangerous container being allowed onto a ship bound for the U.S. and to
prevent bribes that might help a criminal or terrorist gain access to
the country.

By requiring parties to strengthen their anti-corruption efforts, he
said, the Convention would help “level the playing field for U.S.
companies, which are already prohibited by U.S. law from bribing
foreign officials.” The Convention would also provide mechanisms
to assist U.S. law enforcement in obtaining overseas evidence and
suspects in domestic corruption-related cases.

The U.S. is among 85 countries that have signed, but not yet ratified the Convention.