G20 countries reaffirm commitment to zero toleration for corruption

The G20 grouping which met under India's leadership on Saturday in its Delhi Declaration reaffirmed its commitment to zero tolerance for corruption and called for strengthening law enforcement-related international cooperation and information sharing for combating graft.

The joint Declaration also called for strengthening asset recovery mechanisms for combating corruption.

"We reaffirm our commitment to zero tolerance for corruption. We endorse the three G20 High-level principles on: Strengthening law enforcement related international cooperation and information sharing for combating corruption; Strengthening asset recovery mechanisms for combating corruption and promoting integrity and effectiveness of public bodies and authorities responsible for preventing and combating corruption," the Declaration said.

The G20 also reaffirmed its support to enhance global efforts to seize, confiscate and return criminal proceeds to victims and states, in line with international obligations and domestic legal frameworks, including through support to the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) and operationalisation of the GlobE Network.

The powerful grouping also reaffirmed their "commitment to demonstrate and continue concrete efforts and share information on our actions towards criminalising foreign bribery and enforcing foreign bribery legislation, in line with Article 16 of the United Nations Convention against Corruption (UNCAC), and welcome Anti-Corruption Working Group's efforts in striving towards this goal".

"We look forward to enlarging participation to the OECD Anti-Bribery Convention, as appropriate," the G20 joint declaration said.