OSCE’s first Special Representative on Combating Corruption: Time to foster citizens’ trust and social consensus on zero-tolerance for corruption
Interview with Paola Severino, OSCE’s first Special Representative of the Chairperson-in-Office on Combating Corruption.
You are the first OSCE Special Representative on Combating Corruption. What motivated the appointment - why does the OSCE need this post?
Corruption is one of the major global challenges that both state institutions and private companies have to tackle. It is a crime that impairs the regular functioning of public systems, the viability of democratic institutions, the stability of free markets and the level playing field among enterprises.
In addition, the ongoing digital revolution has raised citizens’ expectations of transparent administrations, as well as the need for cutting-edge control instruments to ensure the integrity of public authorities.
Italy attaches great importance to the fight against corruption, and believes that serious and effective counteraction should be carried out within the framework of multilateral co-operation. This is definitely a priority of the OSCE’s Italian Chairmanship, to which I am glad to contribute my experience. The OSCE has a central role to play in promoting dialogue and co-operation amongst different, although strictly interconnected geographical areas and I am convinced that combating corruption should become one of its ever more important pillar activities. Indeed, the strategic value of this topic was often stressed in OSCE documents, as well as the need for combined and consistent counteraction to this crime.
What is your role as Special Representative and what do you hope to achieve?
Corruption is a complex and multifaceted phenomenon, with transnational characteristics. It is also strictly connected with several other crimes, such as money laundering (in the many forms it can display) and false accounting.
As mentioned before, effective counteraction requires co-operation amongst countries, which regardless of their different national approaches should share a common path to a common goal.
In the diverse landscape of international organizations, the OSCE can provide an undoubtedly important added value. The OSCE has a holistic vision of security, and its action has always been characterized by the identification and pursuit of shared, not imposed solutions. In this light, Italy could be a useful example for its other participating States. As for myself, I set myself the goal of promoting growing co-operation among participating States to reinforce the commendable action taken by OCEEA.
I am aware that an effective fight against corruption is equally important to many participating States. They were very supportive of my appointment as Special Representative and are keen to have the opportunity to be supported in their efforts. I truly appreciate this and intend to reciprocate by helping to create conditions for an effective exchange of experiences and best practices. I think that this can be achieved through both traditional means – such as visits and workshops in various countries, and a final conference in Rome towards the end of this year – and innovative measures. I am thinking in particular of setting up a virtual conversation online with interested members of the OSCE community. The latter would have a chance to interact with me by sharing their suggestions and ideas on how best to address the challenge of combating corruption. These suggestions would be taken seriously: the author of the most interesting ones would be invited to attend the conference in Rome to present and explain their ideas.
What are some salient examples of the impact of corruption on security?
Corruption poses a variety of threats to both domestic and international security. First and foremost, since corruption affects the regular functioning of democratic institutions, it ultimately erodes the confidence of citizens in government institutions, the social contract which underlies any national system. Secondly, it undermines the regular functioning of national institutions, with clearly negative consequences for security. Needless to say, another negative impact consists in the connection between corruption and some forms of organized economic crime, even terrorist organizations.
Finally, corruption is dangerous insofar as it is able to penetrate sensitive areas of production systems as well as the national strategic framework for security.
Do you think it makes any difference whether corruption occurs in the private sector or in governments? If so, what is the difference?
As a criminal offence, corruption was first pursued with the aim of counteracting the abuse of public authority. It is common knowledge, however, that in the last decades there has been a reorientation extending the punishment of corruption to the private sector, first in the theoretical debate and then in official documents and laws. Despite the differences between the two frameworks, I believe that this trend in the development of the law should be embraced. Corruption increasingly aims at altering the conditions for an equitable allocation of resources and for a fair competition among enterprises. This dynamic definitely gives good reason for and justifies the approach of extending the crime of corruption to the private sector. In Italy, the extension of the scope of the crime of corruption between private legal entities has in fact been the subject of two reforms in the last few years. These are cases that present different traits from government corruption, yet they are subject to heavy punishment, as regards both natural persons and corporate entities.
In your opinion, what are the best strategies that governments can and should implement to prevent systemic corruption?
Corruption requires a comprehensive response. If – as the question correctly implies – we need a strategy, such a strategy requires wide-ranging and multilayered action, a participatory approach among governments, civil society, the business community and academia, in order to foster citizens’ trust and social consensus on non-tolerance of corruptive practices. We cannot do without a strong and dissuasive punishment system; yet, we should never forget the importance of preventive measures as well as the key role of citizens. Corruption, as a crime which, as said before, is able to threaten the social contract between citizens and states, since it erodes the confidence of citizens in government institutions, should be tackled also through education and culture. Involving public opinion in the strategies against corruption, fostering a constant debate among citizens, diffusing appropriate policies, raising awareness and promoting a culture of lawfulness in schools at all levels as well as in universities, can ultimately be a powerful antidote against corruption.
How can the OSCE assist its participating States in successfully preventing and combating corruption?
For all the reasons we have named so far, the OSCE can become the herald of a strategy which epitomizes the different experiences of the participating States. The common goal should be to ensure a continuous, mutually beneficial exchange of existing best practices. Here, the OSCE can play a valuable role, as it can foster the sharing of experiences on equal terms. The OSCE’s field operations are already working to raise awareness about that, and to help disseminate the guiding principles for combating corruption.
For example, a few months ago the OSCE Mission to Bosnia Herzegovina published a very extensive, valuable study on corruption in that country, which was released on the occasion of the visit of OSCE Secretary General Thomas Greminger. I am planning to go to Sarajevo myself early next month, where I am scheduled to exchange views with key local representatives of both government and the judiciary. I intend to follow a similar practice with other participating States, which I plan to visit later in the year.
The ultimate goal of these activities is to help establish an OSCE-wide network of experts on fighting corruption who, with the help of the OSCE Secretariat, can assist and support each other and the participating States in this critical endeavour.
