Uncaccoalition.org

Friday 13: An unlucky day for Article 13 of the Convention.

9.00 As our daily coalition meeting opens, word is that there is a mechanism - "Habemus deal"

However, small groups are still making the last changes to the final resolution adopting the long expected review mechanism.An open session is held to finish discussions on asset recovery, but the preventive measures discussions (also on its 5th day!) continue at glacial pace. No plenary on this is envisaged until later today. Technically, unless the resolutions are presented in Plenary they cannot be adopted -with so many small meetings going on, this is the only way to ensure every state actually finds out what is going on.

We use the time to plan the Coalition press release and a statement to be read in Plenary, if we are allocated a slot. Preventively, the statement will also appear in the last issue of Monitor to be distributed just before the start of the closing session. The press team prepares a press release -which the translation team makes available in Spanish, French and Arabic. You will find them on the Coalition Website´s Library section under Doha2009.

Interestingly, the work on preventive measures started last year by Ambassador Touq and was then hailed as the single topic where everyone wanted to move forward. We helped organize a workshop on the topic at the IACC in Athens in October 2008. An expert meeting was held in DOha in February 2009. It was this optimism were not counting on countries such as Egypt, China and Russia and their myriad objections.

During this time of last minute drafting and closed meetings, the UNCAC Coalition action team lead by Geo SUng Kim of Korea and Shaazka Beyerle, thought of another civic action to convey our last minute message: a "spoof" campaign using UNODCs theme "Your NO Counts" (see it here http://www.unodc.org/yournocounts/)

Volunteers painted with the mock slogans signs in yellow paper with the words and staged a "sit in" at the lobby. As usual, photos will be posted on the Coalition´s Flickr page

16.00 Plenary opens to adopt the resolution on preventive measures. At last, what it looked like the first achievement of the conference. A resolution was about to be approved. Everybody happy? Perhaps we were too happy too soon. At the last moment, the Chinese delegation raises a series of objections and wants to make changes. The Jordanian chair, almost at the brink of his patience and his country´s centuries old negotiating tradition, mentions that the text before everyone had been agreed in the past excruciating days of negotiation. However the objectors remain firm.  Looks of disbelief cross the room, as this surely must be a first in negotiations.

The Chair tells those interested to "take it outside". The Plenary is adjourned and for a long half hour this group stands at the lobby, with pen and paper trying to iron out the differences. A good half hour goes by before there is a spark of agreement.

Plenary resumes and the Resolution is finally adopted -but it is still miles away from what we saw in earlier drafts and from what one would expect from this Convention. Areas such as promotion of transparency and participation of civil society are a pale reflection of the good intentions signalled when negotiations started. Surprisingly, several references to private sector, procurement and examination of public-private partnerships crept into the text seemingly almost without anyone noticing. Where were those who had strong views on prevention, reform of the civil sector, promotion of public reporting? Did the "other side" scream louder? We will not know now...but the Coalition will endeavour to everyone accountable of their commitments.

By the way, if you want to read this or any other document related to this meeting, you can find it here at the UNODC´s website where they will soon post all the documents, resolutions and decisions. http://www.unodc.org/unodc/en/treaties/CAC/CAC-COSP-session3.html

17.00 Plenary resumes. Ts are crossed, Is are dotted. The Coalition spokesperson, ABI from Tearfund, waves the NGO sign to the Chair, Qatar´s Attorney General, indicating she wants to speak.

He never acknowledges the request and the meeting proceeds without us having a chance to speak, despite having registered our interest with the Conference secretariat.

Further, the delegation of Guatemala poses a question to the Chair about reports that NGOs were excluded from the meeting -and seeks clarification as to why this issue has not been brought to the attention of the CoSP as mandated by Rule of Procedure 17. The Chair ignores the question and proceeds to adopt the resolutions and close the meeting.

Just like that.

Coalition members stood in the aisle holding a banner with the text of Article 13 as delegates were walking out of the room.

What should have been a celebratory occasion, turned into an afternoon of discontent, disbelief and disappointment. Our good spirits deserted us when we read the final text and saw that vital provisions on transparency were only weakly reflected and that participation of civil society is only a shadow of what was drafted earlier.

However, and in spite of everything, after 6 years we have an UNCAC Review Mechanism (which is more than we could say in 2006 after the first CoSP in Jordan and the second CoSP in Bali in 2008!). Everyone tells us that we should be satisfied...but an overall spirit of disappointment lingers over many of us.

It takes time...says the official line. But the millions of people victims of corruption cannot wait. Reform and democracy will not advance where needed if political and electoral corruption hinders elections. Global business will not flourish when corruption disrupts conditions. Development and climate change funds will not reach their true destination if funds are funnelled into the pockets of local and global kleptocrats. Peace will remain elusive if corruption in procurement continues to mar the defence sector. Money laundering and embezzlement will perpetuate unless firm action is taken.

The Coalition will take some time to reflect and to decide on the way forward.

But come Monday, we will be ready to monitor countries following their actions and not their promises. As Kelly said in our last coalition meeting "bring it on!"