ICPO-Interpol - General Assembly
71st Session - Yaoundé - 21st-24th October 2002 |
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| Resolution No AG-2002-RES-01 |
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Adopting the global standards to combat corruption in police forces/services
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The ICPO-Interpol General Assembly, meeting in Yaoundé from 21 to 24
October 2002 at its 71st session:
RECALLING Resolution No.
AG-2001-RAP-04
adopted by the General Assembly at its 70th session (Budapest, September 2001),
CONVINCED that corruption undermines the effectiveness of law enforcement,
the efficiency and legitimacy of police forces/services in the performance of
their functions and public confidence in law enforcement and justice,
FURTHER CONVINCED that corruption within police forces/services can be prevented
and eradicated by determined and forceful national action by all Member States
and by international co-operation,
CONSIDERING that effective policing requires the combating of all forms of
corruption in the performance of policing functions and the promotion of high
standards of honesty, integrity and ethical behaviour for police officers and
other employees of police forces/services,
PERSUADED that determined efforts to fight corruption and promote high standards
of honesty, integrity and ethical behaviour increase the efficiency and effectiveness
of police forces/services and enhance support for law enforcement by civil society,
FURTHER PERSUADED that policing will only be effective if those involved in
the criminal justice system, such as prosecutors, magistrates and judges, also
have high standards of honesty, integrity and ethical behaviour and are determined
to give leadership to others also involved in the criminal justice system,
RECOGNIZING the need to make the citizens of Member States aware of the detrimental
effects of corruption on law and order, public and individual safety, the preservation
of property and the cost of law enforcement,
FURTHER RECOGNIZING the responsibility of Member States to detect and hold
accountable corrupt police officers and other employees of police forces/services
and to bring them to justice,
DETERMINED to take forceful action to prevent, detect, punish and eradicate
corruption in, and in connection with, the performance of policing functions
and to promote high standards of honesty, integrity, ethical behaviour and efficiency
in police forces/services within their national boundaries,
ACCEPTING that each of the principles and measures included in the "Standards"
have been deemed as sufficiently important in the fight against Corruption to
be included by the Interpol Group of Experts in this document,
ACKNOWLEDGING that the document read as a whole represents an ideal which Member
States should strive to reach, but that the implementation of any of these principles
and measures is a step in the right direction,
AGREES to adopt the "Global standards to combat corruption in police forces/services"
appended to Report No. 10 as standards whose endorsement and implementation
by police throughout the world would improve the quality of police and the quality
of the service they provide. Member countries are therefore encouraged to disseminate
these global standards as widely as possible within their police forces/services.
Adopted
GLOBAL STANDARDS TO COMBAT CORRUPTION IN POLICE FORCES/SERVICES
Appendix
Article 1
Objectives
(a) To ensure that the police forces/services of each Member State of Interpol
have high standards of honesty, integrity and ethical behaviour in and in
connection with the performance of their policing functions.
(b) To promote and strengthen the development by each Member State of Interpol
of measures needed to prevent, detect, punish and eradicate corruption in
the police forces/services within its national boundaries and to bring to
justice police officers and other employees of police forces/services who
are corrupt.
Article 2
Definitions
Corruption includes:
(c) The solicitation or acceptance, whether directly or indirectly, by a
police officer or other employee of a police force/service of any money, article
of value, gift, favour, promise, reward or advantage, whether for himself/herself
or for any person, group or entity, in return for any act or omission already
done or omitted or to be done or omitted in the future in or in connection
with the performance of any function of or connected with policing.
(d) The offering or granting, whether directly or indirectly, to a police
officer or other employee of a police force/service of any money, article
of value, gift, favour, promise, reward or advantage for the police officer
or other employee or for any person, group or entity in return for any act
or omission already done or omitted or to be done or omitted in the future
in or in connection with the performance of any function of or connected with
policing.
(e) Any act or omission in the discharge of duties by a police officer or
other employee of a police force/service which may improperly expose any person
to a charge or conviction for a criminal offence or may improperly assist
in a person not being charged with or being acquitted of a criminal offence.
(f) The unauthorized dissemination of confidential or restricted police information
whether for reward or otherwise.
(g) Any act or omission in the discharge of duties by a police officer or
other employee of a police force/service for the purpose of obtaining any
money, article of value, gift, favour, promise, reward or advantage for himself/herself
or any other person, group or entity.
(h) Any act or omission which constitutes corruption under a law of the Member
State.
(i) Participation as a principal, co-principal, initiator, instigator, accomplice,
accessory before the fact, accessory after the fact, conspirator or in any
other manner in the commission or attempted commission of any act referred
to in the preceding provisions of this Article.
Police force/service means each police force or police service or other
official body with a responsibility to perform policing functions within the
national boundaries of the Member State.
Article 3
Principles
(a) To make corruption within police forces/services a high-risk crime.
(b) To promote and maintain a high standard of honesty, integrity and ethical
behaviour within the police forces/services of each Member.
(c) To foster the recruitment and training as police officers of persons
of high levels of integrity, honesty, ethical standards and expertise.
Article 4
Measures
| 4. |
Each member of the General Assembly commits to:
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Standards of Conduct
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| 4.1 |
Establishing and maintaining high standards of conduct
for the honest, ethical and effective performance of policing functions.
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| 4.1.1 |
Such standards should mandate and be directed towards
an understanding and application of honest, ethical and appropriate behaviour,
the avoidance of conflicts of interest, the proper use of public resources
in and in connection with the fair and impartial application of the law,
the performance of policing functions, the reporting of acts of corruption
in and in connection with and the performance of policing functions and
the establishment and strengthening of public confidence in police officers
and police forces/services as part of the system of justice.
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| 4.1.2 |
Such standards should accept that it is an obligation of
the police force/service to seek out and effectively deal with corruption
within the police force/service. |
| 4.1.3 |
Such standards should impose an obligation on police officers
and other employees of a police force/service to report to the appropriate
person or authority acts or omissions, which constitute or may constitute
corruption within the police force/service. |
| 4.2 |
Setting up and maintaining effective mechanisms to oversee
and enforce the high standards of conduct required in and in connection
with the performance of policing functions;
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Recruitment, posting, promotion and termination
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| 4.3 |
Having and maintaining effective systems for the recruitment
of police officers of high levels of integrity, honesty, ethical standards
and expertise; |
| 4.4 |
Ensuring that the systems for recruitment, posting, promotion
and termination of police officers and other employees of the police forces/services
are not arbitrary but are based on fairness, openness, ability and performance;
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| Training |
| 4.5 |
Having a system for instructing police officers and others
engaged in and in connection with the performance of policing function
of the standards and ethical rules applicable to the performance of such
functions;
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| 4.6 |
Having and maintaining a system for the training, including
on-going training, of police officers and other employees in the police
forces/services which reinforces the high standards of conduct referred
to in Article 4.1;
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| Corruption |
| 4.7 |
Putting in place deterrents to the bribery of those performing
or engaged in or in connection with the performance of policing functions; |
| 4.8 |
Using their best endeavours to ensure that the mechanisms
and systems for the prevention, detection, punishment and eradication of
corruption in and in connection with the performance of policing functions
in its police forces/services are kept abreast of current practice as recognized
by the General Assembly of Interpol; |
| 4.9 |
Having an effective system that obliges police officers
and other employees of the police forces/services to report, enables them
and members of civil society to report corruption and that protects those
who report corruption in good faith;
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| 4.10 |
Establishing mechanisms to encourage participation by civil
society in activities and efforts to prevent corruption in the police forces/services; |
| 4.11 |
Establishing and enforcing procedures for the declaration
and registration of the income, assets and liabilities of those who perform
policing functions and of appropriate members of their families;
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| Systems |
| 4.12 |
Having and maintaining systems of revenue collection, money
and property handling and for the control and preservation of evidence that
ensure that those collecting or handling public money, dealing with evidence
or handling property are accountable and that the systems are such as to
deter corruption; |
| 4.13 |
Having and maintaining systems for the procurement of
goods and services that are based on openness, efficiency, equity and
certainty of the rules to be applied and that seek the best value for
money;
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| Monitoring |
| 4.14 |
Establishing a mechanism such as an oversight body or bodies
to monitor the systems and measures established for preventing, detecting,
punishing and eradicating corruption within the police forces/services and
the adequacy, application and effectiveness of such systems and measures; |
| 4.15 |
Conferring or causing to be conferred on a designated
authority, whether internal or external, such powers to carry out investigations
and bring to justice without fear or favour, affection or ill will those
who engage in corruption and dishonesty in the course of or associated
with the carrying out of policing functions and adequately resourcing
and funding such authority;
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| 4.16 |
Providing for a system for the recruitment of officers
for such designated authority who are of high integrity and that ensures
that such officers are not disadvantaged by recruitment to any such designated
authority; |
| 4.17 |
Providing adequate safeguards to prevent abuse of powers
by those engaged in the anti-corruption system and to minimize unnecessary
infringements of individual rights; |
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Review, reporting and research
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| 4.18 |
Requiring public reporting at least once each year of
the work and findings in relation to the monitoring of the systems and
measures referred to in Article 4.14 and their adequacy, application and
effectiveness;
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| 4.19 |
On-going research in relation to current best practice
for the prevention, detection, punishment and eradication of corruption
in and in connection with the performance of policing functions;
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| 4.20 |
Reviewing at appropriate and regular intervals the measures
and systems for the prevention, detection, punishment and eradication of
corruption in and in connection with the performance of policing functions; |
| General |
| 4.21 |
Making corruption by a police officer or other employee
of a police force/service a serious criminal offence;
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| 4.22 |
Having legislation enacted to allow the proceeds of corruption
and related crimes to be forfeited; |
| 4.23 |
Bringing into being or causing to be brought into being
such legislative, administrative and other measures as may be necessary
to prevent, detect, punish and eradicate corruption in the police forces/services; |
| 4.24 |
Taking all practicable steps to ensure that the rates of
remuneration for police officers and other employees of the police forces/services
are such as to enable them and their families to maintain a reasonable standard
of living without having to resort to other employment or to corruption; |
| General Assembly |
| 4.25 |
Reporting at least once each two years, or at such shorter
intervals as the General Assembly may resolve, on the measures taken and
the mechanisms and systems in place to implement the standards set out in
this protocol and the effectiveness of such mechanisms, systems and measures; |
| 4.26 |
Permitting the monitoring by, and co-operating with, such
person or persons as may be appointed by the Secretary General for the purpose
of monitoring the mechanisms, systems and measures in place in relation
to its police forces/services to achieve the objective and meet the standards
referred to in this protocol and the effectiveness of such mechanisms, systems
and measures. |
Article 5
Review
The operation of this protocol shall be reviewed by the General Secretariat
of Interpol on an ongoing basis and shall be the subject of a report to each
session of the General Assembly that is held after the expiration of two years
from the adoption of this protocol.
