The 17th session of the Group of Review of the Application of the United Nations Convention against Corruption (UNCAC) recently convened in Vienna, Austria, with Algeria's delegation in attendance. The delegation consisted of Yacoute Amel Aissani, a member of the High Authority for Transparency and Prevention of Corruption (HATPLC), Khaled Benguernane, head of the HATPLC's general secretariat, and Abderrahmane Bouzid, a HATPLC official, along with representatives from the Ministry of Justice, the Central Office for the Suppression of Corruption (OCRC), the General Directorate of National Security (DGSN), and the National Gendarmerie Command.
The first day of the session focused on reviewing the performance of the Review Mechanism of the Convention and preparations for the launch of its second phase, approved by the Conference of States Parties to the UNCAC during its 11th session in Doha. The review process is set to begin in 2027. Algeria's representative reaffirmed the country's commitment to implementing resolution 2/11 and welcomed the consensus on fundamental documents for the second phase of the mechanism.
The representative also emphasized the importance of providing guidance and training tools in all official UN languages before commencing the review process, ensuring equal opportunities for participation and effective implementation. Algeria reiterated its willingness to engage fully and actively in the second phase of the review mechanism, both as an examined state and an examining state, reaffirming its commitment to international cooperation, expertise exchange, and joint efforts in preventing and combating corruption.
The session's works will continue until Friday, culminating in an extraordinary session of the Conference of States Parties, dedicated to adopting documents related to the second phase of the Review Mechanism. Specialists note that Algeria plays an active role in the UNCAC, with a dual commitment at the national and multilateral levels. Algeria has a dual status in the evaluation mechanism, having reaffirmed its readiness to engage in the second phase as both an examined state and an examining state.
As an examined state, Algeria will submit its national systems to peer evaluation to measure conformity with the Convention. As an examining state, Algeria will utilize its expertise to assess the implementation of the Convention by other states parties. The participation is coordinated by the HATPLC, an independent institution responsible for harmonizing Algeria's legal framework with international requirements of the UNCAC.
On the international scene, Algerian diplomacy emphasizes the restitution of embezzled assets, requiring strengthened multilateral cooperation to facilitate the recovery of illicit financial assets. Algeria also advocates for linguistic equity, demanding the availability of guidance and training tools in the six official languages of the UN to ensure equal opportunities for all participating states during the review process.
The specialists highlight Algeria's engagement in the UNCAC, driven by the HATPLC, which coordinates actions between national public sectors and institutions. The country's active role in the Convention demonstrates its commitment to preventing and combating corruption, both domestically and internationally.
Key points
- Algeria participates in the 17th session of the UN anti-corruption group, emphasizing its commitment to implementing the UN Convention against Corruption.
- The country plays a dual role in the evaluation mechanism, engaging as both an examined state and an examining state.
- Algeria advocates for linguistic equity and strengthened multilateral cooperation to facilitate the recovery of illicit financial assets.
