Seven member delegates from Bahrain and Iceland including the officials from the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) are currently reviewing Bhutan’s compliance on UNCAC.
In the 2nd Cycle, Bhutan’s compliance on Chapter II: Preventive Measures and Chapter V: Asset Recovery is being reviewed by the reviewers from Bahrain and Iceland. The review is coordinated and facilitated by the UNODC, secretariat to UNCAC.
The Implementation Review Mechanism, a subsidiary document of UNCAC, requires every member States to undergo reviews in two cycles and review at least three other member State. The objectives of the review are to ensure effective implementation by identifying successes, good practices and challenges in implementing the UNCAC. It also helps the member States to identify and substantiate specific needs for technical assistance and to promote and facilitate international cooperation & exchange of information, practices and experiences on fight against corruption.
The review process is conducted with due respect to principles of equality and sovereignty of States parties in transparent, inclusive, non-intrusive, non-adversarial, and non-punitive manner and without producing any form of rankings among the member States.
UNCAC is the only legally binding universal anti-corruption instruments which was adopted by UN General Assembly in 2003 and came into force in December 2005. Bhutan signed UNCAC in September 2003 and acceded to the UNCAC in September 2016 with formal submission of the instruments of ratification.
Bhutan underwent 1st Cycle Review in 2017 – 2019 on Chapter III: Criminalization and Law Enforcement; and Chapter IV: International Cooperation which covers the aspects on mutual legal assistance & extradition. Tajikistan and Cook Islands reviewed Bhutan in the 1stReview Cycle.