ABSTRACT
This chapter summarizes the key facts about the convention and focuses on two questions. First, which factors led the African Union (AU) member states to draft and adopt this convention? Second, how did the negotiations and drafting proceed, and what explains the outcomes? The workshop’s summary report insists that Western governments must accept part of the blame for corruption in Africa, and the recovery of assets is mentioned as one of the priorities for international cooperation. The drafting and negotiation processes permitted significant input from non-state actors. The AU’s Legal Counsel played a key role in drafting the agreement and gave legal experts and advocates access to the negotiations. Adopting a binding anti-corruption agreement not only allowed African leaders to signal their commitment to donors who were worried about the pernicious impact of corruption on development projects but also enabled them to speak out against transnational bribery and illicit financial flows.
