The Regulatory Framework for Combating Corruption under International Law

Abstract

Corruption remains one of the most pervasive and destructive crimes undermining global governance, sustainable development, and human rights. Despite its profound socio-economic and political impact, corruption is conspicuously absent from the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court (ICC). While international frameworks such as the United Nations Convention against Corruption (UNCAC) exist, they primarily rely on state-level enforcement, which is often hindered by the very corruption they seek to combat. This abstract advocates for the formal recognition and criminalization of corruption under the jurisdiction of the ICC. By incorporating corruption as a standalone crime or as a constitutive element of crimes already within the ICC’s purview, international law can better address systemic impunity and the transnational nature of grand corruption. Criminalizing corruption at the ICC level would not only strengthen international accountability mechanisms but also signal a unified global commitment to integrity, justice, and the rule of law. The move would fill a critical gap in international criminal jurisprudence, holding high-ranking officials and entities accountable where domestic systems fail, and fostering the deterrence necessary to curb large-scale corrupt practices that destabilize nations and endanger international peace and security.