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Welcome to the eighteenth issue of the quarterly newsletter from
Integrity Initiatives International (III, pronounced "triple I") concerning global efforts to enhance accountability for grand corruption.
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We have been busy at III to start the year, so there is a lot to share about the International Anti-Corruption Court (IACC) project. Read on to learn more about:
- The IACC in the new UK and Norway anti-corruption policies;
- the UN Convention against Corruption conference;
- the November launch of the Coalition for the IACC;
- other recent global advocacy for the IACC;
- anti-corruption job openings (deadlines are tomorrow!);
- Voices from the III Youth Leaders Network;
- and upcoming events and media coverage.
Up next, III will be in New York for an event on the IACC organized by the League of Women Voters on March 11 parallel the UN Commission on the Status of Women.
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THE IACC IN THE UNITED KINGDOM AND NORWAY
ANTI-CORRUPTION POLICIES
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In December 2025, the United Kingdom and Norway published major new policy documents on anti-corruption. Both the UK 2025 Anti-Corruption Strategy and Norway's International Efforts to Prevent and Combat Corruption include commitments to participate in international dialogues on enhancing accountability for grand corruption, including the IACC.
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UNITED NATIONS CONVENTION AGAINST CORRUPTION (UNCAC) CONFERENCE
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In December 2025, governments and civil society convened in Doha, Qatar for the 11th Conference of the States Parties (COSP11) to the UN Convention against Corruption (UNCAC). Despite a challenging global environment and continued concerns about shrinking civic space, 11 resolutions were adopted. Read the UNCAC Coalition's in depth analysis of COSP11 here.
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III Board members Allan Rock PC KC and Serena Ibrahim attended COSP11 to advocate for the Court. III co-organized a side event with HEDA Resource Centre, the South African Special Investigating Unit (SIU), and the Nigerian Economic Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on asset recovery and the IACC, titled “Recovering the Loot Is an Obstacle Course: New Mechanisms?”
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Moderated by Ketakandriana Rafitoson, Vice Chair of Transparency International and Executive Director of the Resource Justice Network, the speakers included:
- Serena Ibrahim, Founder of Youth Against Corruption
- Ola Olukayode, Executive Chairman of Nigeria’s EFCC
- Andy Mothibi, then-Head of South Africa's SIU who has since been promoted to National Director of Public Prosecutions
- Allan Rock, Chair of III's IACC Treaty Committee
- Caroline Weijers, Dutch Special Envoy for Anti-Corruption
Panelists highlighted persistent obstacles to cross-border asset recovery, the role of professional enablers, and the importance of international cooperation. Rock presented the IACC proposal, with a focus on its Assets Division. Other speakers, including Amb Weijers and Adv Mothibi, praised the potential of the IACC to strengthen accountability and asset recovery efforts and recognized III’s work in developing a draft treaty.
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LAUNCH OF THE GLOBAL CIVIL SOCIETY
COALITION FOR THE IACC
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In November, Integrity Initiatives International (III), launched the Coalition for the International Anti-Corruption Court (IACC). The Coalition brings together civil society organizations and individuals from across regions to strengthen coordination of advocacy for the establishment of the IACC.
The Coalition launch event convened 175 participants from 48 countries, including representatives of regional and global civil society organizations, national anti-corruption groups, and leading practitioners. Opening remarks were delivered by III Chair and Founder Judge (Ret.) Mark Wolf, joined by III Board Members Justice Richard Goldstone and the Hon Allan Rock PC KC.
Interested organizations are invited to join the Coalition in ways aligned with their mission and capacity.
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HIGHLIGHTS OF RECENT ADVOCACY FOR THE IACC
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Justice Goldstone's Engagement with the
G20 Anti-Corruption Working Group
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In October 2025, Justice Richard Goldstone presented remarks on the proposal to establish an IACC at the G20 Anti-Corruption Working Group meeting in South Africa. In his remarks, Justice Goldstone noted growing international interest in the IACC and highlighted the value the Court can add to asset tracing, seizure, and repatriation. He concluded by encouraging the Working Group to recommend support for the establishment of the IACC.
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Values 20 (V20) South Africa Summit
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In October 2025, the V20 South Africa Summit featured a lecture moderated by Koogan Pillay on "Countering Corruption & Building an Inclusive Economy". Justice Richard Goldstone presented the IACC proposal and both Adv Andy Mothibi, then-Head of the SIU and now-National Director of Public Prosecutions in South Africa, and Prof Somadoda Fikeni, Chairperson of South Africa’s Public Service Commission, endorsed the proposal to establish an IACC. Their remarks underscored a growing interest among senior practitioners and policymakers in the IACC proposal.
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Discussion of the IACC in the UK House of Lords
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On October 29, 2025, members of the UK House of Lords raised the proposal for an International Anti-Corruption Court (IACC) during a debate on international corruption and illicit finance. Responding to questions from Baroness Janet Whitaker and Lord Peter Hain, the Minister of State at the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO), Baroness Jennifer Chapman, stated that the Government is aware of the IACC project and is looking forward to considering the draft treaty. You can watch the exchange here.
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Commonwealth Lawyers Association Webinar on the IACC
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In November 2025, the Commonwealth Lawyers Association held a webinar on the IACC featuring Justice Richard Goldstone alongside other leading experts, practitioners, and policymakers from Malaysia, Nigeria, the United Kingdom and Zimbabwe to examine the legal, political, and practical challenges facing creation of an IACC and more generally to combating grand corruption at the global level.
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III Vice Chair Dr. Charles Adeogun-Phillips SAN speaks at
Global Investigative Journalism Conference
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In November 2025, Dr Charles Adeogun-Phillips SAN, spoke at the 14th Global Investigative Journalism Conference (GIJC25) in Kuala Lumpur — the world’s largest gathering of investigative reporters from more than 135 countries.
Dr Adeogun-Phillips shared his experience as a former lead prosecutor on international crimes and explained why he and others at III are advocating for an IACC. He highlighted structural limitations in current systems that allow kleptocrats to avoid justice and spoke directly about the need for effective asset recovery that returns stolen wealth to the countries and communities harmed by corruption.
Read his interview with the Global Investigative Journalism Network to learn more about his insights on global accountability and how journalists and civil society can work together to expose corruption and strengthen the rule of law.
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Dr. Adeogun-Phillips speaks on a panel with Mada Masr’s Lina Attalah (left) and GIJN Executive Director Emilia Díaz-Struck.
Image: Samsul Said, Alt Studio for GIJN.
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World Libery Congress in Berlin
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In November 2025, III Executive Director Ian Lynch was a special guest at the World Liberty Congress (WLC) gathering in Berlin. The WLC is the world's largest action-oriented movement of political activists standing up to autocracy and seeking democratic transitions in their countries. As vital voices representing the populations most severely impacted by corruption, they are a key constituency that III engages on the IACC project.
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Judge Wolf's Engagements with
Students & Emerging Leaders
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In recent months, Judge Mark Wolf has continued to engage students and emerging leaders across the United States on the proposal to establish an IACC. In December 2025, he joined III Advisory Board Member Jonathan Fanton at Yale to meet with World Fellows at the Jackson School of Global Affairs. He then travelled to an event organized by III Advisory Board Member Amb Tod Sedgwick at the University of Louisville Brandeis School of Law, where he spoke with students about the origins of the IACC proposal and the growing international movement to bring it into being.
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Judge Wolf and Jonathan Fanton with World Fellows from China, Georgia, and Bhutan at the Yale Jackson School in December 2025
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Also in December 2025, Judge Wolf addressed the emerging leaders of the Truman National Security Project at a dinner in Washington, D.C. organized by III Advisory Board Member Bob Abernethy. Across these engagements, Judge Wolf emphasized the role of future leaders in advancing accountability for grand corruption and encouraged his audience to become involved in III’s advocacy for the IACC and its Youth Leaders Network.
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Judge Wolf at a dinner with hosted by the Center for Democracy, Development and the Rule of Law (CDDRL) and the Neukom Center
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In February 2026, Judge Wolf traveled to Stanford University to speak with students at the Center on Democracy, Development and the Rule of Law (CDDRL) at an event organized by Professor Larry Diamond titled “The Progressing Proposal for an International Anti-Corruption Court.” He discussed the growing global momentum behind the IACC and again emphasized the important role young people can play in advancing the campaign for its creation.
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JOB OPENINGS CLOSING SOON
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Executive Director at the FACT Coalition
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The Financial Accountability and Corporate Transparency (FACT) Coalition — a U.S.-based alliance of more than 100 civil society organizations advocating for stronger financial accountability, anti-corruption, and tax transparency policies — is recruiting a full-time Executive Director to lead its next phase of growth and impact.
This is a great opportunity to lead a highly effective organization. The catch is that the deadline to apply is tomorrow February 27, 2026.
Click here to learn more.
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Americas Coordinator at III
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You have a bit more time to apply to work with us at III, but you'll still need to act fast as we will begin reviewing applications next week.
We are looking for an Americas Coordinator to organize III’s work in Latin America and the Caribbean, including building of relationships with new and existing partners. In 2026, the position will be part-time, with the potential for growth.
Note that we can only consider applicants with U.S. work authorization.
Click here to learn more and apply.
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VOICES FROM THE YOUTH LEADERS NETWORK
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by Jehaan Sivasankar - International and transnational criminal law postgraduate and intern at the International Anti-Corruption Academy in Austria
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I am a postgraduate student in international and transnational criminal law and an intern at the International Anti-Corruption Academy in Austria. Shaped by my upbringing in India and professional experience in countries such as Cambodia, my anti-corruption work is grounded in the lived realities of the Global South.
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My advocacy focuses on strengthening international accountability mechanisms and ensuring that South and Southeast Asia are fully engaged in global efforts to combat grand corruption. Central to this work is advancing awareness of the IACC and building regional momentum in Asia to support its establishment.
I am particularly enthusiastic about connecting youth activists, anti-corruption practitioners, and civil society organizations across Asia to strengthen collective action against corruption. Through my engagement with the Youth Leaders Network (YLN), I work to foster cross-border collaboration, elevate underrepresented regional perspectives, and support coordinated advocacy that bridges local experience with global accountability frameworks. The platform provided by YLN, has been instrumental in amplifying youth-led advocacy for the IACC and strengthening Asia’s role in the global movement for integrity and accountability.
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On March 11, the League of Women Voters is holding a UN Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) Parallel Event on how women and families are disproportionately harmed by grand corruption and how an IACC could help deter corruption.
The panel will be moderated by III Board Member Karin Landgren and will feature fellow III Board Members Serena Ibrahim, Justice Richard Goldstone, and the Allan Rock, as well as III Advisory Board Member Rebecca Shoot and Casey Michel of the Human Rights Foundation.
The event will take place on March 11 from 1:15-2:45 pm ET in New York City. Click here to register to watch on Zoom.
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Moldova’s Former Anti-Corruption Chief: A Conversation with Veronica Dragalin
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The International Anti-Corruption Committee of the American Bar Association’s International Law Section will host a conversation with Veronica Dragalin, Partner at Jones Day and former Chief of the Republic of Moldova’s Anti-Corruption Prosecution Office, on March 25, 2026, from 12:00–12:45 pm ET. Please message the Committee on Linkedin to RSVP.
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OTHER ANTI-CORRUPTION DEVELOPMENTS
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Civil Society Call on Swiss–Equatorial Guinea Asset Restitution
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In October 2025, III joined civil society partners in signing a letter urging Switzerland to strengthen its asset restitution agreement with Equatorial Guinea concerning CHF 22.8 million in recovered assets. The letter calls for stronger oversight, civil society participation, and alignment with Global Forum on Asset Recovery (GFAR) principles to ensure the transparent and accountable return of stolen assets for the benefit of the people of Equatorial Guinea.
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Reconceptualizing Kleptocracy as a Transnational Criminal Enterprise
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On the latest episode of the Kickback podcast, Robert Barrington speaks with Maria Nizzero, the Head of Sanctions Policy at UK Finance and Honorary Research Fellow at Exeter University, about her recent research that proposes reconceptualizing kleptocracy as a transnational criminal enterprise. Listen to their discussion here or wherever you listen to your podcasts.
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Signs of Selective Anti-Corruption Enforcement in the U.S.
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In their Foreign Affairs essay How Washington Is Weaponizing Anticorruption Law published today, Lorenzo Crippa, Edmund J. Malesky, and Lucio Picci provide concerning analysis of U.S. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) enforcement and its implications.
They write that "One year after the FCPA was first suspended, the market divergence between U.S. and foreign firms suggests that investors are not simply responding to the likelihood that Washington is watering down its antibribery enforcement overall. Rather, they are expecting the law to be enforced selectively."
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KARAM SINGH JOINS GOOD GOVERNANCE AFRICA
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Karam Singh, who served as III's Deputy Director, has joined Good Governance Africa (GGA) as Head of Liaison & Advocacy. This transition strengthens the longstanding partnership between III and GGA and reinforces their shared commitment to advancing the establishment of the IACC. In his new role, Karam will continue working on the Coalition for the IACC, with a focus on deepening engagement with the African Union and civil society partners across Africa.
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Deze gevierde crimefighter wil corrupte presidenten in Nederland voor de rechter brengen
(This celebrated crime fighter wants to bring corrupt presidents to justice in the Netherlands)
Follow the Money, February 22, 2026
By Lukas Kotkamp
"While the court's arrival is uncertain, Goldstone is certain of one thing: without a new, radical instrument, corruption will remain the driving force behind repression, inequality, and conflict, and justice for victims will remain elusive. "It offers vulnerable countries something they've been missing: a platform to recoup their losses.""
(Translation from the original Dutch)
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SA’s anti-corruption needle stalled
Mail & Guardian, February 20, 2026
By Karam Jeet Singh
- "To turn the corner, we must move beyond commissions of inquiry and ad-hoc task teams. We must fix our existing institutions, empower the creation of new institutions that close the enforcement gap, ensure public procurement is transparent and enforceable and provide substantive, funded protection for whistleblowers... Most importantly, we must lead the charge away from global fragmentation and backsliding to increased coordination against transnational organised crime and corruption."
Holding Court to Bring Kleptocrats to Account, with Richard Goldstone
Financial Crime Matters, February 17, 2026
Hosted by Kieran Beer
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- In this episode of “Financial Crime Matters,” Kieran talks with former South African jurist Richard Goldstone about his current efforts as a board member at Integrity Initiatives International, to help create the International Anti-Corruption Court (IACC).
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Tournons La Page Joins Global Push for International Anti-Corruption Court
Africa Brief, February 10, 2026
By Winston Mwale
- "The announcement, made Tuesday, brings Tournons La Page into the Coalition for the International Anti-Corruption Court (IACC), a network of civil society organisations, legal experts and former judges pressing for a specialised international court with jurisdiction over senior public officials as well as bribe payers, facilitators and money launderers involved in large-scale corruption."
Judge Wolf Appears on "Eye for Iran" Podcast
Iran International, January 30, 2026
Hosted by Negar Mojtahedi
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- 41:05 Holding Regime Kleptocrats Accountable
- 44:16 Recovering Iran’s Stolen Wealth
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‘The global system works against petty corruption, but collapses when corruption becomes grand, political and organised’
CIVICUS, January 20, 2026
By Ruth Kolevsohn
- "CIVICUS speaks with Ruth Kolevsohn, Executive Director of Good Governance Africa, about recent anti-corruption protests across Africa and calls for an International Anti-Corruption Court."
An International Prosecutor’s Mission to Wrest Stolen Global South Assets from the West
Global Investigative Journalism Network, November 22, 2025
By Rowan Philp
- "His new role as vice-chairman of the Board of Integrity Initiatives International (III) — a Boston-based NGO advocating for the establishment of the proposed International Anti-Corruption Court (IACC) — could play a role in stripping Western countries of the proceeds of Global South corruption and returning the money to the needy nations where it was taken from."
III Europe takes next step towards a global Anti-Corruption Court
Stories of Purpose The Hague, November 14, 2025
By Graziëlla Guarguaglini
- "This week, Integrity Initiatives International (III) and III Europe take the next step in their work towards the establishment of the International Anti-Corruption Court (IACC). The organisations behind the IACC project launch a Coalition for the IACC to unite the hundreds of civil society organisations (CSOs) and others supporting the IACC idea."
Mandela’s legacy has been “prostituted and betrayed” – Lord Peter Hain's verdict of ANC
BizNews, November 10, 2025
By Linda van Tilburg
- "His [Hain's] proposed solution is a new International Anti-Corruption Court, an initiative already demanded by eminent South African jurists like Judge Richard Goldstone. Hain is actively trying to persuade the UK government to support this effort."
All the 2025 Prism Award winners
BizCommunity, October 20, 2025
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Africa in Fact, the flagship journal of Good Governance Africa (GGA), won Silver at the 2025 PRISM Awards for its May 2025 special international edition, “The Case for an International Anti-Corruption Court (IACCourt).” Produced in collaboration with III, the award-winning issue brings together contributions from across regions examining grand corruption and the international accountability mechanisms needed to address it, highlighting the role of the proposed IACCourt in advancing SDG 16 (Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions). Read the full issue online here.
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Peter Hain calls for an international anti-corruption court to be set up
BizCommunity, October 15, 2025
By Martin Shipton
- "Former Welsh Secretary Peter Hain is calling for the establishment of an international anti-corruption court following an investigation he has undertaken into the extent of such criminality worldwide."
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