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Welcome to the nineteenth 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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It has been a busy year for III as we mark our 10th anniversary with celebrations of our founder Judge Mark Wolf and the election of our new Chair Allan Rock PC KC. Read more about the transition here.
Read on to learn more about:
- International Anti-Corruption Court (IACC) advocacy in Brazil, South Africa, South Korea, Switzerland, Zambia and more;
- Voices from the III Youth Leaders Network;
- and more, including updates on other developments in anti-corruption from new legislation in Canada 🇨🇦 to a landmark case in Moldova 🇲🇩 against a powerful oligarch;
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HIGHLIGHTS OF RECENT ADVOCACY FOR THE IACC
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🌍 African Anti-Corruption Day 2026
On July 11, African Anti-Corruption Day, members of the Coalition for the International Anti-Corruption Court (IACC) called for stronger action to close the accountability gap including through creation of an IACC.
Read the press release here.
🇰🇷 Launch of the Ethical Trade and Transparency Hub
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In July, III Executive Director Ian Lynch spoke in Seoul, South Korea at the Global Supply Chain Due Diligence Forum organized by the Citizens' Alliance for North Korean Human Rights (NKHR), which is a member of the Coalition for the IACC.
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At the Forum, attended by South Korean government, business, civil society and media communities, NKHR also launched its new Ethical Trade and Transparency Hub, which brings together leading data scientists, investigators, and policy entrepreneurs. Among its objectives, the Hub will advocate for creation of the IACC.
🌍 Good Governance Academy Colloquium on the IACC
In May, the Good Governance Academy founded by Judge Mervyn King SC of South Africa hosted a Colloquium on the IACC attended by over 900 judges, legal scholars, corporate leaders, governance experts, and anti-corruption practitioners to discuss strengthening accountability for grand corruption.
You can find the full colloquium, shorter summaries, and other resources here.
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🇧🇷 IACC disucssed at the Annual Congress of the
Federación Latinoamericana de Fiscales (FLF)
In April, Judge Mark Wolf, Founder and Chair Emeritus of III, gave opening remarks at the Annual Congress of the FLF held in Brasília, Brazil. He honored the courage of the prosecutors holding powerful people accountable despite the dangers they face.
Under its MOU with III, FLF prosecutors have formed a Legal Expert Group that is reviewing the draft IACC treaty chaired by Dr Mónica Castillejos Aragón, who moderated a panel on the IACC at the Annual Congress with Vladimir Aras, Brazilian prosecutor, and Ronald Segura, Costa Rican Prosecutor.
🇺🇳 III at the UN Commission on the Status of Women
In March, III co-organized a side event at the 70th session of the UN Commission on the Status of Women (CSW70) with the League of Women Voters at the Bahá'í International Community offices, examining how grand corruption disproportionately harms women and families and focusing on how an IACC would help counter grand corruption.
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More events on the IACC
🇧🇴 In July, Dr Augusto López-Claros, Executive Director of the Global Governance Forum (a member organization of the Coalition for the IACC), and former Bolivian Chief Justice and President Eduardo Rodríguez Veltzé discussed the IACC during a virtual Diálogos al Café "Marcos Escudero" discussion before an audience of policymakers, academics, and civil society leaders from Bolivia and Latin America.
🇬🇪 In July, Tinatin Oboladze, member of the III Youth Leaders Network from Georgia, spoke about the IACC at the Global Futures Forum convened in New York by the Coalition for the UN We Need (C4UN), which is a member organization of the Coalition for the IACC.
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🇺🇳 In July, Justice Maria Wilson, Susan Lamb and Rebecca Shoot spoke about the IACC at the Academic Council on the UN System (ACUNS) Annual Meeting in Lisbon, Portugal.
🇿🇦 In July, III's lead African partner in the Coalition for the IACC, Good Governance Africa, hosted an Executive Dialogue on Integrity as a Competitive Advantage in Johannesburg, South Africa. Speakers included:
- Dr Max Burger-Scheidlin, Executive Director of the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) Austria, who advises the Coalition for the IACC.
- Justice Raymond Zondo, who gave a special address on state capture in South Africa.
- Karam Singh, Head of Liaison & Advocacy at Good Governance Africa.
🇨🇭 In June, III Executive Director Ian Lynch spoke about the IACC at Africa Connect 2026 in Zurich, Switzerland.
🌍 In June, III, Good Governance Africa and Tournons La Page co-hosted a webinar featuring leading governance and anti-corruption practitioners from the Coalition for the IACC. It was the first French-language webinar on the IACC.
⚖️ In May, Justice Richard Goldstone discussed the IACC with the Association of Defence Counsel practising before the International Courts and Tribunals (ADC).
🇿🇲 In May, William Oloo Janak, Secretary General of the Congress of African Journalists, spoke about the IACC on a panel at the Africa Media Convention in Lusaka, Zambia.
🇧🇷 In March, the 10th Paths Against Corruption Congress organized in Brazil by the Instituto Não Aceito Corrupção (INAC), which is a member of the Coalition for the IACC, featured a high-level panel on the Court:
- Leopoldo Pagotto, Member of the Latin America & the Caribbean Subcommittee of the Coalition for the IACC, presented the IACC idea.
- João Grandino Rodas, former Rector of the University of São Paulo, drew on his experience advising the Brazilian government during the negotiation of the UNCAC to offer a comparative analysis of existing frameworks and the IACC.
- Reynaldo Goto, provided a private sector perspective on grand corruption and corporate accountability.
🇿🇦 In March, Karam Singh of GGA delivered a keynote address on the IACC at AFROSAI-E's Anti-Corruption Seminar 2026 for Supreme Audit Institutions and anti-corruption authorities from across Africa.
⚖️ In March, Justice Richard Goldstone delivered an in-depth presentation on the case for the IACC for JURIST's 30th Anniversary Webinar Series. Watch the recording here.
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POLICY BRIEFS ON THE IACC
NOW AVAILABLE IN MORE LANGUAGES
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The TOAEP policy brief by Susan Lamb on the evolving draft IACC treaty is now available in English, Spanish, French and Chinese, with Portuguese forthcoming.
The policy brief by Dr Prosper Simbarashe Maguchu, An International Anti-Corruption Court – How Can It Serve Africa?, published by the Friedrich Naumann Foundation for Freedom is now available in English, French and Portuguese.
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VOICES FROM THE YOUTH LEADERS NETWORK
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by Sebastián Hernández Ortiz - Law student at the Universidad de Concepción 🇨🇱
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I am a fourth-year Law student in Chile, and my work sits at the intersection of anti-corruption, public law, and national security. In my work in Chile to advance awareness of the International Anti-Corruption Court, I have engaged with Chilean institutions to build support for stronger international accountability mechanisms, including the Division of International and Human Security at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Presidential Advisory Commission.
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This work builds on a broader trajectory that began during my placement at Chile’s Financial Intelligence Unit, where I researched terrorism and weapons proliferation financing. I also developed the Academia de Altos Cargos Públicos de Elección Popular, a training and certification framework for elected officials grounded in comparative law, which I have presented to various government bodies as a concrete proposal for strengthening institutional integrity, including the Ministry of the General Secretariat of the Presidency.
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III WELCOMES NEW TEAM MEMBERS
We are pleased to welcome several new members to the III team.
- Carlos Vargas, Americas Coordinator
- Kayla Draheim, Program Associate
- Natalie Beckford, Program Associate
- Victor Ndambuki, Legal Fellow
- Happiness Odawa, Communications Fellow
Learn more about them here. Together, they bring a wealth of experience and fresh perspectives that will strengthen III's mission to advance accountability and justice worldwide.
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OTHER ANTI-CORRUPTION DEVELOPMENTS
🇬🇧 The UK Illicit Finance Summit Moved to December 2026
In May, the UK decided to postpone its Illicit Finance Summit from June to December. You can read more about their priorities in the UK Anti-Corruption Strategy 2025. In July, the UK Anti-Corruption Coalition wrote to the new Prime Minister to demonstrate the UK's international leadership against illicit finance by confirming that the Summit will go ahead in December. Read their letter here.
🇲🇩 Moldova Holds Former Oligarch Vladimir Plahotniuc Accountable in Landmark Corruption Case
On April 22, the Chișinău Court sentenced former oligarch Vladimir Plahotniuc to 19 years in prison, finding him guilty of leading a criminal organization, fraud, and money laundering. The court also ordered the seizure of more than $60 million in assets. The ruling marks one of Moldova's most significant anti-corruption judgments and a major step toward holding politically powerful actors accountable through the rule of law. Read more here.
🇨🇦 Bill C-219: The Sergei Magnitsky International Anti-Corruption and Human Rights Act
Bill C-219, a private member's bill introduced by Conservative MP James Bezan, passed second reading unanimously in the House of Commons in February, and was considered in committee in June.
Notably for III's work, the bill's Preamble states that "Parliament considers that it is desirable that the Government of Canada continue working with ally countries towards establishing the International Anti-Corruption Court" — a welcome continuation of Canada's longstanding commitment to the IACC project. You can follow developments here.
🇪🇺 European Council Adopts New Anti-Corruption Directive
In April, the Council of the EU gave its final approval to the Anti-Corruption Directive — the first of its kind across the EU. Whether it proves to be a game changer remains to be seen, but as a political and policy signal, it is a significant one. Read more here.
How Anger Over Corruption Keeps Driving Global Politics
In March, Thomas Carothers and McKenzie Carrier wrote an essay How Anger Over Corruption Keeps Driving Global Politics for the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. They argue public anger over corruption continues to shape politics worldwide, fueling protests, influencing elections, and even contributing to the fall of governments. They contend that corruption has become one of the defining issues in global politics and warn that weakening international anti-corruption efforts risks undermining democratic governance and public trust.
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THE IACC IN THE NEWS
Africa in Fact, the flagship journal of Good Governance Africa (GGA), was nominated for an award in the 2026 SABRE Awards for EMEA, spotlighting projects that combine strategic insight, creativity, and measurable results to drive meaningful impact. Read the full issue online here.
African Civil Society Urges Tougher Action Against Grand Corruption
Makanday, July 17, 2026
- "Among the proposals advanced is the establishment of an International Anti-Corruption Court (IACC), which supporters argue could prosecute grand corruption cases when national justice systems are unable or unwilling to do so."
Anti-corruption groups urge African leaders to close enforcement gap, back international anti-graft court
Premium Times Nigeria, July 12, 2026
By Emmanuel Agbo
Seven Policy Priorities for Cooperative Global Leadership
Policy Magazine, June 18, 2026
By Joseph K. Ingram and Augusto Lopez-Claros
- "Important progress has been made through transparency initiatives, anti-money laundering frameworks, digital governance tools, and beneficial ownership registries. Yet a major accountability gap persists when those responsible for corruption control the very institutions charged with enforcing the law. This is why growing attention is being paid to the proposal for an International Anti-Corruption Court."
Africa: The only continent in all four hemispheres; global role still undecided
Mail & Guardian, June 5, 2026
By Ruth Kolevsohn
- "One proposal gaining increasing attention among governance scholars and policy advocates is the proposed International Anti-Corruption Court (IACCourt), designed to prosecute grand corruption when national legal systems are unable or unwilling to act."
Rebuilding Trust in a Time of Crisis: Taking a STAND for SDG16+
2026 Civil Society Declaration on SDG16+
June 2026
- "Governments should also heed calls to support establishing an International Anti-Corruption Court, which can help fill critical gaps in accountability for corruption at all levels."
The New Institute Final Report: Academic Year 2024/2025
- "The New Institute is proud to support the efforts to draft a model treaty for the future International Anti-Corruption Court by hosting its biannual treaty committee meetings. International jurists, lawyers, scholars, and anti-corruption experts from across the globe convene at the New Institute to form the draft model treaty as a foundation for public discussions among governments, civil society, and the private sector on how to establish an effective International Anti-Corruption Court."
When Borders Protect Criminals More than Citizens
Veritas Magazine, March 2026
By Ruth Kolevsohn and Ian Lynch
- "It is important to clarify what the Court is, and what it is not. The IACC would not replace national enforcement. It would not address every form of fraud. Instead, it is envisaged as a complementary mechanism, focused narrowly on grand corruption cases involving senior officials and significant public losses, where domestic systems fail due to incapacity or political obstruction."
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