The Member States of the African Union adopted the African Union Convention on Preventing and Combating Corruption (AUCPCC) at the Second Ordinary Session of the Assembly of the Union held in Maputo (Mozambique), on 11th July 2003. The Convention entered into force on 5th August 2006, thirty (30) days after the deposit of the fifteenth (15th) instrument of ratification. To date forty-eight (48) countries have ratified the Convention and are States Parties to it.
The Convention, pursuant to Article 22(1), established the African Union Advisory Board against Corruption (AUABC or the Board) as a follow-up mechanism for the Convention with the following objectives;
i. Document and analyze corrupt activities;
ii. Advise the AU and member states on all matters relating to corruption;
iii. Monitor and report on implementation and compliance with the Convention; and
iv. Engage in advocacy and outreach to prevent corruption.
In an effort to establish direction and focus, the Board has been developing and implementing strategic plans and currently it has completed the time frame for the second series that was adopted in 2018 and implementation ended in 2022. Meanwhile, 2023 is a transition to the new strategic plan which will align to the African Union planning cycle and Agenda 2063 Ten Year Implementation Plan time frameworks.
The AUABC short-term vision in the 2018-2022 Strategic Plan was to become “an efficient organization that provides relevant support to Member States in the sustainable implementation of the AU Convention and the fight against corruption in Africa.”
