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At the eleventh session of the Conference of the State Parties (CoSP 11) to the United Nations Convention Against Corruption (UNCAC), National Whistleblower Center Programs Manager Jeana Lee delivered a clear message: we are at a turning point in combating transnational corruption—but only if we use the tools already available.
Highly effective laws like the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) and the Anti-Money Laundering Act have produced historic results. Yet most state parties have not implemented them, most human rights defenders don’t know how to use them, and most whistleblowers who could be protected remain unaware of their rights.
What’s Working
The numbers speak for themselves. Since the first transnational anti-corruption laws with strong whistleblower protections were passed in 2010 as part of the Dodd-Frank Act, these programs have recovered over $25 billion in sanctions. More than $14 billion has been provided to international law enforcement agencies to bolster their prosecutorial efforts.
These laws target bribery of foreign government officials, fraud in international securities and commodities markets, money laundering, sanctions violations, and illegal bank secrecy. Crucially, they protect whistleblowers regardless of nationality—even those who reside in countries with no domestic whistleblower protections.
“Based on objective empirical data gathered over the past 15 years,” Lee noted, “these laws have proven to be successful and are the most effective anti-corruption tools available.”
What’s Missing
Despite this track record, there’s a significant gap between what’s possible and what’s happening. Most state parties have not implemented these legal frameworks. Most corrupt activities that could be confidentially reported are allowed to flourish. Corruption remains under-prosecuted and undetected.
The consequences extend far beyond financial crime. “Corruption will continue to undermine democracy, enable environmental degradation, and exacerbate global inequities,” Lee warned.
The Path Forward
The National Whistleblower Center is advocating for the worldwide implementation of these proven best practices. The framework is built on two pillars: full confidentiality protections for persons reporting corruption, and compensation for their disclosures.
“We must ensure that whistleblowers can take advantage of these tools by teaching them how to safely and confidentially report corruption, foreign bribery, and money laundering,” Lee said. “Whistleblowers should be informed of their right to obtain compensation for their courage and integrity.” The legal frameworks exist. The empirical evidence is clear. What’s needed now is worldwide adoption—and a commitment from anti-corruption leaders to embrace the laws that provide the best confidentiality protections and the compensation whistleblowers need to protect themselves from economic hardship.
Joseph Orr
Joseph is an author at IWPA and writes about anti-corruption.
