Publications The U4 Blog

U4 Anti-Corruption Resource Centre

Inform your work with U4’s quality research and practical guidance

Learn more about u4Learn more

Featured content

Including civil society perspectives in UNCAC: Lessons from other international treaties

A review mechanism without meaningful participation reduces credibility and impact. Strengthening the involvement of civil society organisations will help the UN Convention against Corruption (UNCAC) meet its standards in reducing corruption.

20 December 2024

Corruption as a limit to state capacity: Mobile phones in Peruvian prisons

Overcrowding and corruption in Peruvian prisons fuel mobile phone smuggling. Modern technology, better staff training, and policy reforms can enhance…

20 December 2024

Anti-corruption in peacebuilding practice

36% of peace processes between 1990 and 2023 included anti-corruption measures. Agreements that attempt to redetermine the future of the state more…

22 November 2024

Can we standardise global corruption measurement?

UNODC’s statistical framework to measure corruption provides a comprehensive set of indicators on corruption and anti-corruption. States can use it to…

13 December 2024

Decoding corruption: The DATACORR database for better survey questions

Policymakers need to decode which types of corruption raise public concern and where intervention is urgent. The DATACORR database of 3,000+ survey…

25 November 2024

From the blog

Blog
Can we standardise global corruption measurement?
UNODC’s statistical framework to measure corruption provides a comprehensive set of indicators on corruption and anti-corruption. States can use it to…
13 December 2024
Blog
Decoding corruption: The DATACORR database for better survey questions
Policymakers need to decode which types of corruption raise public concern and where intervention is urgent. The DATACORR database of 3,000+ survey…
25 November 2024
Blog
Pitfalls in measuring corruption with citizen surveys
Citizens’ survey responses can be unreliable and influenced by perceived expectations. Researchers must understand this behaviour, clearly set the…
11 November 2024
Blog
Measuring progress on Sustainable Development Goal 16.5
Precious few countries provide the necessary data on corruption and bribery. Furthermore, Sustainable Development Goal 16.5 is too vague and the…
1 October 2024
Blog
Fostering integrity at work: Leveraging social theory to strengthen ISO 37001
The recent update to ISO 37001 – the standard for anti-bribery management systems – places ‘anti-bribery culture’ at centre stage. This is a welcome…
27 September 2024
Blog
One year on: The Vienna Principles for the measurement of corruption
There has been a surge of corruption indicators and methodologies in the past decade, and the Vienna Principles now provide a welcome underpinning to…
2 September 2024
Blog
Civil society and development in Cambodia: Challenges and opportunities for anti-corruption
The Cambodian government has been closing down the civic space for several years, especially for anti-corruption organisations. But there remains…
29 August 2024
Blog
Sexual corruption is abuse of power – and there’s more to it than ‘sextortion’ alone
We propose a new definition of sexual corruption – focusing on the abuse of power by those entrusted with it, and broad enough to address every form…
11 June 2024
Blog
Ukraine’s judicial reform agenda: Strengthening democracy amid war
As prerequisites for accession talks, the EU requested some significant reforms in Ukraine’s justice system. Ukraine proved willing and able to move…
18 March 2024

Latest publications

U4 Brief
Corruption as a limit to state capacity: Mobile phones in Peruvian prisons
Overcrowding and corruption in Peruvian prisons fuel mobile phone smuggling. Modern technology, better staff training, and policy reforms can enhance…
20 December 2024
Justice sector
U4 Issue
Including civil society perspectives in UNCAC: Lessons from other international treaties
A review mechanism without meaningful participation reduces credibility and impact. Strengthening the involvement of civil society organisations will…
20 December 2024
Civil society
Development cooperation
U4 Issue
Advancing anti-corruption capacity in Ukraine’s local self-government
Ukraine’s recovery relies on strengthening local self-governments to ensure transparency and fair reconstruction. Decentralised efforts, legal…
26 November 2024
Ukraine
U4 Issue
Anti-corruption in peacebuilding practice
36% of peace processes between 1990 and 2023 included anti-corruption measures. Agreements that attempt to redetermine the future of the state more…
22 November 2024
Development cooperation
Human rights
U4 Helpdesk Answer
Corruption in vaccines research and clinical trials. Risks in low-income countries
Corruption risks in vaccine research and clinical trials in lower-income nations, include undue influence, bribery and misappropriation of the…
7 November 2024
Health
U4 Issue
Anti-corruption measures in the context of oil
With oil production on the horizon, Uganda faces critical corruption risks across procurement, land acquisition, and revenue management, testing the…
4 November 2024
Oil, gas, and mining
Natural resources and energy
Politics of anti-corruption
U4 Brief
How to make the UN Convention against Corruption’s Implementation Review Mechanism more effective
UNCAC is the only legally binding universal anti-corruption instrument. Reforming its Implementation Review Mechanism would enable it to live up to…
29 October 2024
Civil society
U4 Helpdesk Answer
Criminal penalties for collusion. Examining the use of custodial sentences for cartel activities
Countries are increasingly sanctioning individuals for collusion and cartel activities, but its effectiveness is still disputed.
15 October 2024
Procurement
Justice sector
U4 Helpdesk Answer
Corruption and anti-corruption in Mozambique’s fisheries sector
Mozambique's fisheries sector is vulnerable to corruption, but recent commitments could facilitate improved anti-corruption measures.
11 October 2024
Anti-corruption basics
Natural resources and energy

Learning and Events

Workshop

Mozambique – Climate change

Online workshop April 2024 / in-country workshop early 2025

Register

Online course

Anti-corruption in fragile and conflict-affected states

3-week, expert-led course. Understand why and how approaches to anti-corruption in fragile and conflict-affected states (FCAS) require tailored and…

27 January 2025

Register

Register

Workshop

Zambia – Illicit financial flows in critical minerals

28 January 2025

Register

Become a partner

Online training

Online training

We offer dynamic and time-efficient online courses. Be confident with anti-corruption initiatives in your work.

Workshop events

Workshop events

Our team can help bring momentum to processes. We gather different actors for informed discussions.

Helpdesk for partners

Helpdesk for partners

Send in your corruption-related questions about development programmes, sectors, or countries. A free research service.

Browse our topics

Anti-corruption agencies

How to assess and improve anti-corruption institutions' performance.

Updated 17 October 2023

Anti-corruption basics

Read about the conditions that facilitate corruption and the general implications for development programming.

Updated 16 April 2024

Anti-corruption courts

Find information on why we may need specialised anti-corruption courts including possible designs and performance analyses.

Updated 11 December 2024

Auditing and financial control

Auditing and controls are essential parts of public financial management. Supreme Audit Institutions play a visible role, and support to strengthen…

Updated 28 October 2021

Budget process

Government income and expenditure are determined and allocated in the budget process. This process is usually divided into four or five stages, and…

Updated 28 October 2021

Civil society

People at large can play an important role in holding power to account and addressing problems of corruption.

Updated 29 October 2024

Our partners

German Corporation for International Cooperation – GIZ

German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development – BMZ

Global Affairs Canada

Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Finland

Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Denmark / Danish International Development Assistance – Danida

Norway

Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation – Norad

Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency – Sida

Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation – SDC

UK Aid – Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office

Subscribe to our emails

Follow Us

The U4 Anti-Corruption Resource Centre works to reduce the harmful impact of corruption on society. U4 is a permanent centre at Chr. Michelsen Institute in Norway.

Research topics Blog Online courses

Privacy policy Vision & Strategy People