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The Council of Europe's Anti-corruption body
GRECO News - No. 5 | January - February - 2021
INFOLETTRE EN FRANCAIS
Marin Mrčela
The fight against corruption in a world hit by an unprecedented crisis, introductory words by Marin Mrčela, GRECO President
One year after the beginning of a pandemic that has swept the world, the fight against corruption remains as relevant and important as ever - probably even more so. The Council of Europe’s Group of States against Corruption (GRECO) published last year guidelines addressed to its 50 member states with the purpose of highlighting corruption risks in a context of health emergency caused by the Covid-19 pandemic. We must stay alert and continue to do our best to maintain and strengthen measures aimed at preventing corruption and any other unethical behaviour, as I also stated for the International Anti-Corruption Day on 9 December 2020. 

After a few months' pause, I am happy that this Newsletter resumes the sharing of information about our latest activities and the ever increasing relevance of the fight against corruption and our work, as well as its intersection with areas such as the protection of human rights. This newsletter also gives me an opportunity to announce that GRECO has a new Executive Secretary, Ms Hanne Juncher - welcome aboard!
New GRECO Executive Secretary
As of January 2021, GRECO has a newly appointed Executive Secretary, Ms Hanne Juncher, who was previously Head of the Justice and Legal Co-operation Department, Council of Europe.
First positive outcomes of GRECO and FEDE’s co-operation on education
In December 2019, GRECO and the Federation for EDucation in Europe (FEDE) developed a pioneering education module
on anti-corruption, which forms part of FEDE's course on European Culture and Citizenship.
The Commissioner for Human Rights speaks out against Corruption
The Commissioner for Human Rights has recently published a Human Rigjhts Comment on how corruption undermines Human
Rights and the Rule of Law. In her concluding remarks, the Commissioner calls on States to fully implement GRECO’s recommendations. Read the Tweet
The European Court of Human Rights delivers another judgment referring to GRECO's reports
In recent years, the European Court of Human Rights has increasingly been using
GRECO's reports as relevant sources to decide on a number of matters related to different aspects of corruption. This further demonstrates that the enjoyment of human rights can sometimes be hampered by corruption, even though in this new case no violation of the European Convention of Human Rights was found: Xhoxhaj v. Albania, judgment of 9 February 2021
LATEST REPORTS ADOPTED
 
Forthcoming GRECO Plenary
Week of 22 March 2021

GRECO will hold its 87th Plenary Meeting remotely on KUDO, during the week of 22 March 2021. Compliance Reports on 20 Member States are to be examined and adopted.
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