UK anti-corruption sanctions: much more to be done by government
Redress, a UK human rights and campaigning group, together with the UK Anti Corruption Coalition (‘UKACC’), says in a recently-published report that while a sanctions regime adopted in the UK last year to target corrupt actors has had some successes, the UK government could take a more coordinated approach to implementation to enhance its effectiveness.
The report says that since the introduction of Global Anti-Corruption Sanctions Regulations (‘GACS’), ‘The UK has sanctioned 27 corrupt actors, 14 of whom have been involved in corruption in Russia. The effectiveness of the UK’s approach has been undermined by a number of limitations, including the absence of a strategic approach, insufficient coordination with its allies, including the US, and a lack of implementation and enforcement.’
And, it says, there has been ‘a marked stagnation’ in the use of anti-corruption sanctions since the current Foreign Secretary’s appointment in September 2021. It says that between September 2021 and February 2022, ‘no actors have been sanctioned under the UK’s GACS regime [while] the UK has currently sanctioned less than 10% of individuals designated for corruption under the US’s Global Magnitsky sanctions regime.’
Redress argues that ‘If anti-corruption sanctions are to be effective as a tool to tackle illicit finance, uphold human rights and promote open societies, they must be used ambitiously, consistently, and appropriately. The UK Government should also recognise, as the US has, the benefits of a holistic approach to anti-corruption enforcement. Sanctions should be used alongside other enforcement measures: this includes asset recovery mechanisms which would facilitate the repatriation of ill-gotten gains to the true victims of corruption.’
