International Anti-Corruption Commitments

Title of the document

Economic Community of West African States Protocol on

the Fight against Corruption

Issuing body

Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS)

Brief description

The Protocol on the Fight against Corruption was adopted by ECOWAS member states in 2001, but faced challenges in reaching the required threshold to come into force until 2019

Relevant excerpts

Article 13: Seizure and forfeiture

1. Each State Party shall adopt measures, where necessary, that would permit:

a) the competent authorities to identify, locate and seize assets or items for eventual forfeiture;

b) the forfeiture of proceeds from crimes established in accordance with the provisions of this Protocol or other assets whose value is equal to the value of the crime.

2. In order to implement the measures referred to in this Article, each State Party shall empower its courts to order the surrender or seizure of bank, commercial or financial documents and shall not invoke banking secrecy in order to refuse the assistance requested by another State Party.

...

4. In accordance with their national laws, treaties and other relevant agreements, State Parties shall assist each other in the identification and seizure of the assets or items acquired or used in committing the crimes

Article 15: Mutual legal assistance and law enforcement cooperation

1. In accordance with the provisions of their national legislation and the Treaties in force, State Parties undertake to assist each other by expediting action on requests submitted by competent authorities and to take necessary measures to facilitate the procedures and formalities relating to investigation and prosecution of acts of corruption.

2. State Parties undertake to assist each other as much as possible in the area of law

enforcement cooperation so as to strengthen measures to prevent, detect and suppress acts of corruption....