Corruption is a Human Rights Issue

International law does not currently regard an act of official corruption as the violation of a human right. But as recent steps by Chinese leaders, political/security shifts in Pakistan, the EuroMaidan in Ukraine, and the Arab Spring all reflect, an international consensus is emerging that corruption is a pervasive and pernicious social problem, structural obstacle to economic growth and threat to global security. Many countries have laws criminalizing corruption by government officials. But two researchers associated with a leading Washington research institution go beyond that, saying that freedom from corruption should be a basic human right. London Institute of South Asia fully supports this view as it sees South Asia as one of the most corrupt regions of the world. A consensus should be built that corruption is a major structural impediment to good governance and a threat to not only to national but global security. It has direct links to terrorism, poverty and social malaise. It should be recognised as global crime, violation of human rights and incorporated in the UN Charter.

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