Frequently Asked Questions & Answers

Why was the GlobE Network created?

While a number of international cooperation networks have appeared on the scene over the last decade, anti-corruption practitioners and policy makers continue to be frustrated by painfully slow and complex processes in the fight against corruption. Many countries are still not able to access these networks to receive practical guidance or assistance in their case work, whether due to decentralized processes, lack of capacity and resources, or barriers to joining.

Under the Saudi Presidency, G20 nations created the “Riyadh Initiative for a Global Operational Network of Anti-Corruption Law Enforcement Authorities” to ensure access for all, and they approached the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), as the guardian of the UN Convention against Corruption, to help establish the GlobE Network to facilitate, promote and support cross-border cooperation to end corruption.

What does the GlobE Network focus on?

The GlobE Network helps deliver on one of the key promises of the UN Convention Against Corruption (UNCAC): the improvement of direct cooperation between law enforcement authorities.

When anti-corruption law enforcement authorities can communicate directly with their peers in different countries, prior to the mutual legal assistance (MLA) process, to exchange information proactively and spontaneously, it paves the way for more effective MLA requests and formal cooperation, which in turn results in more rapid identification of criminals and assets.

The GlobE Network offers three mechanisms to bring together international efforts against corruption:

1)  It gathers a community of independent anti-corruption authorities who build trusted partnerships, enhance cross-border cooperation, and share good practices for corruption cases online and during an annual face to face Network meeting in Vienna.

2)  It offers digital services for anti-corruption transnational cooperation that assist practitioners with relevant resources, referrals to existing networks and appropriate contacts. It also acts as a platform for secure peer-to-peer exchange of information on specific cases, intelligence, and tools on anti-corruption. 

3)  The GlobE Network will include an extensive knowledge and capacity development component, offering independent, frontline anti-corruption authorities the trainings, strategies, methods and toolkits they need to advance the fight against corruption.

How can I access the GlobE Network?

The political declaration adopted by UNGASS on June 2 welcomes the creation of the GlobE Network and calls on Member States to “participate in and make best use of this network.” Up to three specialized anti-corruption law enforcement authorities per UN Member State or State Party, may request, through their country’s Permanent Mission to the UN, to join the GlobE Network. Where the number of applications exceeds three per country, the secretariat will request the Permanent Mission to identify up to three authorities as members of the Network. Other national relevant authorities will also be able to benefit from and contribute to the work of the Network according to a mechanism to be established by the members.

Member application support is available on our website:

  • A step-by step guide for applications
  • A sample membership application form
  • UN Permanent Mission contact details
  • Contact us functionality for any queries
 

Who is providing the start-up funding?

The Globe Network’s financial resources comprise mainly of discretionary UN Member State contributions. In-kind contributions and other forms of financial assistance from individuals or entities may also be accepted. Initial funding for the GlobE Network was provided by the Government of Saudi Arabia during their G20 Presidency and as the co-chair of the Anti-Corruption Working Group of G20.

Where is the GlobE Network be based?

The GlobE Network is headquartered in Vienna under the auspices of the UN Office on Drugs and Crime, the guardian of the UN Convention against Corruption.

Given that a number of networks for international cooperation already exist, what is the GlobE Network’s added value and relevance?

A number of anti-corruption networks have appeared on the global scene over the last decade with considerable progress in specific areas, such as asset recovery. Most anti-corruption networks however still lack a truly global footprint and often have a specialized audience (police) or focus (financial intelligence, asset recovery). Cooperating with and complementing the work of existing networks, such as INTERPOL/StAR Global Focal Point Network on Asset Recovery, various regional Asset Recovery Inter-Agency Networks (ARINs), Egmont, and OECD networks, the GlobE Network will empower a wide range of countries with the ability to build trusted partnerships among anti-corruption peers across borders and to engage in secure and informal information exchanges, equipping them with practical solutions and tools that can be drawn upon and adapted to their specific corruption case work.