Home NEWS III Europe takes a step towards an International Anti-Corruption Court

III Europe takes a step towards an International Anti-Corruption Court

Coalition strengthens global push for the IACC

Nov 27, 2025

III_Europe_Anti-Corruption_court — Photo: The Hague

Integrity Initiatives International (III) and III Europe are taking the next step in their work toward establishing the International Anti-Corruption Court (IACC).

The organisations behind the IACC project have launched a Coalition for the IACC to unite the hundreds of civil society organisations (CSOs) and others supporting the IACC idea. This allows supportive organisations to collaborate closely, share knowledge, coordinate communications and discuss complex issues. The establishment of the IACC is supported by a diverse group of CSOs and activists from more than 100 countries.

Grand corruption – the abuse of public power for private gain – is seen as a major threat to democracy, economic stability, and the development of the rule of law. It hinders efforts to combat climate change, affects those dependent on public services disproportionally, and prevents the accomplishment of the UN SDGs.

The damage caused by large-scale corruption is no longer abstract. Recent investigations like the Panama Papers and Luanda Leaks have shown the real-world impact, revealing how elites hide vast stolen assets offshore. According to UN Secretary-General Guterres, an estimated three trillion dollars are lost to corruption each year. Recovering even a small share of these funds and returning them to their rightful owners would be a major global achievement.

Unlike other international tribunals that depend on cooperation from the states implicated in crimes, the IACC is designed to operate effectively without the cooperation of kleptocratic regimes — overcoming one of the greatest barriers to enforcement.

“Illicit proceeds of corruption flow through many countries as they are laundered and used,” says Erik Zonneveld of III Europe. “Once such assets flow through a state party of the IACC, it will create the legal basis to hold those responsible accountable and to freeze, recover, and return illicit assets.

“These structural advantages will allow the IACC to build the evidentiary basis for cases even if kleptocrats, at times, can avoid the reach of the Court. When it is difficult to arrest such kleptocrats, the IACC’s Assets Division will still be able to recover and return the illicit wealth they have amassed.”

Rather than relying on the goodwill of corrupt regimes, it targets the global financial networks that sustain them. By tracing the flow of illicit funds through compliant jurisdictions, the Court can act where domestic justice systems have failed.

III Europe has worked with legal experts to draft and refine a treaty that should eventually be negotiated and signed by states to establish the International Anti-Corruption Court. Such a treaty should incorporate the lessons learned from the experience of other tribunals, such as the International Criminal Court (ICC).

Justice Richard Goldstone chairs the expert group leading these efforts. He’s a retired South African judge who gained international recognition for his work on human rights and accountability. He led the Goldstone Commission, served as the first chief prosecutor of the UN tribunals for the former Yugoslavia and Rwanda, sat on South Africa’s Constitutional Court, and headed major international reviews, including the 2020 Independent Expert Review of the ICC.

“Grand corruption is not a victimless crime. It destroys trust, deepens inequality, and undermines justice everywhere. The International Anti-Corruption Court will ensure that even the most powerful are held accountable,” Goldstone commented.

It is fitting that the III Europe’s initiative is rooted in The Hague, home to many courts and organisations dedicated to peace and justice. Although the location of the future court is not decided yet, an International Anti-Corruption Court would strengthen the city’s role as the world’s centre of the rule of law.

“Our goal is to restore trust,” added Zonneveld. “Trust in governments, trust in institutions, trust in justice. Without it, there can be no lasting peace or fair economy.”

Read the full story at https://storiesofpurpose.thehague.com.