Recognition
International and Academic Recognition
International recognition
Since its inception, IACA has been recognized by numerous UN bodies and other international fora for its work in the field of anti-corruption and compliance education as well as training, research, and capacity-building.
IACA was granted observer status at the UN General Assembly, in Resolution A/RES/68/122, adopted on 16 December 2013. This has allowed for the promotion of greater cooperation between IACA and UN Member States.
Furthermore, recognition has been given to IACA for its work by the General Assembly. In Resolutions A/RES/69/199 and A/RES/71/208, adopted on 18 December 2014 and 19 December 2016. Respectively, the General Assembly welcomed the work of IACA as a “centre of excellence for education, training and academic research” in the field of anti-corruption.
IACA’s anti-corruption capacity-building activities and specialized curricula were, along with those of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, explicitly noted with appreciation in Resolution 29/11 of the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC), adopted on 2 July 2015. IACA was recognized again in Resolutions 35/25 and 47/7, which were adopted on 23 June 2017 and 26 July 2021. These resolutions highlight that “the negative impact of corruption on human rights and sustainable development can be combated through anti-corruption education.”
IACA’s work has also received explicit tribute in various resolutions adopted by the Conferences of the States Parties to UNCAC. Resolution 6/10, on “Education and training in the context of anti-corruption”, adopted at the sixth Conference on 6 November 2015, recognized the capacity building activities and specialized curricula of relevant institutions, including IACA.
On 20 December 2019, the eighth Conference adopted three resolutions directly referring to IACA. Resolution 8/3, on “Promoting integrity in the public sector among States parties to the United Nations Convention against Corruption” , highlighted the contributions that relevant international organizations and institutions, such as IACA and UNODC, can provide in the areas of technical assistance and training to enhance integrity in the public sector. Similarly, Resolution 8/5, on “Enhancing integrity by raising public awareness” , recognized the important contribution of UNODC and other relevant international organizations and institutions, such as IACA, to raise public awareness and enhance integrity. It also encouraged State parties to take advantage of capacity building and training programmes provided by IACA and other relevant international organizations and institutions. Finally, Resolution 8/9, on “Strengthening asset recovery to support the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development” , requested that the UNODC Secretariat strengthens co-operation with specialized organizations and institutions, such as IACA, to forward the aim of developing and implementing trainings for professionals and practitioners working on asset recovery and on the return of the proceeds of crime.
On 17 December 2021, the ninth Conference adopted again three resolutions that refer to IACA. In particular, Resolution 9/1 on “Sharm el-Sheikh Declaration on strengthening international cooperation in the prevention of and fight against corruption during times of emergencies and crisis response and recovery” encourages States parties to take advantage of capacity-building and training programmes provided by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime and other relevant international organizations and institutions, such as IACA, to increase public awareness and integrity. In Resolution 9/6 on the “Follow-up to the Marrakech declaration on the prevention of corruption,” States parties are further invited to take advantage of capacity-building and training programmes provided by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime and other relevant international organizations and institutions, such as IACA, to increase public awareness, integrity and knowledge in preventing and combatting corruption. Lastly, in Resolution 9/8 on “Promoting anti-corruption education, awareness raising and training” the COSP noted “anti-corruption education and practice-oriented initiatives, such as the joint programme offered by UNITAR and IACA” and encouraged “relevant institutions engaged in anti-corruption activities, such as the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and IACA, to closely cooperate with the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime and each other to exchange knowledge and develop cutting-edge educational and training programmes and innovative research projects.”
Furthermore, at the UN General Assembly special session on challenges and measures to prevent and combat corruption and strengthen international cooperation, held from 2 to 4 June 2021, Political Declaration A/S-32/2/Add.1 was adopted. The declaration calls for international and regional anti-corruption organizations, such as IACA, to strengthen cooperation, where appropriate, with UNODC and other relevant UN entities. The main purpose is to enhance the effectiveness of anti-corruption education, facilitate anti-corruption research, implement teaching and learning programmes, and increase public awareness of causes and risks associated with of corruption.
Academic Recognition
IACA is recognized by the Republic of Austria (the Federal Ministry for Science, Research and Economy, acting in its capacity as ENIC NARIC AUSTRIA) as an institution of post-secondary education (in accordance with art. 51 para. 2 subpara. 1 of the Universities Act 2002 – UG, BGBl. I no. 120/2002, and art. 4 para. 4 of the Universities of Applied Sciences Studies Act – FHStG, BGBl. no. 340/1993, as amended). Its programmes and their final diplomas are recognized in the sense of the (EU's) “Bologna Process".
In addition to the Bologna process, IACA’s programmes have also been recognized by, inter alia:
- the Indian Government, which acknowledged IACA’s Master in Anti-Corruption Studies (MACS) - together with long-term training programmes of Harvard, Oxford, Johns Hopkins, Duke, and Cambridge universities - as being recognized and supported under the Government’s Domestic Funding of Foreign Training (DFFT) Scheme, and
- the US Department of Veterans Affairs, which includes the MACS on its list of approved programmes. This means that MACS students who are US veterans are eligible to have their programme fee paid, in full or in part, by the US Government.