Madrid, 13 September 2022 – Access Info Europe is delighted to announce that its Executive Director, Helen Darbishire, has been re-elected as Chair of the UNCAC Coalition, the global network of anti-corruption organisations.
Helen Darbishire, who has served as Chair for the past two years, was elected along with Co-Chair Gillian Dell of Transparency International who set up the UNCAC Coalition, and two Vice-Chairs, Samantha Feinstein of the Government Accountability Project, and David Ugolor, of the Africa Network for Environment and Economic Justice.
The Coalition works to promote implementation of the UN Convention against Corruption (UNCAC) as well as to advance anti-corruption measures more broadly. Current priorities include corruption prevention measures such as company ownership transparency and lobby transparency, along with an important focus on global systems for recovery of stolen assets.
“Corruption remains, regrettably, one of the biggest threats to our democratic and economic systems. It is central to Access Info’s strategy that we increase transparency so as to help prevent and combat corruption. In this role, I aim to offer my expertise in the right of access to information in service of the global anti-corruption community,” said Helen Darbishire.
The election was held at an in-person meeting in Vienna on 8 September 2022. More information on all the members of the UNCAC Coalition’s Coordinating Committee can be found on the Coalition’s website.
Access Info has held one of the two international organisation seats on the UNCAC Coalition Coordinating Committee since 2020 and was also recently re-elected to that position for the coming two years.
In her role as Chair, Helen will guide the finalisation of the UNCAC Coalition’s new strategy, and will continue to represent it in international fora, including strengthening ties with the Open Government Partnership. She plans to work on the growth of the Coalition and on protecting civic space for anti-corruption activists.
Founded in 2006, the UNCAC Coalition, led by Mathias Huter, now employs a team at its Hub in Vienna, where the UN’s Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), which is responsible for anti-corruption work, is also based.