Consider the following statements:
- The United Nations Convention against Corruption (UNCAC) has a ‘Protocol against the Smuggling of Migrants by Land, Sea and Air’.
- The UNCAC is the ever-first legally binding global anti-corruption instrument.
- A highlight of the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime (UNTOC) is the inclusion of a specific chapter aimed at returning assets to their rightful owners from whom they had been taken illicitly.
- The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) is mandated by its member States to assist in the implementation of both UNCAC and UNTOC.
Which of the statements given above are correct?
Detailed Explanation:
Answer: Option 3 — 2 and 4 only
This question tests knowledge of international conventions related to corruption and organized crime. Only statements 2 and 4 are correct, while statements 1 and 3 incorrectly attribute specific protocols and chapters to the wrong conventions.
✅ Statement 1 – Incorrect: The Protocol against the Smuggling of Migrants by Land, Sea and Air supplements the UNTOC (United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime), not the UNCAC.
✅ Statement 2 – Correct: The UNCAC, adopted in 2003 and entered into force in 2005, is indeed the first legally binding global anti-corruption instrument.
❌ Statement 3 – Incorrect: Asset recovery (Chapter V) is a specific highlight of the UNCAC, not the UNTOC.
✅ Statement 4 – Correct: The UNODC is mandated by member states to assist in implementing both UNCAC and UNTOC, along with the three UN Drug Conventions.
📝 Short Notes: UNCAC and UNTOC
| Feature | UNCAC | UNTOC |
|---|---|---|
| Full Name | UN Convention against Corruption | UN Convention against Transnational Organized Crime |
| Adopted | 2003 (force: 2005) | 2000 (force: 2003) |
| Key Focus | Anti-corruption measures, asset recovery | Combating transnational organized crime |
| Special Feature | First legally binding global anti-corruption instrument; Chapter V on Asset Recovery | Three supplementary protocols (Trafficking in Persons, Smuggling of Migrants, Firearms) |
| Implementation Support | UNODC | UNODC |
- Three UNTOC Protocols: (1) Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons, Especially Women and Children; (2) Protocol against the Smuggling of Migrants by Land, Sea and Air; (3) Protocol against the Illicit Manufacturing of and Trafficking in Firearms
- Asset Recovery: UNCAC's Chapter V provides mechanisms for countries to recover assets stolen through corruption, making it the first international instrument with a dedicated chapter on this issue
- UNODC Role: Assists member states in implementing UNCAC, UNTOC, and the three UN Drug Conventions (1961, 1971, 1988)
Question 3 of 9 International Agreements and Conventions
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