U.S. Department of State
96/12/17 Statement: UN Declaration Against Corruption and Bribery in 
International Commercial Transactions 
Office of the Spokesman 
 
 
 
Press Statement Released by the Office of the Spokesman
December 17, 1996 
 
 
 
UN Declaration Against Corruption and Bribery in International 
Commercial Transactions 
 
 

The United States welcomes and applauds the approval yesterday by the 
United Nations General Assembly of the UN Declaration Against Corruption 
and Bribery in International Commercial Transactions.  This is an 
important step forward in the global effort against bribery, and a clear 
call for action by national governments to eradicate this practice.   
 
The declaration calls on all nations to criminalize the bribery of 
foreign public officials in international business transactions, and to 
eliminate in those countries which still permit it, the tax 
deductibility of such bribes.  It is the fruit of efforts by the United 
States and a broad coalition of co-sponsors to urge immediate and 
effective international action against the corruption and bribery of 
foreign public officials in international commerce. 
 
The approval of this declaration, by consensus, first in the UN Economic 
and Social Council and now in the General Assembly is proof of the 
worldwide recognition that urgent steps are required to stamp out this 
corrosive practice. 
 
It is the fervent hope of the United States that yesterday's UN action 
will spur similar regional and multilateral efforts against corruption, 
particularly in the OECD (Organization for Economic Cooperation and 
Development), where the United States is seeking a detailed commitment 
from our major economic partners to criminalize foreign commercial 
bribery and to implement fully the OECD recommendation to deny the tax 
deductibility of such bribes.