Culture and values at anti-corruption meeting

June 2003 -

The theme of the eleventh international anti-corruption conference (IACC) held this year in Seoul, South Korea, was 'Different Cultures, Common Values'. From May 25th through May 28th the participants studied the influence of different value systems on corruption policy. Does a Confucian moral standpoint lead to a different attitude regarding corruption than an Islamic one? What is the difference between Christian and Buddhist values in this context? The German philosopher Hans Küng explored the possibility of a collective ethic that can transcend the differences.

The IACC has taken place every two years since 1983, each year in a different country. It is a forum where representatives of governments and business exchange strategies for fighting corruption. The organiser is Transparency International (TI), a non-governmental lobbying group.