    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George W. Bush (2005, Book II)]
    [October 27, 2005]
    [Pages 1613-1614]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    Message to the Senate Transmitting the United Nations Convention Against
    Corruption
    October 27, 2005

    To the Senate of the United States:
        With a view to receiving the advice and consent of the Senate to
    ratification, I transmit herewith the United Nations Convention Against
    Corruption (the ``Corruption Convention''), which was adopted by the
    United Nations General Assembly on October 31, 2003. I also transmit,
    for the information of the Senate, the report of the Secretary of State
    with respect to the Corruption Convention, with an enclosure.
        The international fight against corruption is an important foreign
    policy priority for the United States. Corruption hinders sustainable
    development, erodes confidence in democratic institutions, and
    facilitates transnational crime and terrorism. The Convention will be an
    effective tool to assist in the growing global effort to combat
    corruption.
        The U.N. Corruption Convention is the first global multilateral
    treaty to comprehensively address the problems relating to corruption.
    It provides for a broad range of cooperation, including extradition and
    mutual legal assistance, and commits governments to take measures that
    will prevent corruption from happening in the first place. The
    Corruption Convention includes provisions to criminalize and prevent
    corruption and provides procedures for governments to recover assets
    that have been illicitly acquired by corrupt officials.
        The provisions of the Corruption Convention are explained in the
    accompanying report of the Department of State. The report also sets
    forth proposed reservations that would be deposited by the United States
    with its instrument of ratification. With these reservations, the
    Convention

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    will not require implementing legislation for the United States.
        I recommend that the Senate give early and favorable consideration
    to the Corruption Convention and give its advice and consent to its
    ratification, subject to the reservations, understandings, and
    declarations described in the accompanying report of the Department of
    State.

                                                              George W. Bush

     The White House,

     October 27, 2005.