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The National Whistleblower Center (NWC) advocates for strong international whistleblower programs and incentives year-round. NWC will cap off 2025 beyond the borders of the United States, in Doha, Qatar from December 14-19th at the 11th Session of the Conference of the State Parties (CoSP11) to the United Nations Convention against Corruption (UNCAC).
CoSP sessions are biennial gatherings, and this will not be the first time NWC will be featured. In 2023, a three-person delegation went down to Georgia to represent NWC and brought whistleblowers’ best interests to the forefront of many conversations. This year, NWC will participate in the conference as a civil society organization (CSO) in Qatar and gather international supporters for its resolution on prosecuting bribery and money laundering crimes.
In this Sunday Read, we revisit CoSP and UNCAC and discuss how NWC’s participation can influence the international community to strengthen whistleblower rights, prosecute corruption and incentivize whistleblowers through reward laws.
What is CoSP and UNCAC?
As the main governing body of UNCAC, CoSP brings together all countries that have ratified the treaty. It meets regularly to review progress, share best practices, and adopt measures that strengthen global anti-corruption efforts. By fostering cooperation, CoSP helps countries coordinate law enforcement, recover stolen assets, and close loopholes that enable cross-border corruption. Ultimately, it strengthens international governance by promoting transparency, accountability, and trust among nations.
UNCAC is the only legally binding universal anti-corruption instrument. It was drafted and negotiated in Vienna, Austria in 2002-2003 and subsequently adopted by the United Nations General Assembly on Oct. 31, 2003.
The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) notes that the adoption of the Convention represented a historic milestone, reflecting a shared commitment by countries to fight corruption. “What makes the Convention unique is its comprehensive approach to tackling corruption, emphasizing the importance of preventive measures, criminalization and law enforcement, international cooperation and asset recovery,” the UNODC says.
Since UNCAC’s adoption in 2004, more than 140 countries—including the United States—have ratified it. The treaty requires signatories to take steps against corruption and recognizes the importance of protecting whistleblowers as a critical tool.
However, while progress has been made on paper, much remains to be done to ensure real-world whistleblower protections and foster a culture of advocacy.
As NWC Founder and Chairman of the Board Stephen M. Kohn noted in Rules For Whistleblowers: A Handbook For Doing What’s Right:
[UNCAC] mandates that each signatory takes steps to combat corruption and recognizes the importance of protecting whistleblowers as a tool in fighting corruption. Yet most of the signatories have no effective whistleblower laws, and many are among the most notorious human rights violators.
The European Union approved a directive requiring whistleblower protections. However, it lacks clout. The directive did not include strong mandatory protections for whistleblowers, but instead left it up to each nation-state how to devise its own unique whistleblower laws within the directive’s often vague guidelines. … Needless to say, the directive made no intention of paying rewards to whistleblowers.
UNCAC’s mission is noble, but greater progress is needed to establish effective whistleblower protections worldwide—particularly regarding financial awards. NWC’s delegation will continue this dialogue in Qatar this December.
Recapping CoSP10
CoSP10, held in Atlanta at the Georgia World Congress Center in 2023, served as a forum for an intense review and discussion of rewards and compensation for whistleblowers. NWC spoke several times and presented written materials that educated leaders and representatives from around the world on environmental crimes, asset recovery, ownership transparency, political financing, and the rights of corruption victims.
NWC’s dedication to fighting environmental crime was also recognized during the side event on “Combatting Corruption to Protect the Environment.” As one of two organizations who submitted statements on whistleblowing, NWC helped to ensure that whistleblowing was a priority throughout the conference.
States Parties formally adopted a resolution on the protection of reporting persons, designatedCAC/COSP/2023/Rev.1, which reinforces Article 33 of the UNCAC and seeks to broaden protection for individuals who expose corruption, including their relatives and others close to them. While the resolution marked progress, former NWC Executive Director Siri Nelson, who attended as part of the delegation, said the key elements were missing to ensure effectiveness.
Nelson and the delegation expressed dismay at the removal of language on rewards in the final whistleblower resolution.
“At the end of the day,” Nelson said while addressing the plenary session on Dec. 14, 2023, “it is impossible to be serious about protecting whistleblowers without utilizing whistleblower rewards, and it is impossible to be serious about protecting the everyday person from corruption without utilizing whistleblower rewards.”
Still, the passage of a whistleblower protection resolution underscored the impact of NWC and other CSOs in elevating whistleblowing on the global agenda. You can read more first-person accounts from NWC’s CoSP10 delegation here.
A Hopeful Look to December
This year, NWC intends to resume conversations from CoSP10 and convey to other member states and their CSOs the benefits of strengthened protections for individuals who expose corruption – including via financial awards. As Qatar prepares to host the CoSP11 in December, it has an opportunity to lead by example on whistleblower protections.
While Qatar has taken steps—such as establishing digital reporting platforms and sector-specific hotlines—its national legal framework remains limited and inconsistently enforced. Hosting CoSP11 places Qatar in the global spotlight and gives it a platform to review and strengthen its laws in line with international best practices.
“By enacting comprehensive, nationwide legislation that protects whistleblowers from retaliation, ensures confidentiality, and establishes independent oversight, Qatar could demonstrate a commitment to transparency and accountability,” Kohn said. “This could set a critical example for other nations that also need to strengthen its whistleblower laws and enforceability.”
Additional Resources
The decision to come forward is not one to be taken lightly, nor should selecting a whistleblower lawyer. NWC provides resources that can connect you with the right legal professional prior to taking any action.
Subscribe to the Sunday Read series for more UNCAC and CoSP11 coverage.
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This story was written by Justin Smulison, a professional writer, podcaster, and event host based in New York.
