1. We, the BRICS Ministers with responsibilities for preventing and combating corruption, met on 13 July 2022 under the Chinese Presidency, to discuss ourcommitments to counter challenges of corruption individually and collectivelywith a view to contributing to the global fight against corruption.

2. We recognize that corruption poses detrimental effects on social fairness andjustice and sustainable economic development. We are also aware that againstthe backdrop of economic globalization, corruption and illicit financial flowsdistort equitable allocation of public resources and damage the integrity of theglobal financial system. We believe that anti-corruption efforts positively impacteconomic growth. We reaffirm the importance of multilateralism and jointactions in effectively fighting against trans-border corruption.

3. We commend the fruitful cooperation among BRICS countries againstcorruption on the basis of equality, mutual benefit and learning guided by thespirit of consensus. We recognize that since our leaders agreed to establish theBRICS Anti-Corruption Working Group (ACWG) in 2015, the ACWG hasplayed an important role in promoting exchanges and cooperation amongmember countries under the leadership of rotating presidencies.

4. We are committed to promoting integrity in the public sector and sharing bestpractices in developing and implementing national anti-corruption strategies. Wewill further explore ways to prevent and combat all forms of corruption andbribery, so as to create a regulated and law-based environment for economic andsocial development as well as to improve public well-being. We will strengtheninformation sharing and coordination among relevant domestic agenciesspecialised in combating corruption, and provide them with necessary resourcesand support. We welcome the BRICS workshop on anti-corruption andeconomic development held on 26 May 2022.

5. We attach equal importance to building integrity in the private sector andencourage our businesses to abide by anti-corruption laws and to establishcompliance and internal control mechanisms. We will strive to enforce domesticanti-corruption and bribery laws and, where necessary, strengthen relevantdomestic legal frameworks, so as to ensure that companies engaged incorruption, including multinational companies operating in our respectivejurisdictions, are held liable and subjected to effective criminal or non-criminalsanctions.

6. We will continue to strengthen efforts to implement our anti-corruptionobligations and commitments under international anti-corruption architectures.We recognize the United Nations Convention against Corruption (UNCAC)as the universal framework and legal basis for international cooperation incombating corruption, recovering stolen assets and countering safe-havens. Wewelcome the BRICS Initiative on Denial of Safe Haven to Corruption.

7. We will actively pursue anti-corruption law enforcement cooperation, inaccordance with relevant domestic laws, while upholding the fundamentalprinciples of international law. We will address requests based on criminal, civiland administrative proceedings with a view to strengthening efforts to preventand sanction corruption and recovering and returning proceeds ofcorruption-related offences, in accordance with our domestic legal frameworks.

8. We attach particular importance to asset recovery cooperation. We willendeavor to explore the developments in the international asset recoveryframework including in the United Nations. We will strive to prevent the transferof proceeds of corruption overseas, and effectively implement the FATFAML/CFT standards to combat proceeds-generating crimes, terrorist financing,and to fight against corruption. We will enhance international cooperation forreturning stolen assets to their rightful owners and avoiding unreasonableadministrative hurdles on such transfers. We also note that the management,administration, and disposal of returned stolen assets are the sole responsibilityof the requesting states, from which the assets were stolen.

9. We recognise the importance of anti-corruption education and training for theeffective prevention of and fight against corruption. We appreciate the BRICSanti-corruption education and training initiatives implemented so far, andwelcome further cooperation in this area to develop the skills and expertise ofanti-corruption practitioners and educators and raise public awareness aboutcorruption in our respective countries .

10. We commit to strengthening cooperation including experience andinformation sharing on anti-corruption issues among the BRICS countries on thebasis of full consultation and consensus. We will further explore areas ofcooperation against corruption.