During the Conference of the State Parties to the Third United Nations Convention Against Corruption, held in Doha in 2009, a proposal was made by HH The Emir Tamim Bin Hamad Al Thani – may God protect him – for the creation of a centre based on the ideals of mutual cooperation and partnership building, with an international mandate to spread awareness and knowledge of the policies and tools necessary to prevent and combat corruption. The purpose of the centre would be to promote the latest methods and best practices currently available to address corruption and abuses of the rule of law, and through capacity building, training, conferences and seminars undermine corrupt practices in the region. The Rule of Law and Anti-Corruption Centre (ROLACC) was founded on the desire to construct and develop specialized knowledge and skills for use by individual practitioners and institutions, which would lead to the strengthening of the rule of law and fight corruption in line with international standards and national needs. Designed to provide support to all parties battling corruption, particularly from the Arab world, the Centre seeks to create a framework to enable the permanent exchange of experience and expertise in the region through strategic partnerships with the relevant bodies of the United Nations, particularly the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime. As the acting Secretariat body of IAACA, the International Association of Anti-Corruption Authorities, and the acting secretariat of the Conference of State Parties to the Convention Against Corruption, ROLACC is well placed to support national bodies and leading research centers in their goal to create new knowledge and networks for tackling corruption and promoting the rule of law.
