Combating corruption the soft way: the authority of peer reviews in the global fight against graft

The number of anti-corruption treaties has increased considerably in recent decades and these treaties have been signed by numerous countries. But how do we ensure that countries not only sign a treaty, but also take targeted action? This dissertation examines the authority of evaluation mechanisms, known as peer reviews, in the global fight against corruption. The regional peer reviews by the Council of Europe and the OESO hold more authority than the global mechanisms employed by the United Nations. This is due to differences in the number of countries that participate in the peer reviews, the way the mechanisms are designed and the role played by diplomats and experts in the evaluations.