The government has initiated steps to ratify the United Nations Convention Against Corruption, which was signed in 2005.  The Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) had asked the External Affairs ministry on April 1, 2011 to take further steps for ratification of the convention and depositing the instrument of ratification to the United Nations, a government official said.  

A major step to meet the provisions of the convention was taken on March 25, this year, when the government introduced a bill, Prevention of Bribery of Foreign Public Officials and Officials of Public International Organisations, in Lok Sabha. The bill has been referred to DoPT's Parliamentary Standing Committee. 

Once the bill is passed the government will met Article 16 of the convention, which deals with bribery to foreign public officials in international business and Article 12, which deals with combating corruption in private sector.  

Government officials also said that most of the domestic anti-corruption laws were compliant with provisions of the convention, except Article 16 and Article 12. "We are in the final process of ratification of the convention," an official said.