UNODC Non-Binding Guidelines on the Adoption and Use of Technologies to Combat Corruption in Public Procurement

The UNODC guidelines mandated by Resolution 10/9 «Promoting transparency and integrity in public procurement in support of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development» provide a step-by-step guide to adopting technology to combat corruption in public procurement.

Public procurement remains one of the areas most vulnerable to corruption within government operations. In the two decades since the adoption of the United Nations Convention against Corruption (UNCAC), advances in digital technology and data use have enabled faster and more effective monitoring of integrity, efficiency and transparency throughout the public procurement cycle. The use of digital tools has also helped automate administrative tasks and reduce bureaucratic burdens.

These guidelines set out ten essential steps for governments to follow when adopting new technology to prevent and combat corruption. They provide an overview of six common technology applications in public procurement and include a list of resources offering further technical and legislative detail.

Whether a government is beginning to digitalize its public procurement systems or seeking to leverage advanced data analytics and emerging applications such as artificial intelligence (AI), these steps will assist decision makers in asking the right questions, assessing trade-offs and charting a path to technology adoption that aligns with institutional capacity and national needs.