Gabon launches second uncac review dialogue in Libreville to assess anti-corruption progress

Officials pose with unodc experts in Libreville on 29 june

Vice-president of the government hermann immongault officially opened the second-cycle direct dialogue mission of the united nations convention against corruption (uncac) review mechanism on monday 29 june 2026 in Libreville. Over four days, technical staff from various ministries, unodc experts and international partners will assess Gabon’s achievements in corruption prevention and enforcement.

Gabon has been a party to the uncac since 1 october 2007 and is committed to consolidating reforms that strengthen transparency, promote accountability in public management and improve institutional governance.

In his opening remarks, hermann immongault underlined that fighting corruption is a key driver of economic and social development. “public integrity boosts government performance, secures investment, strengthens economic competitiveness and creates the conditions for sustainable, inclusive and equitable development,” he said.

This conviction is shared by stakeholders involved in the evaluation process. Séraphin ondoumba, unodc focal point and commissioner of the national commission for the fight against corruption and illicit enrichment (cnlcei), stressed that the dialogue goes beyond technicalities. “i am convinced this direct dialogue will not only better assess our country’s efforts but also strengthen cooperation among states parties and promote best practices in corruption prevention and control,” he stated.

The mission marks a critical stage of the second uncac review cycle, which focuses primarily on preventive measures and asset recovery. According to mission chief mohamed cherbal of unodc, “this week the review team will deepen its analysis of Gabon’s anti-corruption framework, with particular emphasis on implementing convention provisions related to preventive measures and asset recovery.”

The evaluation runs from 29 june to 1 july 2026 and follows the first review cycle launched in 2010. At that time, Gabon was assessed on chapters iii and iv of the convention, covering criminalisation, law enforcement and international cooperation. That process included an evaluation visit by experts from Sierra Leone and the lao people’s democratic republic from 21 to 23 april 2015.

Expectations are high for this new round. Cnlccei president nestor mbou sees the dialogue as an opportunity for continuous improvement of public policies. “the direct dialogue opening today is an essential step in the review process. It is not simply about evaluating a legal or institutional framework; it also means identifying good practices, recognising progress made, measuring remaining challenges and exploring ways to improve that can lead to concrete recommendations to accelerate the implementation of our strategy,” he affirmed.

The mission’s conclusions will guide upcoming reforms and further strengthen national mechanisms for prevention, control and recovery of illicit assets, with the aim of building a more honest, efficient and accountable administration for citizens.