The United States has formally withdrawn from the Group of States against Corruption (GRECO). The Council of Europe announced this on September 29, saying Washington had submitted the notification the day before. Before the United States, only Russia and Belarus had left GRECO.
The United States joined the group in 2000. The Council of Europe said the American side had been a “valuable contributor” to its work and to the exchange of anti-corruption practices. GRECO added that it remains open to resuming cooperation in the future.
The State Department offered a different explanation: annual dues “do not provide tangible benefits to U.S. national security.” “The era of blank checks to international bureaucracies is over,” the department said. Instead of membership in monitoring bodies, the United States intends to rely on sanctions, visa restrictions, and targeted support for investigations.
The decision fits a series of steps by the Trump administration to reduce participation in international organizations. The United States had already withdrawn from the WHO, the U.N. Human Rights Council, and the Venice Commission. Shortly before this, Washington declined to invite OSCE observers to November’s congressional midterm elections.
Since 1999, GRECO has assessed member states’ anti-corruption standards: codes of conduct for officials and judges, asset declarations, lobbying rules, and whistleblower protections. After the U.S. withdrawal, the group will continue its work without American participation.
