The BRICS Anti-Corruption Working Group (ACWG) is a dedicated cooperation track under BRICS — the grouping of major emerging economies whose founding members are Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa, since joined by additional partner countries (often called BRICS+). The ACWG coordinates cooperation among member states on preventing and combating corruption.

Basic Details

Parent Framework: BRICS.
Established: Formally constituted under India's BRICS Presidency in 2026.
Nodal Agency (India): Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT).
Subsidiary Body: BRICS Expert Network on Asset Recovery, focused on cross-border recovery of the proceeds of corruption.
Legal Framework: Operates alongside the UN Convention against Corruption (UNCAC), to which India and other BRICS members are parties.

Genesis

Rising Priority: Corruption and illicit financial flows across borders had become a growing concern within BRICS, particularly around tracing fugitive economic offenders and recovering laundered assets.
Launch: India set up the ACWG as a formal BRICS track during its 2026 Presidency, themed "Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability," with DoPT as the coordinating agency.
First Meeting: The inaugural ACWG meeting was held virtually on 2-3 June 2026, alongside the first meeting of focal points of the BRICS Expert Network on Asset Recovery.

Functions

Fugitive Tracing: Strengthens informal cooperation among member states to trace fugitive economic offenders and support extradition proceedings.
Asset Recovery: Enhances information-sharing on cross-border asset recovery through the Expert Network, including a shared directory of focal points and standardised templates for information exchange.
Emerging Risks: Addresses corruption risks arising from FinTech, digital assets and other new digital financial instruments.

Significance

Indian Leadership: Reflects India's role in shaping the BRICS cooperation agenda during its Presidency year.
Practical Cooperation: Builds a concrete framework for asset recovery and fugitive tracing among BRICS members, complementing domestic laws such as the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988 and the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002.
Continuity Beyond 2026: Positions the ACWG as an institutionalised BRICS track meant to outlast India's rotating Presidency year.

Prelims Concepts