The treaty, which the 191-nation body approved late on Friday by consensus, also spells out measures to prevent corruption in the public and private sector and requires governments to cooperate with each other in investigating and prosecuting offenders.

"The adoption of the United Nations Convention against Corruption sends a clear message that the international community is determined to prevent and control corruption," Secretary General Kofi Annan said. "And it reaffirms the importance of core values, such as honesty, respect for the rule of law, accountability and transparency, in promoting development and making the world a better place for all."

The text was completed in Vienna on October 1 after two years of negotiations by experts from about 130 countries, a relatively speedy process.

It complements another treaty, the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organised Crime, which entered into force on September 29. That treaty requires ratifying countries to cooperate with each other in combating money laundering, organised crime and human trafficking.