The article is a retrospective on the origin and evolution of the international legal framework against corruption. It is developed in two main parts. The first sketches the genealogy of the international legal framework regarding corruption, with a view to showing the multiple elements that have driven its advancement. The second offers a tour d’horizon of the international anti-corruption norms, by
showing their main features, common elements and divergences and, ultimately, their achievements, complementing the discussion by highlighting their main deficiencies.