AFP - The fate of a key plan to improve the transparency of a worldwide anti-corruption programme is in doubt at a UN conference in Qatar, a lobby group said on Monday.

Delegates from 141 countries which have signed the UN Convention against Corruption are discussing a call to establish a review mechanism for the agreement.

"The global anti-corruption treaty will fail without agreement on an effective review mechanism in Doha this week," Transparency International said in a statement.

Huguette Labelle, the group's chair, said delegates are split over peer review and on the publication of findings.

Some countries want to evaluate and report their own progress instead of being reviewed by other signatories and some signatories oppose the publication of reports on their progress, Labelle said at the conference.

Negotiations on the establishment of a review mechanism will be the main focus of the conference, which runs until Friday, Labelle said.

"A (review) mechanism should be agreed to so the convention takes effect," Labelle said. "Otherwise, it's just a piece of paper."

The convention was signed in 2003, but a mechanism to measure compliance of its signatories has yet to be established.

Antonio Maria Costa, head of the UN Office on Drugs and Crime told the conference: "I urge you, as called for in the convention, to agree before Friday on a review mechanism."

Without such a mechanism, "We have no way of knowing how effective the convention is, how successful countries have been (or not) in their efforts," Costa said.

The convention was signed in 2003, but a mechanism to measure compliance of its signatories has yet to be established.

In addition to government representatives, the conference is attended by delegates from the World Bank and regional banks.