Director-General/Executive Director
Excellencies,
Ladies and gentlemen,
Dear friends,
I am very pleased to welcome you all to this Young Changemakers Event.
There is no better reason to meet than for empowering young people to fight corruption and build more just societies.
Corruption is making the world more difficult and dangerous for all, and especially for younger generations.
It is weakening public institutions, obstructing access to services, and creating an environment in which injustice and violence spread.
It is deepening inequalities and stifling opportunities, leaving the weaker, the poorer, and in many cases the younger behind.
And it is draining vital resources that young and future generations will need to build the future they aspire to.
Trillions of dollars are estimated to be lost each year to corruption in countries around the world. It is a global phenomenon, in the North and in the South.
This is money that could have been spent on you and yourfuture – on solving the climate crisis, ending poverty and hunger, making health services and quality education accessible to all, and so much more.
Governments are stepping up their efforts to fight corruption, yet these challenges continue to threaten progress in every sector of society, and in every country in the world.
Meanwhile, unfair business practices are corroding local and national economies, depriving young people of prospects.
We cannot stamp out corruption without those who will be living with the consequences of it well into the future. That is why youth participation is so vital.
The world has 1.8 billion young people between the ages of 10 and 24 – the largest generation of youth in history.
And today’s youth are more connected than ever before.
They are the powerful changemakers that the world needs.
They have the voice, the courage, and the moral values that many in the older generations have lost.
And they have the imagination to unlock new solutions and to inspire our efforts to implement the UNCAC to new heights.
Since our last UNCAC Conference of States Parties in Egypt two years ago, UNODC has been actively engaged in empowering young people.
Our GRACE initiative educates the next generation of integrity leaders, by incorporating anti-corruption curricula throughout primary and secondary education, and at university level.
We have established a permanent “YouthLED” Integrity Advisory Board – not only to empower young anti-corruption champions, but also to increase the participation of youth in intergovernmental dialogue.
I am especially pleased that this year’s Conference will be the first ever where a youth statement will be read out by one of our young changemakers.
And it is wonderful to see so many of you here today, along with members of our Ethics Ambassadors Programme, students from the US, and winners of the UNODC Coding4Integrity Arab Youth Anti-Corruption Hackathon.
This recent hackathon was our largest ever, bringing together 110 young Arab IT developers to create innovative anti-corruption technologies.
To support governments in developing their own youth anti-corruption programming, UNODC has also worked with partners to develop a policy guide on meaningful youth empowerment for national anti-corruption authorities.
As we prepare for the upcoming UN Crime Congress in 2025 in Abu Dhabi, a milestone event that takes place every five years, we are seeking to make it the most youth-inclusive Congress ever, and to have the voices of young people informing its outcomes.
I encourage you to get in touch with our team and find out how you can make your voices heard, for justice and the rule of law, as these are topics closely linked to addressing corruption.
And the inspirational performance that you saw at the opening of today’s event was based on one of our anti-corruption tools, designed to help youth express their thoughts and feelings about corruption through art.
Young people’s voices, ideas and opinions must be included at all levels of discussions and throughout our anti-corruption strategies. After all, they will be the ones stepping up as tomorrow’s guardians of integrity.
And that is why today’s gathering is so important. Looking around at all of you – you all come from so many diverse backgrounds and places.
Because you are committed to creating more just and inclusive communities – this should give us all reason to be hopeful.
You possess the optimism, dedication, and drive to change the world for the better, and UNODC stands ready to support you all and to continue amplifying young voices in the fight against corruption.
Ladies and gentlemen,
With 190 Parties to the UN Convention Against Corruption, it belongs to all of us, but it especially belongs to the next generation.
As we celebrate the twentieth anniversary of the Convention, I challenge all of our changemakers to set the stage for a future where young people are seen as true partners in the fight against corruption.
Thank you.