Director-General/Executive Director
Excellencies,
Ladies and gentlemen,
I am pleased to join you today to reflect on the success of the tenth session of the Conference of States Parties to the UN Convention against Corruption held last year in Atlanta.
I would like to begin by thanking the United States of America for hosting the tenth session.
This session marked an important milestone in the anti-corruption calendar as we celebrated the 20th anniversary of the UNCAC.
It provided us with an opportunity to reaffirm our commitment to the Convention and to stand together against corruption, with States Parties adopting 12 resolutions and two key decisions.
This was also a record-breaking session, bringing together over 2,300 participants from more than 160 countries.
We held over 60 special events on a broad range of topics, from the importance of gender equality and inclusion in anti-corruption efforts, to safeguarding climate responses from corruption, to promoting whistle-blower protection, recovering stolen assets, and more.
We heard the voice of 190 States Parties to the UNCAC, showcasing the Convention’s near-universal adherence.
We heard the voice of civil society, with over 900 representatives – the highest turnout we’ve had – championing the values of integrity, transparency, and accountability.
We heard the voice of young changemakers who are leading the way in calling for action against corruption, and I look forward to hearing the statement of our youth representative who is with us today.
We also heard the voice of law enforcement practitioners from our GlobE Network, which connects over 190 authorities from more than 100 countries, and just this week we welcomed Bangladesh as the newest member of this global anti-corruption alliance.
And we heard the voice of the private sector, to promote fair business practices and a level playing field for all.
These diverse perspectives from across society underlined the need for a whole-of-society approach and global solidarity in the pursuit of a world free from corruption.
Unity is needed more than ever, at a time when trust is in short supply.
You are no stranger to this here in the halls and council chambers of these United Nations.
Conflict and violence are fracturing the foundations of our societies and widening divides, whether it is in Ukraine, Gaza, Sudan, the Sahel, the Democratic Republic of Congo, or many other places.
Gang-related violence is escalating at an alarming rate in Haiti, where just a few days ago, over 15,000 were displaced and several prisons overrun in Port-au-Prince, and I would like to use this opportunity to add my voice to that of the UN Secretary-General in calling for support to the multinational force to be deployed there, to ensure a swift return to order and the rule of law for all Haitians.
Meanwhile, climate change and crises are pushing people on the move, with over 110 million estimated to be displaced globally.
Organized criminal groups are finding new avenues to exploit vulnerability and instability, while reaping vast amounts of illicit profits through money laundering and economic crimes.
All of this is underpinned by corruption, which is facilitating organized crime and creating fertile ground for violence, while siphoning valuable resources away from crisis response and recovery efforts.
It is depriving countries of billions of dollars in trade, tax revenue, and economic growth potential, and putting us further behind in our race to reach the Sustainable Development Goals by 2030.
Excellencies,
Fighting corruption is intrinsically linked to sustainable development.
The UN General Assembly made this clear at its special session on corruption in 2021.
And last year, Member States adopted a landmark declaration at the SDG Summit calling for accelerated action to achieve the Global Goals, including through implementation of the UNCAC’s obligations to prevent and combat corruption.
We must now heed this call and build on the outcomes of Atlanta in the months ahead.
In July, Member States will hold a high-level political forum on eradicating poverty in times of crisis, a goal that is deeply linked with the fight against corruption.
In September, the Summit of the Future here in New York will be an opportunity to champion multilateral solutions for a future free from corruption.
And at the 79th session of the General Assembly, I encourage Member States to adopt a strong resolution reflecting the achievements of the UNCAC and CoSP10.
The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime stands ready to support you every step of the way.
We are providing technical assistance and capacity-building through five regional hubs and nine anti-corruption platforms that connect practitioners across jurisdictions.
We are assisting States Parties in the implementation of the UNCAC, and I’m pleased that the duration of the implementation review mechanism has been extended to June 2026.
To date, the mechanism has helped identify over 9,000 challenges in technical assistance and address gaps in implementation.
UNODC is also producing new publications and toolkits, including 17 presented at CoSP, that provide guidance on promoting integrity and transparency.
And we are developing expertise and resources to better measure corruption, including a new measurement framework that we launched last year.
Ladies and gentlemen,
We have made important progress over the years in the fight against corruption.
The UNCAC stands as a symbol of our achievements.
I encourage you all to reflect on how far we have come and to take inspiration from the fruitful discussions and important outcomes of Atlanta when making political commitments in New York this year.
Together, let us use the momentum generated at CoSP10 in the months ahead and leverage the full potential of the UNCAC, for a world united against corruption.
Thank you.