UN Secretary-General António Guterres has highlighted the persistent global threat of corruption, advocating for reinforced international collaboration to prevent, detect, and prosecute corrupt activities.
Guterres delivered this message via a video at the opening of the tenth session of the Conference of the States Parties to the United Nations Convention against Corruption, hosted in Atlanta, United States.
Per the UN’s official website, Guterres remarked: “The UN Convention against Corruption has served as a beacon in our fight against corruption for over two decades. Despite significant progress, corruption continues to pose a serious global threat,” emphasizing that corruption not only depletes resources but also diminishes hope, hampers development, disrupts social unity, aggravates inequality, and erodes trust in institutions.
He underscored the necessity to leverage the Convention to uphold human rights globally and to rebuild trust in a world beset by conflict and strife.
Guterres also emphasized the urgency of salvaging the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), ensuring no one is left behind, safeguarding the environment, responding effectively to climate change, and eliminating impunity.
He called upon all stakeholders to capitalize on this moment to fortify international cooperation against corruption, in alliance with civil society and the private sector.
