UN agency boss calls for end to corruption

(CNS): The UNODC Executive Director Yury Fedotov has called on public and private businesses to put in place urgent concrete measures to stem the tide of corruption. Addressing a conference in Paris the leader of the United Nation’s office on drugs and crime Fedotov said it is time for the G-20 to turn anti-corruption commitments into action. The event in Paris follows the commitments taken by G-20 Leaders at the Seoul Summit last November where the G-20 adopted an Anti-Corruption Action Plan that provides a common approach for the G-20 to lead by example in the global fight against corruption. It also recognizes that the private sector has an essential role to play.

"As recent events in North Africa and the Middle East have demonstrated, corruption has the power to shake the very foundations of society. Even in regions where peace and prosperity prevail, corruption takes a heavy toll", said Fedotov.

"The international community is grateful for the private sector’s support for the United Nations Convention against Corruption. But now it’s time for business to move beyond declarations to concrete actions. The private sector can play a key role to enhance accountability and transparency and to strengthen the global economy".

Fedotov presented four proposals on what the business community can do to eliminate corruption, according to a release from UNODC. The first was for the private sector to adopt anti-corruption policies aligned with the UN Convention against Corruption. The second was to establish a credible mechanism to review commitments to integrity. The third he said was to invest in strengthening public integrity in developing countries and invest in keeping corruption out of business supply chains.

"In October this year, the Conference of States Parties to the Convention against Corruption will meet in Marrakech, Morocco to take stock of global progress in preventing corruption. I hope that the private sector will use the months leading up to the Conference to develop specific policies and concrete steps to fight corruption," Fedotov added.

The G-20, established in 1999, is a forum for international economic development that promotes open and constructive discussion between industrial and emerging-market countries on key issues related to global economic stability. It encourages public-private partnerships and offers a significant opportunity for developing and implementing initiatives that engage the private sector in the global fight against corruption.

The UN Convention against Corruption is the first legally binding global anti-corruption instrument. It obliges States to prevent and criminalize corruption, promote international cooperation, recover stolen assets and improve technical assistance and information exchange.