The United Nations, UN
Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres, has commended Nigeria’s leading role in
the fight against corruption in Africa.
Guterres made the commendation in
his remarks at high-level debate marking the 15th anniversary of adoption of UN
Convention Against Corruption in New York.
The secretary-general pointed out
that through Nigeria’s anti-money laundering efforts, stolen funds had been
returned.
Guterres said, “African countries
have taken a leading role in moving this agenda forward in the last AU Summit.
“And with measures as for example
through anti-money laundering efforts in Nigeria and Tunisia, which have seen
funds returned.”
He said if governments were
serious about doing the best for their citizens, then pledges to promote
integrity and clamp down on corruption must be more than campaign promises and
words on paper.
“Millions will go to the polls
this year with corruption high on their agenda. I make an urgent call to our
global leadership to take a moral stand and install a culture of integrity from
the top down.
“It all begins with setting an
example. By tackling corruption, governments can show they mean business. We
must all do more.”
According to him, those who can
least afford corruption suffer the most adding, corruption cripples economic
development, stifles entrepreneurship and deters investment.
Continuing, Guterres said,
“Society cannot function equitably and efficiently when public officials – from
doctors to police, judges and politicians – enrich themselves rather than
perform their duties with integrity. “Corruption robs funds from schools,
hospitals, infrastructure and other vital services.
“Human trafficking and migrant smuggling,
illicit financial flows and illegal trade in natural resources, weapons, drugs
and cultural heritage are all made possible because of corruption.
“It fuels conflict, and when a
hard-won peace is achieved, corruption undermines recovery. Corruption and
impunity are corrosive, breeding frustration and fostering further corruption
when people see no other way of achieving their goals.”
The UN chief added that the lack
of opportunities for young women and men, often exacerbated in corrupt
societies, could feed into the cynical narratives of terrorists and violent
extremists.
“The answer is to root out and
eradicate corruption at all levels and restore trust where it has been lost,”
the secretary-general stressed.
He said UN would continue to
support Member States every step of the way, from helping to engage and empower
citizens in this fight, to helping build and enhance institutions that could
deliver on their promise
The UN chief urged Member States
to use the 15th anniversary Convention as a platform to mobilise political and
popular support for the fight against corruption. He said the fight against
corruption is the world’s most agile instrument in the hands of the
international community to achieve our common goals of good governance, stability
and prosperity.
Also speaking, the President of
the UN General Assembly, Miroslav Lajčák, reiterated that corruption hurt all
sections of the society adding, it “destroys everything in its path.”
Ultimately, corruption causes
suffering to ordinary people going about their daily lives, he stressed, citing
common examples: “When they are stopped at checkpoints, for bribes.
“When a bus does not come – or a
clinic does not open – because budgets were mismanaged. Or when they lose all
of their savings, from extortion,” said Lajčák.
Yury Fedotov, the
Executive-Director of the UN Office on Drugs and Crime, also noted that while
Sustainable Development Goal 16 explicitly urged action against corruption,
tackling the problem was a prerequisite for overall economic growth.
“Anti-corruption responses are also crucial to
ensuring access to healthcare, water, education and other vital services;
protecting forests, oceans and wildlife; and reducing inequalities,” Fedotov
added.
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