Th e international community has started
to fi ght back and now recognises that this
crime is not the cost of doing business,
but a dramatic drag on the ability of states
and the private sector to prosper.
integrate anti-corruption activities into
their good governance frameworks and
criminal justice systems. The cost to
society, however, is not only measured
in the funds taken, but also in the
damage done to communities, as well
as the promotion of equality. Corruption
enables organized crime to fl ourish, and
like an acid, eats into weak states and
compromises criminal justice systems.
Fortunately, the international
community has started to fi ght back and
now recognises that this crime is not the
cost of doing business, but a dramatic
drag on the ability of states and the private
sector to prosper. In 2015, Member States
adopted the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable
Development along with its 17 Sustainable
Development Goals. The SDGs seek to
promote prosperity and eradicate poverty.
Goal 16 recognizes that this is not possible
without substantially reducing corruption
as well as confronting a range of other
criminal issues.
Promoting access to justice, peaceful
and inclusive societies and eff ective
government based on the rule of law
are the inherent principles of Goal 16.
The authority of law, and the institutions
of government, are often vulnerable
to corruption. Fully functioning legal
systems are crucial for sustainable
development at the national and
international levels. Achieving the targets
of Goal 16 is, therefore, fundamental to
realizing the entire 2030 agenda, and it
forms an essential element of the work
undertaken by the UN Offi ce on Drugs
and Crime (UNODC).
But, if this work is to be successful,
and we desperately need it to be,
every nation must become a party to
and fully implement the UN Convention
against Corruption - UNCAC. UNCAC
outlines the most comprehensive set
of legal commitments states must
enforce to tackle corruption. States
that adopt UNCAC agree on measures
to detect and punish corruption in
both the private and public sectors.
UNCAC also provides a unique means
of examining the success of a country’s
anti-corruption eff orts. It provides the
framework for an established peer
review mechanism that sees countries
work together to review each other’s
anti-corruption eff orts. UNODC
also assists states in the recovery
of the proceeds of corruption, both
domestically and internationally via the
Stolen Asset Recovery Initiative--StAR.
A partnership between the World
Bank and UNODC, StAR works to
recover illicit funds and prevent their
storage in tax havens. UNODC is also
supporting states in implementing
UNCAC’s Chapter II on prevention.
The Chapter helps states to develop
accountable, transparent institutions
and legislation and strengthens anti-
corruption eff orts through training and
knowledge-based programs.
My experiences in countries such as
Nigeria, as well as my work as the head
of an organization that has a mission to
tackle corruption, leads me to believe
that if we are to realise our goal of
sustainable development, we must
end corruption. ■
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