Common commitment to combating corruption

Common commitment to combating corruption

By Yasmeen Abalqoloub

In June 2021, the United Nations General Assembly at its thirty-second special session adopted a political declaration entitled: “Our common commitment to effectively addressing challenges and implementing measures to prevent and combat corruption and strengthen international cooperation.”

This political declaration represents an important momentum for the fight against corruption. It further supports the implementation of the United Nations Convention against Corruption (UNCAC), which is the only anticorruption universal legally binding instrument. In fact, the political declaration mirrors the UNCAC, and they share similar focus areas such as: preventative measures, criminalization and law enforcement, asset recovery, technical assistance and information exchange.

As for preventative measures, UN Members States demonstrate in the political declaration their commitment to adopt preventive measures and anticorruption policies in line with Chapter II of the UNCAC. This entails intensifying efforts to raise awareness of the dangers of corruption and to educate society about the importance of preventing and combating corruption.

Another area is criminalization and law enforcement which reflects Chapter III of the UNCAC. Member States are committed as per the declaration to criminalize corruption, investigate its crimes, and prosecute its perpetrators in both the public and private sectors. They are also committed to building capacity of law