Director General/Executive Director
President Martinelli,
Your Excellencies,
Distinguished Guests,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
I thank the President and the Government of the Republic of Panama for hosting this Fifth Session of the Conference of the State Parties of the UN Convention against Corruption.
I also warmly welcome the many high-level delegations that have travelled from across the world to be here.
With 1,540 participants, drawn from 139 states' parties and observers, the Panama Conference sets the record as the largest conference in the history of the COSP by a considerable margin.
Your presence today reinforces the importance of the global anti-corruption agenda.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Ten years have passed since our collective vision of a world free from corruption inspired us to negotiate and adopt the UN Convention against Corruption.
Today, with 168 States Parties, we stand on the threshold of almost universal ratification of this Convention, a remarkable achievement for such a brief lifetime. I am confident that the few remaining countries will soon join.
And I hope that two of them will announce their joining of the convention during this conference.
But our goal should be even more farsighted. We must ensure that UNCAC becomes part of daily life across the globe, and that its full implementation is accepted as a top priority by every Government, by every company, by every organization, and by every individual.
There are powerful reasons why we must all speak with one voice and act with the same resolve against corruption.
Corruption is not simply a crime. It is the enabler of many other criminal activities such as transnational organized crime and drug trafficking.
Without corruption and bribery:
And, corruption is also the thief of economic and social development; stealing the opportunities of ordinary people to progress and to prosper.
Anti-corruption efforts, and their role in the post-2015 agenda for sustainable development, have been recognised in the UN Secretary-General's recent report titled, "A Life of Dignity for All."
The report draws clear connections between the rule of law, as the foundation for transparency and accountability, and enabling sustainable development.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
If we are to have genuine and lasting success against corruption, we also need:
UNCAC is the bedrock for this work, and it has a very broad sweep.
For example, UNODC promotes the Convention as a framework to address corruption at major public events such as the Olympics.
If we expect our athletes to play fair, let us apply the same integrity principles to all those involved in organising great sporting events.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
You have taken UNCAC further by empowering it with the review mechanism.
In its brief life, now entering only its fourth year, the mechanism has produced tangible results: it functions as a platform for an honest and respectful dialogue among governments, and between governments and stakeholders in eliminating corruption.
We are close to creating a truly global community of anti-corruption practitioners.
Thanks to the review mechanism, UNODC has:
I commend all participating States for their enthusiasm and hard work in completing these activities, especially as we approach the second review cycle beginning in 2015.
To promote understanding of themechanism, the conference secretariat has provided a comprehensive analysis of the two chapters presently under review. I hope you will find this report useful.
Civil society also has a valuable role to play in these areas. Their efforts are important.
Ladies and gentlemen,
Two years ago, under the Marrakech Declaration, sizeable steps were taken to embrace the measures of Chapter II of the Convention.
Reforms include: greater transparency in public service, the use of education against corruption; and the introduction of asset declaration systems to prevent conflicts of interest.
UNODC has supported States Parties in all these areas, and I look forward to further strengthening our collective efforts during this week.
I also urge all countries to use UNCAC as the legal basis for international cooperation and to facilitate a deeper dialogue on the challenges we face.
One such challenge is the need to return the stolen assets of nations.
UNCAC provides ground-breaking asset recovery provisions enabling countries to detect and recover money stolen through corruption.
UNODC and the World Bank, through their StAR initiative, are empowering national authorities, governments and financial institutions to trace, confiscate and ultimately return stolen assets.
Only recently, the initiative has helped return to Tunisia US$28.8 million from Lebanon, as well as recovered assets in cooperation with France, Italy and Spain valued at US$58 million.
Since the start of the programme, over 1,500 policy makers and practitioners have been trained in asset recovery procedures and processes.
By the end of 2012, the StAR had provided technical assistance in 23 countries and one regional organisation.
In terms of technical assistance, UNCAC and its Review Mechanism have also helped to identify and benchmark the needs of such assistance for the Convention's implementation.
Many developing countries have embraced the review mechanism, but they still need the continuous support of the donor community.
If we frustrate them, especially after they have invested time and scarce resources in participating so actively in the mechanism, we risk undermining our collective commitment to fighting corruption.
Once again, UNODC is uniquely placed, as guardian of the Convention and secretariat to the review mechanism, to support these efforts.
Ladies and gentlemen,
This year marks the tenth anniversary of UNCAC.
Tremendous progress has been made between Merida and Panama City, but the road goes on. We cannot afford to divert from our course.
After all, corruption can never just be my business, or your business, it must be everyone's business.
We need a robust and strong coalition of governments, business community, civil society, academia and media to resist corruption, and to build a culture of prevention and integrity.
But, above all else, we need to deliver real, lasting change.
We must make the ethos and integrity of UNCAC a living reality for the millions of people who face the ill effects of corruption daily.
Thank you.
