International Anti-Corruption Day: History, theme and significance

The United Nations designated December 9 as International Anti-Corruption Day to raise awareness regarding corruption after the passage of the United Nations Convention against Corruption. The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) are at the forefront of these efforts.

History of International Anti-Corruption Day

The General Assembly adopted the United Nations Convention against Corruption on October 31, 2003, and requested the Secretary-General to designate the UNODC as the secretariat for the Convention’s Conference of States Parties. The Convention entered into force in December 2005 and designated 9 December as International Anti-Corruption Day. The UN Convention is the only universal legally binding anti-corruption instrument which has 186 parties and 140 signatories. It provides an extensive set of measures and rules to which all nation can adhere to strengthen their regulatory bodies in order to fight corruption.

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Theme for 2019

With a theme of 'United Against Corruption', the UN has launched a multi-year global campaign #UnitedAgainstCorruption which acknowledges corruption as one of the biggest hindrances in achieving the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres took to Twitter to highlight the need to unite to stop illicit financial flows draining resources. “People are right to be angry about corruption. It diverts much-needed resources from schools, hospitals and infrastructure,” tweeted Guterres.

The UNODC said that Corruption undermines development peace and security as it affects everyone, everywhere in one way or another.

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Significance of International Anti-Corruption Day

International Monetary Fund (IMF) said that corruption causes leakages at multiple points as funds flow into, through, and out of the public sector. According to the UN, $1 trillion is paid in bribes every year while an estimated $2.6 trillion are stolen annually through corruption – a sum equivalent to more than 5 per cent of the global GDP. 

UN Assistant Secretary-General Haoliang Xu, citing the International IDEA’s Global State of Democracy 2019 report, said that corruption remains a major challenge as 43 per cent of countries globally still have high levels of corruption. He said that Sustainable Development Goal 16, technology and innovation, business integrity, and social accountability are key priority areas of interventions.

“Thanks to various transparency movements, such as open data initiatives, access to information laws and others, global advocacy against corruption has significantly increased,” wrote Haoliang in a blog.

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