UNIS/SGSM/1373
11 December 2023
I am pleased to address this Conference of Parties to the United Nations Convention against Corruption, and I thank the United States for hosting this important meeting.
For two decades, the Convention has been a guiding light in our efforts against corruption. While we have made significant strides, corruption remains a real threat around the globe.
Corruption not only robs resources, it robs people of hope. Corruption undermines development. Corruption subverts social cohesion and exacerbates inequalities. Corruption fuels distrust in institutions.
Today, the world must leverage the universal goals of the Convention to advance accountability, integrity, and transparency.
To safeguard the rule of law and human rights, and restore trust in a world mired by conflict and violence. To rescue the Sustainable Development Goals and leave no one behind. To protect the environment and enable an effective response to the existential threat of climate change. And to put an end, once and for all, to impunity.
I call on all Parties to use this opportunity to strengthen international cooperation to prevent, detect, and prosecute corruption – in partnership with civil society and the private sector.
Together, we can build resilient institutions, empower citizens, and build a future of justice and equality.
Thank you.
* *** *
"Working as one, we must push to repeal discriminatory laws, combat violence and harmful practices, and end the scapegoating of marginalized communities." — António Guterres
"From the telegraph to radio, from the Internet to Artificial Intelligence, technology has transformed how we live, work, and connect." — António Guterres
Barbados signed and deposited its instrument of ratification for the United Nations Convention on the International Effects of Judicial Sales of Ships (the “Beijing Convention on the Judicial Sale of Ships”) at the United Nations Headquarters in New York on 8 May 2025.
Journalists are invited to cover the 34th session of the Commission on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice (CCPCJ) to be held from 19 to 23 May in Vienna, Austria.
