COSP-9
Statement by GRECO President Marin Mrčela
This 9th Session of the Conference of State Parties to the United Nations Convention against Corruption is a unique opportunity to take forward the UNGASS 2021 Political Declaration against Corruption.
The adoption of the Political Declaration, in June this year, marks a major milestone, at a time when reaffirming global action against corruption is crucial. The covid-19 pandemic has shown us all how important it is to uphold to the highest standards of integrity, transparency and accountability, both during a state of emergency and in the subsequent recovery process. It also showed, unfortunately, that the risks of corruption are particularly pronounced during such exceptional periods, and that criminals have seized on that with no delay or hesitation.
GRECO’s long experience confirms the relevance of international follow-up in making sure that commitments are actually met and that momentum in the anti-corruption struggle is kept high on the political agenda. Indeed, in GRECO we see our role not only as a benchmark of the anti-corruption efforts of our 50 member States, but also as a supportive mechanism for them to bring about and capitalise on change.
GRECO stands ready to offer its long-standing experience and expertise to support effective implementation of the UNGASS 2021 Political Declaration, including through close cooperation with our partner peer-review mechanisms, so as to maximise our effectiveness. In this connection, we will showcase some of our work in the course of this week, notably through the organisation of a side event on whistleblowing protection - a most topical issue for all regions of the world.