UN anti-corruption conference concludes fighting corruption in times of crisis
December 18, 2021, 7:12 am

UN anti-corruption conference concludes fighting corruption in times of crisis

Egypt-Nile river-Egypt tower/Pixabay

The Xinhua reported that the United Nations (UN) anti-corruption conference concluded Friday in Egypt's city of Sharm El-Sheikh, with a declaration on fighting corruption in times of crisis adopted.

The UN said in a statement, the ninth session of the Conference of the States Parties to the UN Convention against Corruption adopted the Sharm El-Sheikh Declaration as well as seven other resolutions and an agreement on the host country for the tenth session of the conference.

The Xinhua said that the Sharm el-Sheikh Declaration, underscoring the increased risks of corruption presented by urgent economic and health relief spending, called for States parties to collect best practices and challenges, with the aim of developing guidelines to strengthen cooperation to prevent, identify, investigate and prosecute corruption during times of emergencies, crisis response and recovery.

The Executive Director of the UN Office on Drugs and Crime, Ghada Waly, said in her closing remark that: "The Sharm el-Sheikh Declaration on fighting corruption in times of crisis will inform our recovery from the pandemic with integrity and will help countries be ready for the emergencies of tomorrow."

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According to the statement, the work to develop the guidelines will be taken forward by the open-ended intergovernmental expert meeting to enhance international cooperation under the convention.

Other resolutions adopted at the session addressed key issues such as beneficial ownership in asset recovery, regional and international cooperation, and education and youth empowerment. A resolution to follow up on the political declaration from the first-ever UN General Assembly special session against corruption in June was also adopted.

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In addition, the states parties agreed on a decision for the United States to host the tenth session of the conference in 2023.

Over 2,000 participants from governments, regional and intergovernmental organizations, civil society, academia, and the private sector from more than 150 countries signed up to take part in person and virtually in the week-long session in Sharm El-Sheikh.

More than 70 side events were organized on the margins of the session, featuring panels on issues of corruption and gender, healthcare, COVID-19, sports, education, and youth

Source: xinhua

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Upon arriving to participate in the summit of the European Political Community, which includes around forty heads of state in Budapest, he said, "I look forward to sitting with the elected U.S. president and seeing how we will collectively ensure we meet challenges, including the threats from Russia and North Korea." He also noted that the strengthening of ties between Russia and North Korea poses a threat to the United States as well, according to reports from Agence France-Presse.

Before Trump's victory, Rutte expressed confidence that a united Washington would remain part of the defensive alliance, even if Trump became the 47th president of the United States. In an interview with German public broadcaster ZDF last Monday night, he stated that both Republicans and Democrats understand that NATO serves not only the security of Europe but also that of America. He added that both candidates are aware that the security of the United States is closely tied to NATO.

On Wednesday, NATO congratulated Trump on his victory but did not address the Ukrainian issue.

It is noteworthy that the relationship between the elected U.S. president and the defense alliance was not the best during his first term in the White House. Trump criticized NATO member states multiple times and even hinted at withdrawing from the alliance unless they increased their financial contributions.

Additionally, the issue of the Russian-Ukrainian war is one of the matters that complicate relations between the two sides, especially since Trump has repeatedly stated that he can end this ongoing conflict, which began in 2022, quickly. He implied that he had a peace plan between Kyiv and Moscow, while his vice president, JD Vance, revealed aspects of that plan, which stipulated Ukraine's commitment not to join NATO, thereby sending reassuring signals to the Russians.

Furthermore, many NATO member states in Europe fear that Trump might halt military aid to Ukraine after he previously criticized the U.S. for pouring funds into supporting Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.