Summit of the Future: Robust anti-corruption measures critical to Pact's success

From September 22 to 23, the United Nations convened world leaders to determine how they will work together to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals and secure a better future for all humanity. The Summit adopted the joint Pact for the Future, in which member states committed to a series of actions. Corruption was not mentioned in the zero draft, but member states corrected this and it was ultimately included – though only as part of commitments under the action focused on financing. This does not sufficiently represent the impact of corruption across the Pact’s purposes. Nonetheless, Transparency International welcomes the inclusion of corruption in the discussion and the Pact, but calls on governments to more deeply integrate anti-corruption efforts.

Maíra Martini, Head of Policy & Advocacy (Interim) at Transparency International, said:

“We see time and again around the world how corruption and illicit financial flows stymie progress. At a time when humanity faces numerous challenges from climate change to violent conflict, world leaders have no time to waste in combating corruption. Transparency International commends the Summit of the Future for emphasising states’ responsibility to tackle our greatest issues. More specifically, we laud its acknowledgement that corruption and illicit financial flows rob essential resources that are needed for this development – but this is not enough.

“The Pact for the Future does not sufficiently address the myriad ways corruption interferes with sustainable development. In particular it pays no heed to the pivotal role of transparency and accountability, nor to how corruption disrupts government’s effectiveness, impairs the equitable provision of services and erodes trust in institutions. Without due attention to these elements, progress is unlikely.

“Member states must take corruption more deeply into account as they begin implementing the Pact’s commitments. Transparency International calls on them to consider the wide variety of corruption risks and take steps to mitigate them. In doing so, they must engage civil society, which with its expertise will play a central role in identifying liabilities and solutions, as well as conducting oversight to hold governments accountable.”

Note to editors

Ahead of the Summit, Transparency International urged leaders to meaningfully consider the role of corruption and the impact of failing to address it. Read more here: https://www.transparency.org/en/blog/corruption-must-take-centre-stage-summit-of-the-future