Corruption is criminal, immoral and the ultimate betrayal of public trust. It is even more damaging in times of crisis – as the world is experiencing now with the COVID-19 pandemic. The response to the virus is creating new opportunities to exploit weak oversight and inadequate transparency, diverting funds away from people in their hour of greatest need.

UN Secretary-General, António Guterres, Statement on corruption in the context of COVID-19

Recover with integrity

Corruption thrives in times of crisis and the ongoing global pandemic is no exception.

States all over the world have taken significant measures to address the health emergency and to avoid a global economic collapse. They hastily mobilized billions in funds to procure medical equipment and provide an economic safety net for citizens and businesses in distress. The urgent responses required, however, led some States to trade compliance, oversight and accountability for achievement of rapid impact, thus creating significant opportunities for corruption.

“RECOVER with INTEGRITY” highlights that only by putting effective corruption mitigation measures in place will a better recovery be possible, while it also emphasizes that inclusive COVID-19 recovery can only be achieved with integrity.

 

Reducing the risks of mismanagement and corruption during the pandemic requires the involvement of strong anti-corruption bodies, better oversight over emergency support packages, more open and transparent public procurement and enhanced anti-corruption compliance by the private sector. In addition, countries also need to ensure support to and protection for whistleblowers and journalists uncovering corruption during the pandemic as well as bring their national anti-corruption frameworks in line with the United Nations Convention Against Corruption (UNCAC).

To RECOVER with INTEGRITY, we need to stand #UnitedAgainstCorruption.