UN warns against criminal abuse of COVID-19 recovery resources; 'Greed over need harms us'

The United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres issued a statement on Monday cautioning against criminal exploitation of COVID-19 recovery resources. During a video speech to the Conference of States Parties to the UN Convention Against Corruption (CoSP9) in Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt, the UN chief highlighted that corruption permeates across society and diminishes people's faith in leaders and institutions, further emphasising that "greed over need, harms us all," as per a UN report. 

In the anti-corruption conference, Guterres urged that nations engaging in COVID-19 recovery must guard against the diversion of vital resources by criminal opportunists. He went on to say that corruption increases inequalities, fosters cynicism, and reinforces barriers faced by women and girls. He said that fighting against all of these is a vital step toward inclusive, sustainable development. 

The UN chief has even highlighted that the conference is a chance to improve collaboration and speed up global anti-corruption efforts. Guterres even stated, "Now is the time to act for a safer, more prosperous and just future”, as per the UN website.  

'Raise one voice in rejecting corruption': Chief of UNODC

Furthermore, at the conference, the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC)'s chief Ghada Waly claimed, "We are here, at this crucial moment, to raise one voice in rejecting corruption."

She added that corruption jeopardises progress, security, and everyone's rights and further costs the globe trillions of dollars every year. As per the UN report, Africa simply loses over $88 billion in capital flight each year.

In addition to this, the influence of corruption on society has also been highlighted by the COVID-19 pandemic, which has exacerbated vulnerabilities and posed a danger to responses. Further, corruption aids criminals, traffickers, as well as terrorist organizations by enabling illicit proceeds to seek safe zones, diverting funding to terrorists, and creating trafficking pathways. 

The UNODC chief emphasised that fighting corruption comes from the top and cascades down to institutions, organisations, communities, as well as individuals, noting that every one has a role to play. 

He said that there is a necessity for uncompromising political determination from leaders and governments at the top to organise the required resources. Meanwhile, urging the participants of the conference to engage with the World Bank and UNODC Stolen Asset Recovery (StAR) strategy, Waly said, "By joining the recently-launched GlobE network, which already includes 80 authorities from 48 countries, Member States can benefit from a global platform for swift law enforcement cooperation," as per a UN website.  

(Image: AP)