On the occasion of the International Anti-Corruption Day on December 9, Belgium joins the campaign of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC): “Recover With Integrity”.
The fight against corruption and impunity as well as the promotion of the rule of law are cornerstones of Belgian foreign policy. Corruption facilitates the most odious forms of organized crime: exploitation of women and children, illicit trade in falsified medical products, environmental crime, terrorism, drug trafficking, arms trafficking, etc.
The COVID-19 pandemic exacerbates the risks of corruption around the world, particularly in the health sector. This year’s global campaign focuses more specifically on mitigating corruption and strengthening accountability in the public health sector, emergency and economic responses to the pandemic.
During the Conference of States Parties to the United Nations Convention against Corruption and the Conference of States Parties to the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime, Belgium worked to raise awareness of the international community by proposing a resolution on the fight against crime related to falsified medical products. This resolution was adopted unanimously.
Belgium has contributed financially to two UNODC programs in the fight against “green corruption” in order to combat the deliberate destruction of ecological systems. It also brought a resolution on the link between corruption and environmental crime to the Conference of States Parties to the United Nations Convention against Corruption and to the Conference of States to the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime.
The fight against corruption is also a cross-cutting theme of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG’s) of the United Nations. It is united against corruption that we will be able to “Recover with Integrity” by ensuring that “no one is left behind”.
Sophie Wilmès, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, European Affairs and Foreign Trade, today sent a message to all diplomatic and consular posts so that in their work relations with Belgian companies in their jurisdiction, they raise awareness on this prevention and on their obligations in terms of due diligence.
