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2024.12.09
Seoul
International Anti-Corruption Day
Jaqueline Perez Gamboa
Corruption affects every corner of the world, undermining trust, deepening inequality, and delaying progress. On December 9th, the International Anti-Corruption Day serves as a reminder of the urgent need to address this pervasive issue. Established by the United Nations in 2003, this day calls on individuals, governments, and organizations to get together in the fight for transparency, accountability, and justice.
This global observance should be more than a date in the international calendar – it must be a call to action against a problem that, according to the UN, costs the global economy billions of dollars each year and impacts a lot of people’s lives.
Corruption is not just an abstract concept; it is the abuse of power for personal gain. The World Economic Forum affirms that it is a complex problem that affect politics, society and economy, therefore corruption is denominated by the UN as a plague, which impacts democracy, weakening the state and retarding economic development.
The cost of corruption goes far beyond financial loss; it is a direct attack on the social and economic factors. According to the United Nations Development Program (UNDP), corruption diverts around 5% of the global GDP. In 2009 General Secretariat of the UN, Ban Ki-Moon, said that losses from corruption represents losses for society as it generates an inadequate healthcare, a lack in education infrastructure, along with other development efforts. As a result, citizen lose faith in their governments, creating cycles of distrust and weakening the democratic systems.
In 2024, the theme for the International Anti-Corruption Day is “Uniting with Youth Against Corruption: Shaping Tomorrow's Integrity”. This highlights the power of individuals especially the young population in the fight against this global issue. While governments and international organizations play a critical role in establishing policies and frameworks to combat corruption, lasting change depends on the active participation of civil society, the private sector, and individuals. This campaign aims for the citizens to feel empowered and demand transparency and accountability from their political and financial leaders.
Fighting corruption is not the responsibility of a single institution, sector or country; it is a shared responsibility and challenge that requires coordinates actions at all levels. Governments must commit to implementing robust anti-corruption laws and policies, while the private sector adopt ethical business practices rejecting any kind of bribery. Alongside with the civil organizations and journalists’ watch and exposition of corruption practices and the advocacy for a law reform to punish corruption acts. The campaign of this year reminds the international community that every action counts: from the demand of transparency to the apparently simple act of rejecting to be part of a corruption act.
The fight against corruption is not just a battle against unethical practices; it is also a fight for development and the future of the nations, creating a world where resources are used for the benefit of the people and not for the personal gain of those in power positions.
Written by Jaqueline Perez Gamboa for Yonsei GSIS Human Rights Hub
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