The 11th Conference of the State Parties to the United Nations Convention Against Corruption, the world’s largest anti-corruption conference, began Monday with His Excellency the Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim al-Thani attending the opening session at Sheraton Doha.At the opening ceremony, His Excellency Hamad bin Nasser al-Misnad, President of the Administrative Control and Transparency Authority, assumed the chairmanship of the 11th session of the Conference of the States Parties to the United Nations Convention against Corruption as the conference called to make use of the emerging technologies in the fight against corruption and address its links with organised crime and other financial crimes.Addressing the opening session of the conference, al-Misnad said that the conference is a core platform for engagement and sharing expertise, as well as galvanising anti-corruption efforts on the global stage.He noted that the previous sessions of the conference have literally contributed to concrete achievements that deepened the culture of transparency and helped share best practices.“Combating corruption can't yield merits unless there is high political commitment in place, along with effective international cooperation and the concerted efforts of a variety of sectors,” he stated.He underlined the importance of adhering to the principles enshrined in the UN Charter, such as respect for state sovereignty, equality of rights, and non-meddling in internal affairs.“Preventing and ultimately eradicating corruption is a duty we share. We owe it to the people we serve,” said president of the United Nations General Assembly, Annalena Baerbock in her video message at the opening session of the conference.At the opening session, the United Nations secretary-general, António Guterres in a video message, noted: “Corruption is not a victimless crime. It fuels conflicts, entrenches inequalities, and drains the resources needed to protect people and planet. Every dollar lost to economic crime is a dollar stolen from those striving for a better future.”“Emerging technologies like artificial intelligence have the potential to accelerate corruption, but also to help us detect and prevent it. But this requires regulation and accountability,” the secretary-general said.The acting executive director of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), John Brandolino, noted that corruption provides the illicit infrastructure for criminal groups to operate and profit with impunity around the globe.“There is a need for an integrated and coordinated approach, one where agencies work across sectors and borders, with all relevant partners, to bring down networks of crime and collusion in tandem,” he said, calling on the States Parties to make the most of UNODC’s initiatives and tools on anti-corruption, and to use the session “to reassert the universal vision of the Convention for a new age”.Also addressing the opening session was the outgoing president of the tenth session, Christine Cline from the United States. Held under the theme “Shaping Tomorrow’s Integrity”, the week-long meeting brings together more than 2,500 participants from 170 States Parties to the Convention.Resolutions considered by the Parties to the Convention focus on addressing the role of AI in preventing and combating corruption, strengthening the integrity of children and young people, enhancing transparency in the financing of political parties and election campaigns, and exploring the role corruption plays in facilitating other crimes, such as smuggling of migrants and crimes that affect the environment, among others.
