Morocco has deeply invested in efforts which led to the inclusion of the fight against corruption—an ever-present issue on the agenda of the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC)–during the Tenth Conference of States Parties to the United Nations Convention against Corruption, held in Atlanta, Georgia (U.S.) from Dec. 11-15.
The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) and the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights–in cooperation with the Swiss Federation and the Global Coalition Against Corruption–organized a parallel high-level event on the theme “Human Rights and the Fight Against Corruption: What Consensus?”
The UNODC invited Ambassador of Morocco’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations Office and international organizations in Vienna, Ezzedine Farhan, as a major role player.
Farhan emphasized Morocco’s pivotal contribution to the fight against corruption which is on the agenda of the Human Rights Council, as well as the harmonization and integration of the Geneva, Vienna, and New York branches of the UN.
He reviewed the various stages leading to the inclusion of anti-corruption measures in the United Nations human rights agenda and the Kingdom’s active role in this series.
The first nucleus of the series had been launched from Marrakech in October, 2011, during the work of the Fourth Conference of States Parties to the United Nations Convention against Corruption, which had culminated in the launch of preliminary thinking aimed at mainstreaming anti-corruption measures on the human rights agenda.
The Moroccan diplomat explained that–during the 20th session of the HRC in June–2012, the Kingdom had submitted on behalf of 134 countries “…the historic joint statement on the negative effects of corruption on the enjoyment of human rights, recalling further the successive resolutions drafted by Morocco, adopted by consensus in 2013, 2015, 2017, 2019, 2021 and 2023, entitled “Negative Effects of Corruption on the Enjoyment of Human Rights.””
He also mentioned the preliminary resolution adopted in 2013, which came after the submission of a detailed research report on the negative effects of corruption on human rights, which was published by the HRC Advisory Committee at the request of Morocco and the States supporting that resolution.
The Ambassador stated that the Vienna negotiations and in-depth consultations resulted in the adoption–by various national governments and their leaders–of the Political Declaration entitled “Our Common Commitment to Work Effectively to Address the Challenges and Implement Measures to Prevent and Combat Corruption and Promote International Cooperation,” which was adopted by the UNGA at its special session on combating corruption.
The 4,000 delegates from 190 countries will attend the Tenth Conference of States Parties to the United Nations Convention Against Corruption.