UN begins 4-day anti-corruption review in Austria

ISTANBUL

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Monday said corruption “hits the poor, the weak, and the most vulnerable”.

Guterres was speaking in Vienna, Austria at the start of a four-day biannual UN Convention against Corruption meeting of 1,600 participants from a range of states, NGOs and civil society groups.

"[Corruption] can deny people access to health services, schools and economic opportunities. It can deny them hope of a better future," the UN Secretary-General added.

“Corruption cannot be justified in the name of financing campaigns or paying back favors.

“Corruption obliterates people's faith in good governance.

It can enable a small elite in positions of power to prosper while others pay the price, seriously damaging the relationship between the state and its people,” he also said.

Other speakers drew links between corruption and violent extremism, while the UN insisted building and maintaining sustainable development remained the best way to fight against corruption.

The UN Convention against Corruption was adopted in 2003 and is reviewed every two years.