In his speech in the opening of the Ninth Session of Conference of the States Parties to the United Nations Convention

against Corruption held in Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt, the UN Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres, stressed that addressing

corruption is essential to protect human rights and promote democratic accountability. “It is an important step

towards inclusive, sustainable development,” emphasized United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres in his

opening remarks delivered in a video message to the conference. He also pointed out that the spread of corruption undermines

people’s trust in the leadership and the institutions, deepens inequality, fuels taunting and alienation, and reinforces

the obstacles faced by women and girls. “Putting greed before need is detrimental to all of us. As countries invest in recovering

 from the COVID-19 pandemic, we must be cautious against diverting vital resources by criminal opportunists”, he says.

The Convention is the only comprehensive international legal instrument against corruption which threatens States’ security

and hampers sustainable development efforts around the world. “This Conference is our chance to come together to

strengthen cooperation and accelerate global action against corruption. Let us revive hope and restore trust in institutions.

Now is the time to act for a safer, more prosperous and just future,” he added.