December 9 is the day the world celebrates its fight against corruption. UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) leads these celebrations. UNODC’s global efforts to fight corruption are invaluable, but we doubt such activities are enough to eradicate corruption. We understand the limitations of what UNODC can do. “Corruption begets more corruption, and fosters a corrosive culture of impunity. The United Nations Convention against Corruption is among our primary tools for advancing the fight. Sustainable Development Goal 16 and its targets also offer a template for action.” — UN Secretary-General, António Guterres. What confuses us is the poor international efforts in showing real deterrence measures against corrupt countries and their culprits.

The United Nations Convention Against Corruption is a global consensus on the fight against the cancer of nations. It is the only legal document that forms the proper basis to assess and evaluate nations commitment to fight this evil and its traders. We believe the international community, especially the G20, has legal and ethical duties to intensify its energies and start exposing corruption. The G20 should take the global fight against corruption to higher deterrent levels as corruption damages find its way to their home countries. Money laundering, fake drugs, and financing terrorism are on the rise in many developed countries. It is even worse and more brutal in developing countries.

Corruption is an industry. It has local, regional, and international markets. Corruption evolves and develops its tools on a continuous basis. It is an industry that flourishes all over the world. These are indisputable facts. We want to add one more reality: corruption in developing countries is sometimes supported, directly or indirectly, by many developed countries. The United Nations needs to lead an international organized agenda to criminalize, expose, and isolate corruption. We urge the UN Secretary-General, António Guterres to unleash a genuine agenda to exert more pressure on corrupt countries, regimes, and politicians.

The poor of developing countries are those who pay the price of corruption of both developed and developing countries. We are not pessimists. While many countries shall celebrate its right fight against corruption, corruption celebrates its victories in many other countries as well. We celebrate the International Anti-Corruption Day 9 December by maintaining our mission in empowering the tone at the top and lead the prevention of corruption momentum worldwide. Happy International Anti-Corruption Day 9 December.