Acting Executive Director of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), John Brandolino: Remarks at the Opening of the Eleventh Session of the Conference of States[...]

For information only - not an official document

UNIS/CP/1195
15 December 2025

Acting Executive Director of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), John Brandolino:

15 December 2025, Doha Qatar

Mister Chair,

Distinguished ministers and heads of delegation,

Excellencies,

Ladies and Gentlemen,

It is my honour to address you at this opening of the 11^th Conference of States Parties to the United Nations Convention against Corruption in Doha.

At the outset, I would like to congratulate you, Mister President, for assuming the leadership of this session.

I would also like to express UNODC's heartfelt gratitude to our host country, the State of Qatar, for our longstanding partnership and for the unwavering commitment to ensuring a fruitful session of the CoSP.

Excellencies,

More than a decade ago, anti-corruption leaders and experts from around the world gathered in Doha for the 3^rd session of the CoSP.

They vowed to work together more closely to prevent and counter corruption, and to better implement the still relatively new UN Convention against Corruption.

To back their intent with action, they adopted the terms of reference for the UNCAC Implementation Review Mechanism, setting the stage for future efforts to analyze, understand, and improve how the Convention is used and applied by States Parties.

In the years since then, the UNCAC has come forward by leaps and bounds.

It now counts 192 States Parties around the world.

And aided by the review mechanism and supported by the expertise of the UN Office on Drugs and Crime, countries have drastically improved both capacities and cooperation.

They conducted more than 330 country visits under the mechanism.

They found and addressed important gaps in capabilities and legislation, identifying over 4,800 technical assistance needs.

They established powerful new platforms to work together across borders.

And they undertook important commitments to uphold integrity and end impunity in every place and in every context.

Sixteen years later, as we come together in Doha once again, we meet against the backdrop of a changing world, and consequently a changing landscape of corruption challenges.

The UNCAC community can and must use Doha as a rallying point once again, to confront the pressing needs and threats we face, and to ensure that integrity, transparency, and accountability serve as guardrails for humankind's aspirations.

Coming into this eleventh session of the CoSP, the overarching focus is on Shaping Tomorrow's Integrity.

First and foremost, shaping tomorrow's integrity is about recognizing and responding to the new realities of corruption and economic crime.

The swift advance of technology presents corrupt actors with new tools to hide assets, forge documents, and hop between jurisdictions.

But technology is also proving to be a transformative force against corruption.

The draft outcome document for this session of the CoSP recognizes how artificial intelligence is enabling investigators.

Governments need to work on reaping the rewards of groundbreaking solutions for anti-corruption; ensuring that the use of new tech respects human rights; and closing the gaps in capacities and regulations that allow criminals to misuse digital tools.

As the toolbox of corruption and anti-corruption broadens, so too does its destructive relationship with organized crime.

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.

The GlobE network, supported by UNODC, is an excellent example of the kind of simple and swift cooperation that has become essential.

Bringing together over 240 anti-corruption authorities from more than 130 Member States, GlobE facilitates secure, quick, and direct communication between authorities worldwide. And we renew our call to all States Parties to join and support the network.

Cooperation with the private sector will be equally crucial, to unlock the potential of digital technologies. The CoSP's Private Sector Forum is an excellent space to foster such cooperation.

And those who show the courage to bring corruption to light must be protected, particularly whistleblowers and investigative journalists, who should be recognized as vital allies in the fight against corruption.

Mister President,

Shaping tomorrow's integrity is about safeguarding people from being exploited by crime and corruption. And it is also about safeguarding our shared aspirations for the future.

To defend our investments in tomorrow and preserve public trust, governments need strong safeguards and transparency measures to prevent and disrupt illicit financial flows.

And that involves working closely with the lawyers, accountants, real estate agents, and other service providers who can act as either enablers of illicit flows or guardians against them.

The Sevilla Initiative for Accountable Service Providers, led by UNODC in collaboration with other partners, is a powerful platform to this end, bringing together governments, regulators, and professional associations to strengthen accountability and eliminate regulation gaps.

In parallel, stolen wealth must be returned to its rightful owners.

UNODC's joint StAR initiative with the World Bank is helping countries work together directly on asset recovery cases, and has produced the world's most comprehensive database on the subject.

It is time for States Parties to make the most of these tools, in line with the UNCAC, to power the pursuit of sustainable development at a time of dwindling resources and growing challenges.

And it is time to ensure that youth have a seat at the table. After all, we can only shape the integrity of tomorrow if we can inspire - and listen to - the young people who will inherit that tomorrow.

Ladies and gentlemen,

In these times of change, the UNCAC community must be ready to adapt, guided by the timeless principles of integrity, transparency, and accountability.

I hope that this session of the CoSP will serve as a moment to reassert the universal vision of the UNCAC for a new age, through broader partnerships and bolder thinking.

Thank you.

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