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The disruption caused by the COVID-19 pandemic has amplified the “already devastating” effects of corruption, the President of the UN Human Rights Council (HRC), Ambassador Omar Zniber, said in Geneva on Monday.
The diplomat, who chaired an expert seminar on the promotion and protection of economic, social, and cultural rights in anti-corruption efforts in the context of recovery from the coronavirus disease pandemic, stressed that this global health crisis highlighted the vulnerabilities of our societies, particularly in the most marginalized communities, where corruption exacerbates poverty, inequality, and the denial of basic services.
“Corruption is undoubtedly one of the most important challenges that continue to drag our societies down,” he said, adding that, in addition to its even more disastrous impact on women, young people, and all vulnerable people, this scourge aggravates inequality and reduces private investment, undermining markets, employment opportunities, and economies.
For the President of the HRC, this seminar “reminds us that the impact of corruption is not just a matter of politics or economic management but is indeed, at heart, a human rights issue.”
In light of these realities, the HRC remains actively engaged in advancing understanding of the links between corruption and human rights, he reiterated, noting that the protection of civil and political rights, as well as economic, social, and cultural rights, requires States to engage in the prevention of corruption and the adoption of effective anti-corruption frameworks.
Fighting corruption requires more than legal frameworks: it requires political will and, above all, the commitment of all segments of society, he insisted, adding that protecting the rights of civil society, whistleblowers, anti-corruption activists, journalists, and legal professionals is equally crucial to providing them with a safe and favorable working environment.
Mr. Zniber, who is also Morocco’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations Office at Geneva, reaffirmed that “the equal promotion of all human, civil, political, economic, social, and cultural rights has been one of his main priorities throughout Morocco’s presidency” of the HRC.
He recalled that he repeatedly stressed the importance of addressing the interconnection of climate change, food security, health, and human rights, as well as the implications of new technologies and the digital divide on the enjoyment of fundamental human rights.
These issues are closely linked to today’s theme of corruption, which underlines the cross-cutting nature of these challenges, he concluded, calling for collaboration with international financial institutions to combat it.
Source: map
