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He said fighting corruption may have a political cost, but the cost of ignoring it is much greater. Executive Director of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) Dr Ghada Waly said that corruption is a betrayal of the public trust and a theft of the resources from the people who need them most. “In the midst of the coronavirus pandemic and the worst economic crisis in a century, we need trust in institutions and accountability in public spending more than ever,” Dr Ghada added. “We need role models who help enhance integrity and transparency,” she stressed, expressing the gratitude of the UNODC to Qatar for establishing the Anti-Corruption Excellence Award. UN Assistant Secretary-General for Rule of Law and Security Institutions Alexandre Zouev praised HH the Amir, the Qatari government and the Rule of Law and Anti-Corruption Center in Doha. He said corruption is draining resources from government budgets, frustrating the results of judicial procedures and feeding criminal and extremist networks. He said corruption is present in all countries and is not limited to fragile states, however, the effect it creates may be more destructive in resource-hungry countries that are still working to develop their good governance system. He underlined that corruption constitute an obstacle to lasting peace in conflict-hit societies, therefore combating it becomes more important during the current emergency condition due to the coronavirus pandemic, given the competition among community members to obtain personal protective equipment and access to health care and vaccinations. Meanwhile, UN Special Advocate on the Prevention of Corruption and Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Rule of Law and Anti-Corruption Center HE Dr Ali bin Fetais Al Marri said that choosing a country to organise the honouring ceremony of the Award is not random, rather studied in all respects. He said Tunisia was chosen due to its history in fighting corruption, stressing that Tunisia is capable at the present time, just as it was, to push the Arab world towards more transparency and fighting corruption. President of the National Anti-Corruption Authority (INLUCC) of Tunisia Judge Imed Boukhris noted that Tunisia, which ratified the United Nations Convention against Corruption, sees this day as a confirmation of its determination to tackle corruption with all available means. He said corruption is an epidemic that causes social diseases, impedes development, threatens political stability and social peace, and cultivates feelings of inequality among citizens. Therefore, all people and organisations have an important role in fighting corruption in order to safeguard the national sovereignty. The monument of the 5th edition of Sheikh Tamim Bin Hamad Al Thani Anti-Corruption Excellence Award was unveiled during the ceremony. The monument, which appears in the form of a steel hand and exceeds 12 metres in height, symbolises all countries of the world joining together to fight corruption. It is a group of multiple engineering formations that represent all countries joining together in one hand capable of preventing corruption, while the voids represent transparency in the work. The award ceremony marked the culmination of its fifth year of excellence and international presence. This award is based on Qatar’s belief in the necessity of serious work to combat the scourge of corruption in the world due to its grave danger to the future and progress of nations, the well-being of peoples and the provision of a decent life for them.
