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23:10 GMT
DOHA, Dec 19 (KUNA) -- The Eleventh Session of the Conference of the States Parties (COSP11) to the United Nations Convention against Corruption (UNCAC) concluded in Doha on Friday with call to maximize the potential of AI systems to address corruption and economic crime.
The world's largest anti-corruption gathering adopted the "Doha Declaration 2025: strengthening international cooperation and technical assistance and seizing the opportunities provided by artificial intelligence systems in preventing and combating corruption."
It sends a clear message that shaping tomorrow's integrity requires harnessing technology responsibly and strengthening international cooperation, according to a press release from the UN Information Service Vienna.
As corruption and financial crimes become increasingly sophisticated, law enforcement and justice systems need to keep pace with these evolving threats.
The 'Doha Declaration 2025' calls on States to leverage digital technologies, including AI, to strengthen international law enforcement cooperation in cross-border corruption and to improve accuracy, efficiency and objectivity of national efforts to measure corruption risks.
It encourages the use of technologies developed by expert networks, including through the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) Global Operational Network of Anti-Corruption Law Enforcement Authorities (GlobE Network), to enable the secure and rapid exchange of information.
Timely information sharing is critical in corruption cases, where delays can undermine investigations and jeopardize outcomes.
The Acting Executive Director of UNODC, John Brandolino, said: "The new Doha Declaration, focusing on artificial intelligence, is an important recognition of this technology's impact, and a meaningful step on the way to fully realizing its potential in preventing and combating corruption."
The Conference was addressed by the UNODC YouthLED Integrity Advisory Board, calling for meaningful inclusion of young people in anti-corruption frameworks and strong follow-up action to the commitments made at the Conference.
Ayotunde Aboderin (Nigeria), Esma Gumberidze (Georgia) and Rachida El Rhdioui (Morocco), told the Conference: "Let us grow as the leaders of tomorrow by creating opportunities for us to lead today. Invite our voices with the intention of actually letting our insights influence decisions. Bring us into the room so our ideas can meaningfully shape the outcome."
Eleven resolutions have been adopted by the Conference on a wide range of topics, underscoring the complexity of challenges facing the world today.
The resolutions focus on enhancing transparency in the funding of political parties, candidates for elected public offices and electoral campaigns, strengthening the integrity of children and young people through education, the role corruption plays in facilitating other crimes, such as smuggling of migrants and crimes that affect the environment, and the future of the United Nations Convention against Corruption peer-review mechanism, among others.
The adoption of a resolution on the next phase of the review mechanism underscores that the effective implementation of the Convention requires review processes that are efficient, effective and fit for purpose, while also building on experience and results generated by the Implementation Review Mechanism to date.
Twenty-one companies joined the newly launched Conference of the States Parties to the United Nations Convention against Corruption (COSP) Private Sector Platform, co-led by UNODC and the UN Global Compact.
This new collaboration mechanism allows companies to contribute to the implementation of the Convention and strengthen private-public partnerships.
Parties to the Convention adopted a decision to hold the COSP12 in Uzbekistan.
About the United Nations Convention against Corruption and the Conference of the States Parties
The UN Convention against Corruption is the only global, legally binding instrument against this crime. It came into force in December 2005 and is near-universal with 192 Parties. Under the Convention, Parties are legally obliged to prevent and criminalize corruption; to promote international cooperation; to recover and return stolen assets; and to improve technical assistance and information exchange in both the private and public sectors.
Through the Convention's Implementation Review Mechanism (IRM), Parties have agreed to participate in a process which assesses how they are living up to their obligations under the Convention.
Since 2010, the IRM has helped 146 countries to update or introduce new anti-corruption laws and policies.
UNODC enables countries to turn global anti-corruption commitments into tangible reforms that safeguard public resources while fostering transparency, integrity and prosperity.
Through its presence in the field, UNODC supports countries in building accountable institutions and reducing opportunities for corruption to take hold.
The Conference of the States Parties (COSP) is the main decision-making body of the UN Convention against Corruption. It convenes every two years and supports Parties to implement the Convention and adopt policy decisions that shape global anti-corruption efforts.
Chairman of Kuwait Anti-Corruption Authority (Nazaha) Abdulaziz Al-Ibrahim led the country's delegation to the gathering. (end)
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