Doha: Qatar inaugurated the 11th session of the Conference of the States Parties (COSP11) to the United Nations Convention against Corruption, marking the participation of Kuwait among other nations. The conference, which spans five days under the theme "Shaping Tomorrow's Integrity," aims to address emerging threats in the fight against corruption and enhance international collaboration to tackle complex criminal activities. The newly elected president of the session, Hamad Al-Misnad, emphasized the conference's role in renewing the collective commitment to combating corruption, promoting integrity and transparency, and expanding international cooperation in this crucial arena.
According to Kuwait News Agency, Al-Misnad highlighted that previous sessions have resulted in significant outcomes, such as recommendations regarding prevention, the criminalization of corruption-related acts, asset recovery, and mutual legal assistance. He noted that the global fight against corruption is increasingly challenged by technological advances, digital spaces, and cross-border financial tools, necessitating updated priorities, modernized mechanisms, and reinforced institutional capacities.
UN General Assembly President Annalena Baerbock expressed gratitude to Qatar for hosting the conference, underlining that preventing and eliminating corruption is a shared responsibility of governments and people, and emphasized the importance of leveraging modern technologies to dismantle transnational corruption networks.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres remarked that corruption fuels conflict, deepens inequality, and depletes resources essential for protecting people and the planet. He warned that while emerging technologies such as Artificial Intelligence (AI) could accelerate corruption, they could also expose and prevent it if properly regulated.
Acting Executive Director at the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), John Brandolino, acknowledged Qatar's longstanding partnership and noted that corruption provides the illicit infrastructure that allows criminal groups to operate with impunity. He advocated for an integrated, coordinated approach across sectors and borders and urged states to utilize UNODC tools and initiatives during the conference to affirm a global vision for a new era of implementing the convention.
Kuwait is represented at the 11th session by a delegation from the Anti-Corruption Authority (Nazaha), led by its Chairman Abdulaziz Al-Ibrahim. The conference serves as the largest international gathering dedicated to combating corruption, bringing together all 192 states parties to the convention and more than 2,500 participants from governments, and international and regional organizations.