on Wednesday reiterated Peru's commitment to the fight against corruption at the
The Head of State assured that —according to the International Monetary Fund— fiscal incomes worth billions of dollars are lost annually around the world, which could otherwise have a significant impact on sustainable development.
"These State policies are a priority for Peru, both at the national level and in its foreign policy. For these reasons, we have promoted —along with the sister Republic of Colombia— the convening of this
Special General Assembly Session of the UN," he indicated.
Furthermore, the statesman recalled that the
United Nations Convention against Corruption was adopted 18 years ago, when principles, norms, commitments, and a follow-up mechanism were introduced to strengthen national legal systems.
"Despite multiple international efforts,
corruption continues to expand its dimension; adapting to globalization, growing in secret, taking advantage of the needs of some, as well as feeding on the lack of scruples and values," he added.
In this sense, the Peruvian leader asserted that there have been serious corruption cases in Latin America over recent years, which have involved businesspeople, legal personalities, and public officials.
The President even explained that in times of the COVID-19 pandemic new opportunities for bribery and speculation have emerged, which require constant surveillance.
For this reason, Mr. Sagasti argued that the fight against corruption requires a "renewed, concerted, cooperative, and action-oriented multilateral response."
In this sense, he highlighted one of the country's goals for 2030, which consists of "constantly and considerably reducing corruption and bribery in all its forms."
"We encourage the
States of the Convention to contribute in actions and adopt the necessary measures for the implementation of the commitments that we are acquiring in this political declaration," he stated.
"I call (on States) to work together to identify the gaps and challenges of the
Convention and its implementation, with a view to continually perfecting this instrument and achieving greater efficiency in the application of its measures and achieving its objectives," he concluded.