The United Nations has convened an Extraordinary General Assembly against Corruption —at the initiative of Peru and Colombia— with the aim of taking concrete action to prevent and combat this scourge worldwide, as well as to strengthen cooperation in this regard.
The meeting will be held in the first half of 2021 in New York, in the presence of heads of state and government of
UN member states, but its preparatory phase will kick off in the following weeks.
This initiative was passed last Tuesday with the unanimous support of UN member states and was cosponsored by countries in the region such as Belize, Chile, El Salvador, Mexico, and Uruguay.
According to
Peru's Foreign Affairs Minister Nestor Popolizio, the assembly responds to the Peruvian Government's interest in renewing —at the highest level— a political commitment against corruption worldwide, as well as exploring new and more effective ways to combat it.
The Peruvian diplomat reaffirmed "the Assembly against Corruption tackles problems and threats to the stability and security of societies posed by this scourge, which undermine institutions and values of democracy, ethics, and justice, as well as jeopardize sustainable development and the rule of law."
The resolution passing the aforementioned meeting refers to the
2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, which recognizes the need to provide equal access to justice, as well as to build effective, responsible, and inclusive societies at all levels.
According to
Article 20 of the UN Charter, General Assembly extraordinary sessions shall be convoked at the request of the Security Council or a majority of the Members of the United Nations.
A total of 31 General Assembly special sessions have been convened so far. The latest took place in April 2016 to address the
World Drug Problem.
(END) JCC/RMB/MVB
Published: 11/22/2018