LUIS MIGUEL ROMERO VILLAFRANCA
Given the serious problem that corruption represents today and its widespread nature, on October 31, 2003, the United Nations General Assembly in Resolution 58/4 decided that, "in order to increase awareness regarding corruption, as well as the role that the Convention can play to combat and prevent it, it is proclaimed on December 9, International Anti-Corruption Day.
As its Secretary General Antonio Guterres highlighted: «Corruption breeds more corruption and fosters a destructive culture of impunity. The United Nations Convention against Corruption is one of the main instruments we have to advance this fight. Sustainable Development Goal 16 and its targets also offer guidelines for action».
The problem of corruption in the world is of such magnitude that, according to the United Nations Development Programme, It is estimated that each year one trillion dollars is paid in bribes and 2.6 trillion dollars are stolen annually through corruption, a sum that is equivalent to more than 5% of the world's gross domestic product; and that in developing countries, an amount of money ten times greater than that dedicated to official development assistance is lost due to corruption.
It is, without a doubt, a widespread problem that affects all areas of society, and, unfortunately, all societies, and therefore its prevention allows us to advance towards the Sustainable Development Goals, help protect our planet and create jobs, promote gender equality and guarantee greater access to essential services such as health and education.
It cannot be thought that corruption is a problem that only affects underdeveloped countries. Spain, unfortunately, does not remain immune to this true cancer of democracy and human rights, which the greed for money or the lust for power leads to corruption. Our media has been giving us news for years about the countless judicial processes, in which the courts are judging very serious cases of corruption that affect people and organizations of one kind or another. Corruption and its serious consequences continue to affect our society, which forces us all to raise awareness in the fight against it.
Because the efforts in the fight against corruption benefit the entire society, but misconduct and irregularities are stealing valuable resources to respond and recover from the current economic crises that said society is suffering.
The proclamation of December 9 as International Anti-Corruption Day, seeks to highlight the rights and responsibilities of everyone - including States, the political class, public officials, law enforcement officers, representatives of the media, the private sector and civil society - in the fight against corruption -.
Not only countries must unite and face this global problem with shared responsibility. Everyone – young and old – has a role to play in preventing and combating corruption to foster resilience and integrity at all levels of society.
At Fundación por la Justicia we consider the fight against corruption to be an essential objective.. In 2015 we led, together with 55 other civil society entities, a State Pact against Corruption and for Civic Regeneration, which contained 150 proposals and was signed by all political parties, and was presented in the Auditorium of our University. With all publicity and maximum pomp, they committed to eradicating any practice that could encourage or facilitate any case of corruption to occur. Seven years later, it is still so valid and urgently revised.
In addition, We develop an Open Government Project for local entities, which facilitates transparency in its management and eradicates the possibility of bad practices.
The commemoration of the International Day against Corruption every December 9 is a wake-up call to our consciences, so that we can all analyze what each of us can do to help raise awareness against the corruption that so attacks our society and affects human rights.
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