International Anti-Corruption Day 2016 is being celebrated across the world on Friday (today).
The International Anti-Corruption Day is being observed since the passage of the United Nations Convention Against corruption on 31 October 2003.
No country on Earth is immune to corruption. The economic and social development of any society can be affected by it.
A joint campaign has been launched by United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) which will focus on the effects of corruption on education, health, justice, democracy, prosperity and development.
Transparency International, in its report on Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) 2015, stated that Pakistan’s rank improved by three with CPI score increased by one point to 30.
Chairman of Pakistan’s National Accountability Bureau (NAB) Qamar Zaman Chaudhry said that corruption rate has gradually decreased in the country. He added that corruption weakens the society which affects the development of the country.
According to United Nations, every year $1 trillion is paid in bribes while an estimated $2.6 trillion are stolen annually through corruption – a sum equivalent to more than 5 per cent of the global Gross Domestic Product (GDP).
UN stated, “In developing countries, according to the United Nations Development Programme, funds lost to corruption are estimated at 10 times the amount of official development assistance.”
The statement by UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon read, “On International Anti-corruption Day, let us reaffirm our commitment to ending the deceit and dishonesty that threaten the 2030 Agenda and our efforts to achieve peace and prosperity for all on a healthy planet.”
The report mentioned that Denmark took the top spot for the second year running, with North Korea and Somalia the worst performers, scoring just 8 points each.
