UN: corruption violates human rights

The UN Human Rights Council adopted a resolution directly linking corruption to human rights violations. This is an important political signal: the international community officially recognizes that corruption is not only an economic problem, but also a serious obstacle to the enjoyment of basic rights.

Transparency International Russia's legal team, together with other members of the Coalition in Support of the UN Convention against Corruption, pushed for the adoption of this resolution and supported the inclusion of key provisions.

The document emphasizes that corruption has a particularly severe impact on the lives of the poor, vulnerable and marginalized groups, limits access to education, health care and justice, and undermines trust in government institutions. And without protecting rights such as participation in government or a fair trial, the fight against corruption itself becomes almost impossible.

The resolution includes points that we have consistently advocated:

• Preparation of a large-scale study on the topic of human rights and corruption, with recommendations for states;
• Calling on UN human rights mechanisms to consider the impact of corruption within their mandates;
• Supporting the free and safe work of civil society, journalists and human rights defenders;
• Emphasis on the importance of cooperation between anti-corruption and human rights structures.

The adoption of the resolution is a step in the right direction. Yes, as long as it does not impose obligations on states and does not create accountability mechanisms. But now UN special rapporteurs are required to take a closer look at complaints related to rights violations in the context of corruption. And this already provides new opportunities for pressure and protection.

We will do better. New steps are ahead, including the idea of ​​establishing a special rapporteur on corruption and human rights. The international agenda should not ignore this topic - and we will do everything to ensure that it remains in the spotlight.