Remarks of UNODC Executive Director Ghada Waly Global Conference on SDG 16 Session 2.2: Strengthening transparency,

True to the theme of today’s discussion, the heart of SDG 16 is trust: the public’s trust that the rule of law in fact applies to all, equally; that institutions are working to help and protect them; and that these institutions will work for all of them and leave no one behind. [...] At the end of the year, we have the opportunity to consolidate and follow up on these developments, at the ninth session of the Conference of States Parties to the UN Convention against Corruption, the UNCAC, which will be held in Egypt in December. [...] Last year, together with two of the co-conveners of this conference, IDLO and the government of Italy, as well as the Mexican Institute for Justice, UNODC conducted a series of webinars to celebrate 20 years of the Palermo Convention. [...] In striving to achieve SDG 16 and assess our efforts, engagement with all members of society, as well as with the private sector and civil society, will be crucial to preserve the integrity, transparency, and accountability of our institutions. [...] With the support of the UN system, governments need to build institutions that work with and for everyone, in order to earn that trust, and get back on track to achieving the SDGs.