Chair and distinguished delegates,
I would like to begin by thanking Qatar for hosting the 11th Conference of States Parties of the United Nations Convention Against Corruption, and the United States for their leadership as outgoing President.
For over 2 decades, the United Nations Convention against Corruption has been the foundation of our collective response to corruption.
However, corruption remains one of the most corrosive forces in our world.
It undermines growth, threatens national and international security, hinders global development and prosperity.
It fuels conflict and instability overseas, driving organised crime, illegal migration and other threats that reach our shores.
We must do more. And we must do it together.
Since the last COSP, the United Kingdom has not stood still.
Last week, on the 8 December, the UK was proud to publish its new Anti-Corruption Strategy.
This strategy sets out an ambitious agenda for the next 5 years, developed closely with members of civil society, academia and the business sector.
The strategy benefited from the support of Baroness Margaret Hodge, a lifelong advocate for tackling corruption and illicit finance, appointed as the Prime Minister’s Anti-Corruption Champion.
The Anti-Corruption Strategy focuses on action.
We are increasing our use of sanctions against corrupt actors, and strengthening the tools to pursue professional enablers.
We are tightening safeguards against insider threats, improving vetting, data sharing and oversight in critical sectors such as borders, prisons and defence.
We are seizing the opportunities presented by artificial intelligence to speed up investigations and strengthen our ability to expose complex financial crimes.
And we continue to champion business integrity, supporting UK exporters to prevent bribery and corruption through new digital tools and guidance.
Transparency remains at the heart of our approach and we have expanded public registers of beneficial ownership and launched a comprehensive framework for the transparent and accountable return of stolen assets.
Announced in 2024, a new Domestic Corruption Unit, based in the City of London Police, now unites national and local law enforcement in bringing corrupt individuals to justice using enhanced intelligence development capabilities and proactive investigations.
Internationally, our expanded International Corruption Unit in the National Crime Agency continues to deliver results, freezing over £441 million in assets linked to overseas corruption since the last COSP.
Through targeted sanctions and new immigration restrictions, we have made the UK a more hostile environment for kleptocrats and their enablers.
Since the last conference the International Anti-Corruption Coordination Centre has identified more than £994 million in hidden stolen assets and directly supporting over £315 million of asset freezes.
In the new year, the UK looks forward to hosting a Countering Illicit Finance Summit. The summit will convene a diverse coalition of governments and organisations to forge new partnerships and secure concrete commitments to strengthen the implementation and enforcement of global standards on illicit finance.
Chair, distinguished delegates,
The United Kingdom encourages States Parties to approach this week’s discussions with ambition and resolve so that together we can deliver meaningful progress in the fight against corruption.
Thank you.