The Department of State is committed to countering corruption and promoting integrity as a foreign policy priority and core national security interest. On the eve of International Anti-Corruption Day, December 9, the United States is proud to honor the individuals and institutions championing transparency, accountability, integrity, and good governance worldwide.
On the 20th anniversary of United Nations Convention Against Corruption (UNCAC's) adoption, the United States is committed to leading efforts to implement the convention to its fullest potential. We ratified UNCAC in 2006 and have since applied it as a mechanism for international cooperation, worked to incorporate its provisions in our domestic laws and practices, and assisted other countries to build the capacity to do the same. We will continue working with partners to fulfill the vision of UNCAC.
Achieving this vision will require contributions from stakeholders inside and outside of government. I launched the International Anti-Corruption Champions Award in 2021 to recognize individuals who have taken remarkable steps to counter corruption, and to demonstrate U.S. solidarity with these heroic partners. Today, we recognize the 11 International Anti-Corruption Champions for 2023, and all those who fight for accountability, the rule of law, transparency, and press freedom. The honorees are Stanislau Ivashkevich of Belarus, Jean-Claude Mputu of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Arturo Torres of Ecuador, Nikhil Dey of India, Ali (Mukhammedali) Toktakunov of Kyrgyz Republic, Marc N. Kollie of Liberia, Veronica Mihailov-Moraru of Moldova, Vladimir Novović of Montenegro, Annette Planells of Panama, Francisco Belo Simões da Costa of Timor-Leste, and May De Silva of Seychelles. We are honored to work alongside champions like these to defeat corruption.
