GENEVA - UN experts* today called on States Parties to the United Nations Convention against Corruption (UNCAC) to take concrete action at the upcoming 11th UNCAC Conference of States Parties (CoSP) to safeguard and strengthen civic space.
They urged governments to ensure meaningful civil society participation in anti-corruption efforts, both at the national level and within UNCAC forums and its review mechanism.
"Corruption threatens the stability and security of societies and erodes citizens' trust in public institutions," the experts said. "However, it is not only a governance issue, but a direct and structural threat to the realisation of a range of human rights."
"Corruption impedes progress on climate and environmental justice, development, education, health, water and sanitation, judicial independence, and undermines protections for human rights defenders, journalists, Indigenous Peoples, women and girls, and marginalised groups," the experts said.
They warned that when anti-corruption spaces exclude or restrict civil society voices and actions, the legitimacy and effectiveness of those efforts are severely compromised.
The experts urged States to uphold their obligations under Article 13 of the Convention, which calls for active participation of non-state actors, and under international human rights law, particularly as negotiations begin for the second phase of the UNCAC Implementation Review Mechanism (IRM).
"We are witnessing a disturbing trend: individuals and organisations who speak truth to power-activists, journalists, academics, students, and human rights defenders-are being silenced or punished under the guise of national security, anti-terrorism laws, or other restrictions," they said.
The experts noted that civil society participation in UNCAC country reviews remains optional, contrary to the spirit of Article 13. They stressed that this exclusion, along with weak transparency provisions in the review mechanism, violates international standards and undermines the Convention itself.
The experts urged States Parties to reform the IRM to make it more effective, transparent, and inclusive in its second phase at the 11th UNCAC CoSP; launch formal consultations with civil society; promote transparency and civic participation in UNCAC forums; establish a global mechanism to monitor reprisals against anti-corruption defenders; and strengthen the integration of human rights and anti-corruption frameworks.
"Failure to act risks accelerating the erosion of civic space, weakening anti-corruption efforts, and undermining the enjoyment of human rights globally," the experts said.
"As negotiations over the second phase of the IRM continue, and with the next UNCAC Conference of the States Parties in Doha on the horizon, States must demonstrate genuine political will through concrete action-not only to uphold the spirit and commitments of the Convention, but to protect and promote human rights."
