Corruption has disastrous impacts on development when funds that should be devoted to schools, health clinics and other vital public services are instead diverted into the hands of criminals or dishonest officials.
Corruption exacerbates violence and insecurity. It can lead to dissatisfaction with public institutions, disillusion with government in general, and spirals of anger and unrest.
Ban Ki-moon, Secretary-General of the United Nations
The above quotation was part of the message from Secretary-General of the United Nations to mark the 2015 International Anti-Corruption Day which was observed on 9 December 2015. Readers will recall that the United Nations Convention against Corruption (UNCAC) came into being on this same day, 12 years ago. Guyana acceded to the Convention five years later on 16 April 2008. According to Kofi Annan, former United Nations Secretary General, if the Convention is fully enforced, it can make a real difference to the quality of life of millions of people around the world, and by removing one of the biggest