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“ …recognition of the inherent dignity and of the equal and inalienable rights of all members of the human family is the foundation of freedom, justice and peace in the world” |
podcasts>> |
Corruption and human rights
Corruption and human trafficking
Corruption and investigative journalism
Human rights attacks on activists
interviews>> |
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Irene Khan |
Sorious Samura |
Richard Danziger |
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where corruption feeds human rights abuses & how >> |
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"Corruption has no conscience. By placing a price on a child’s education, a doctor’s time or a judge’s verdict, corruption steals futures, takes lives and fuels impunity. Fundamental economic and social rights, as enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, are neither a commodity nor a privilege, but a necessity for human beings to live in dignity" |
human rights>> |
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| Fighting corruption brings the world one step further to guaranteeing human rights. The promotion of transparency, accountability and citizen participation benefit both ends, which in many ways are mutually dependent. Efforts to fight corruption are hampered where human rights are abused, while unchecked levels of corruption can result in massive human rights violations. |
education>> |
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| Although a fundamental human right, corruption can turn education into the preserve of the privileged. When knowledge and diplomas are only available to the highest bidder or funds meant for schools are misappropriated, children are denied the path to a better future and are taught to be corrupt from the classroom. |
gender>> |
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| Closing the gender gap is critical to advancing the fight against corruption, reducing poverty and promoting economic growth. In countries where women face challenges of social, political and institutional discrimination, corruption exacerbates repressive practices and creates additional obstacles for women to access public services, exercise their basic rights and participate in political processes. |
health>> |
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| From counterfeiting and diluting drugs to bribing for life saving medical attention, corruption in the health sector is a lethal phenomenon. Efforts to confront HIV/AIDS, malaria and maternal mortality can all fall victim to the disease of corruption, which contravenes the very principle of healthcare. |
insecurity>> |
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| Corruption plays a facilitating and causal role in insecurity. Particularly in fragile states where the rule of law is virtually inexistent, the establishment of solid public institutions is sabotaged by bribery, influence-trafficking and nepotism, distorting the pillars of society. |
judiciary>> |
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| A functioning judiciary is key to enshrining the right to justice and equality. Corruption fuels impunity, creating an environment in which massive human rights abuses can occur systematically and unchecked. A judiciary that can be bought or influenced debases democracy, while civil rights are violated as people are imprisoned unjustly. |
natural resources>> |
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| Corruption can facilitate the wholesale plunder of a country's natural resources. Nearly ninety per cent of the world’s poorest citizens depend on forests for their livelihood, but when profit takes exploitive priority over environmental conservation efforts then lives and livelihoods are put in jeopardy. |
poverty>> |
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| A cause and a consequence of poverty, corruption condemns millions of people to an unsustainable existence. Even a small bribe can mean that a family must go without food or a sick child will lack medicine. Weak or non-existent accountability systems mean that aid can be siphoned off into private pockets, increasing the gap between rich and poor. |
