Open Letter from Civil Society Organisations to the Second Global Forum on Fighting Corruption Government Representatives and other distinguished participants, We, as representatives drawn from a wide range of global civil society, welcome the establishment of the Global Forum on Fighting Corruption and its determination to develop effective principles and practices to prevent or combat corruption around the world. We have witnessed a number of positive developments since the first Forum was held two years ago. But in many parts of our world today, corruption is actually on the increase. The consequences of worsening corruption for our societies and for our planet are dramatic. Corruption is a major factor underlying human rights violations of every description - economic and social no less than political and civil.
Corruption creates political instability and conflict.
It denies governments their legitimacy and people the protection the Rule of Law should provide. Corruption impacts daily on the lives of millions by eroding medical services, education systems, the honesty of the police and the provision and efficiency of public services in general. It foments the destruction of the environment and it causes avoidable death and destruction during natural disasters. In short, corruption exacerbates poverty and inequality, it discourages economic investment and development, and thus it attacks every value we global citizens share. We make a special plea to all those countries whose institutions harbour the ill-gotten gains of public officials who have looted their countries and impoverished their peoples.