Amidst growing international awareness regarding the detrimental impact of corruption, a significant event recently took place, building upon the ongoing work of the Human Rights Council. This initiative follows the adoption of Resolution 59/6 in July 2025, which firmly established the widely accepted principle that combating corruption and safeguarding fundamental rights are inherently interconnected and mutually reinforcing. International commitments, including the United Nations Convention against Corruption, the 2011 Marrakech Declaration, and the political declaration from UNGASS 2021, consistently underscore the necessity of a preventive approach rooted in upholding the rule of law, democratic principles, and human rights.
Within this framework, Morocco chose to highlight its comprehensive strategy, which integrates public policies, national institutions, and international obligations. Ambassador Omar Zniber, the Kingdom’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations in Geneva, moderated the discussions and emphasized the profound importance of this initiative on a multilateral level. He underscored the valuable contributions made by senior Moroccan officials and recognized Morocco’s leadership role in this process within the United Nations, stressing the coordinated mobilization of national institutions and their alignment with the Kingdom’s strategic directives on transparency and governance.
El Habib Belkouch, the Interministerial Delegate for Human Rights, refocused the discourse on a more fundamental plane, asserting that «corruption also constitutes a major impediment to the effective enjoyment of human rights». Moving beyond conventional approaches centered on governance or repression, he highlighted its tangible consequences: «When it affects access to justice, healthcare, education, or employment, it deprives individuals of legitimate rights».
El Habib Belkouch reiterated that «every resource diverted or wasted due to corruption is a resource no longer available to fund a school, a hospital, or a public policy», thus illustrating the phenomenon’s direct impact on citizens’ daily lives. He also drew attention to how its effects «often weigh more heavily on the most vulnerable groups», particularly women and marginalized populations.
Insisting on the necessary responses, he affirmed that «prevention today emerges as one of the most effective levers», promoting key principles such as «transparency, the right to access information, citizen participation, and accountability». He characterized these not only as fundamental rights but also as «essential tools for preventing corruption». Finally, he advocated for strengthening synergies among institutions, emphasizing that their coordination constitutes «a major priority for improving the effectiveness of public policies».
Mohamed Benalilou, President of the National Authority for Probity, Prevention and Fight against Corruption, echoed these sentiments, lending an even more structural dimension to this interconnectedness. In his view, the relationship between these two spheres «is progressively evolving towards a structural interdependence», signifying a profound transformation in analytical and operational frameworks.
Adopting a victim-centric approach, he highlighted that «it is no longer just about diverted funds, but about real victims of corruption deprived of their rights», urging a move beyond traditional paradigms. He also brought to light dimensions that remain insufficiently addressed, such as «gender-based corruption», which he considers «an intrinsic obstacle to equality».
Furthermore, Mohamed Benalilou emphasized a significant conceptual shift, positing that «corruption prevention is evolving towards a positive obligation for states to protect rights and freedoms». In this context, it becomes «an essential element of human rights due diligence».
He also advocated for «preserving civic space» and «recognizing whistleblowers as human rights defenders», while calling for a transition towards a model of «institutional integrity», where institutions «are not limited to the absence of corruption, but actively protect rights and guarantee equality».
On the international stage, he stressed the need to «ensure greater coherence among the Geneva, Vienna, and New York processes», underscoring that obligations stemming from the United Nations Convention against Corruption and those related to human rights «constitute two facets of a single commitment». He thus called for the establishment of «structural bridges» between institutions and the emergence of «preventive governance based on human rights».
Throughout the discussions, a consensus emerged among participants on the urgency of strengthening synergies among various stakeholders — states, international institutions, and civil society — to make corruption prevention a crucial lever for protecting human rights. Particular emphasis was placed on the role of education, capacity building, citizen participation, and digital technologies, all deemed indispensable tools for promoting sound governance, enhancing transparency, and preventing abuses.
