09 December of every year is designated by the United Nations General Assembly as International Anti-Corruption Day in observance of the adoption of the United Nations Convention against Corruption (UNCAC) in 2003. In the spirit of solidarity, the Green Climate Fund (GCF) joins the wider international community in its efforts to mainstream the agenda of good governance across all sectors and to promote the values of accountability, integrity, and transparency in the management of public trust.
This year, the Independent Integrity Unit (IIU) enjoins all GCF colleagues to reaffirm their commitment to upholding the highest integrity standards in the fulfillment of their responsibilities in supporting the mandate of the GCF. In the context of the Fund’s mission, corruption could pose a large impediment to driving climate action intended to combat the threats of climate change. An estimated 1.26 trillion USD are lost to corruption and other serious economic crimes annually – funds that could be used to significantly better the conditions of people in many developing countries.
Our time is ticking – the costs of climate change are more evident than ever. It calls for accessible solutions to transform communities into more resilient and sustainable economies. But corruption halts the momentum and slows down climate action. Every stolen dollar robs us of the opportunity to save the lives of the poorest and most vulnerable people. Now is a critical time to keep the pace as we continue to foster and build a culture of integrity in the Fund, maintaining GCF as a strong and enabling institution.
As GCF Staff, we all share the duty to safeguard climate finance. The IIU is tasked to investigate allegations of corruption, fraud, and other prohibited practices in Fund-related activities to ensure GCF operates in a manner that is accountable and transparent. The IIU likewise takes a proactive approach to preventing and detecting integrity violations by developing integrity policies and guidelines, conducting proactive reviews of GCF projects and programmes, and recommending improvements to existing GCF policies and procedures.
Staff of the Fund and other associated persons have a duty to report integrity violations to the IIU through any of the following channels:
By e-mail
[email protected]
By phone
+82 32 458 6155
By post
17/F G-Tower | Songdo International Business District
175 Art Centre-daero, Yeonsu gu
Incheon 22004 Republic of Korea
Let us all stand united against corruption as we mark this very important day.