Message from the Head of the Independent Integrity Unit, Karen Ernst, for International Anti-Corruption Day 2024

Dear GCF colleagues and partners around the world, 

Today, December 9, is International Anti-Corruption Day (IACD), which is a UN day that is commemorated each year for the anniversary of the adoption of a landmark agreement called the United Nations Convention against Corruption.  

The theme of this year’s IACD is “Uniting with Youth against Corruption: Shaping Tomorrow’s Integrity”. The GCF recognises that youth can be powerful advocates, fighting for integrity for climate action. The Independent Integrity Unit (IIU) engages with youth by working with the YOUNGO Climate Academy to train young people on integrity best practices in the climate field.  IIU also led a panel on this topic at COP29 and seeks to further these initiatives.  

Also on this day, IIU takes the opportunity to continue raising the importance of fighting corruption and upholding integrity, accountability and transparency in GCF-funded projects. 

We can see the destruction wrought by climate change around the globe, already costing countries billions of dollars each year. GCF is rising to meet these challenges by investing more and more annually in climate adaptation and mitigation projects. But we know that an expanding GCF portfolio means an increase in integrity risks such as an erosion of trust or a loss of resources. 

How do we respond to these risks? At the GCF and together with our Accredited Entities, we are collectively committed to adhere to the GCF integrity standards as expressed in the GCF integrity policies, Accreditation Master Agreements and other GCF legal arrangements. 

Equally important is our commitment to strengthening a culture of integrity within GCF and among our partners. When we have a strong culture of integrity, we are more resilient against corruption and can better focus our efforts on safeguarding climate finance in GCF projects and programmes. 

Over the past year, the IIU has made strides in advancing integrity through investigating an increasing number of project-related allegations, launching a new e-learning course covering three IIU integrity policies for GCF Accredited Entities, and scaling up our flagship Integrity Forum conference, which this year welcomed 75 Direct Access Entity participants from 59 organisations to Songdo. 

However, we cannot do this work alone. Your voice matters in upholding these integrity standards. Together, we can amplify integrity best practices so everyone can act on the issues at hand. 

Visit the IIU website to learn more about GCF’s integrity policies, read about our 2025-2027 Work Programme and Budget, and how to report an integrity violation.  

Finally, if you have any concerns, please reach out to the IIU at [email protected]. I look forward to working with all of you to embed integrity into our climate action efforts. Thank you very much.