International Anti-Corruption Day (December 9): History & Facts

Corruption steals money meant for hospitals, schools and roads, weakens trust in institutions and hurts the poorest people most. International Anti-Corruption Day, held every year on December 9, brings governments, businesses, young people and citizens together to say “no” to corruption.

Fast facts
Date	December 9 every year
Established	UN General Assembly resolution 58/4 (October 31, 2003)
Linked treaty	UN Convention against Corruption (UNCAC)
Lead agencies	UNODC and UNDP
Parties to UNCAC	More than 190
Hashtags	#AntiCorruptionDay #UnitedAgainstCorruption

The UN Convention against Corruption

The UN General Assembly adopted the United Nations Convention against Corruption on October 31, 2003. It was opened for signature at a conference in Mérida, Mexico, beginning on December 9, 2003 — the date now marked as International Anti-Corruption Day. The convention entered into force in December 2005 and is the only legally binding universal anti-corruption treaty.

UNCAC pillar	What it requires
Prevention	Independent anti-corruption bodies, transparent public procurement, codes of conduct
Criminalisation	Making bribery, embezzlement, money laundering and abuse of office crimes
International cooperation	Extradition and mutual legal assistance between countries
Asset recovery	Returning stolen assets to the countries they were taken from

The Many Faces of Corruption

Type	Example
Bribery	Paying an official to win a contract or skip a rule
Embezzlement	Diverting public funds for personal use
Nepotism and cronyism	Giving jobs or contracts to relatives and friends
Extortion	Demanding money in return for services that should be free
Money laundering	Hiding the illegal origin of money
State capture	Powerful groups shaping laws for their own benefit

Why It Matters

• Corruption increases the cost of public services and reduces their quality.
• It discourages investment and slows economic growth.
• It deepens inequality and fuels distrust in democracy.
• It enables organised crime, trafficking and environmental destruction.
• Ending corruption is part of SDG 16: peace, justice and strong institutions.

What Citizens Can Do

1. Refuse to pay or accept bribes.
2. Use official channels and keep receipts for public services.
3. Report corruption through official hotlines and anti-corruption commissions.
4. Support a free press and protections for whistleblowers.
5. Teach young people about integrity and transparency.

👉 Related: Day to End Impunity for Crimes against Journalists

👉 Plan ahead: All December observances

Measuring Corruption

Tool	Who publishes it	What it measures
Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI)	Transparency International	How corrupt the public sector is perceived to be, country by country
Worldwide Governance Indicators	World Bank	Control of corruption and other governance measures
Global Corruption Barometer	Transparency International	People’s own experiences of bribery
UNCAC Implementation Review	UNODC	How countries apply the UN convention

Anti-Corruption Tools That Work

• Digital public services that reduce face-to-face contact and opportunities for bribes.
• Open contracting — publishing public procurement data online.
• Asset declarations for public officials.
• Independent audit offices and anti-corruption agencies.
• Whistleblower protection laws.
• Beneficial ownership registers showing who really owns companies.

Young People Against Corruption

The UN encourages young people to take part through education, school integrity clubs, hackathons for transparency tools and youth anti-corruption networks. Small steps — refusing to cheat in exams, reporting unfair practices and demanding transparency from leaders — help build a culture of integrity.

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