Morocco raises alarm in Geneva over corruption’s toll on fundamental rights

Held against a backdrop of growing global awareness of corruption’s harmful effects, this event builds on the work of the Human Rights Council, particularly resolution 59/6 adopted in July 2025. That resolution enshrines the now widely held view that fighting corruption and protecting fundamental rights are intrinsically linked and mutually reinforcing. International commitments—from the United Nations Convention against Corruption and the 2011 Marrakech Declaration to the political declaration of UNGASS 2021—all stress the need for a preventive approach grounded in the rule of law, democracy, and human rights.

Within this framework, Morocco highlighted its integrated approach, which aligns public policies, national institutions, and international commitments. Moderating the discussions, Ambassador Omar Zniber, Morocco’s permanent representative to the United Nations in Geneva, underscored the importance of this initiative, calling it “very significant” at the multilateral level. He pointed to “the contributions of senior Moroccan officials” and “Morocco’s role as a leader in this process at the United Nations,” emphasizing coordinated mobilization of national institutions and alignment with the kingdom’s strategic directions on transparency and governance.

For his part, El Habib Belkouch, the interministerial delegate for human rights, brought the debate to a more fundamental level, stressing that “corruption also constitutes a major obstacle to the effective enjoyment of human rights.” Moving beyond conventional approaches focused on governance or repression, he highlighted concrete effects: “When it affects access to justice, healthcare, education, or employment, it deprives individuals of their legitimate rights.”

El Habib Belkouch recalled that “every resource diverted or wasted because of corruption is a resource no longer available to fund a school, a hospital, or a public policy,” illustrating the direct impact of this phenomenon 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.

Emphasizing the necessary responses, he stated that “prevention appears today as one of the most effective levers,” highlighting key principles such as “transparency, the right to access information, citizen participation, and accountability,” which he described not only as fundamental rights but also “essential tools for preventing corruption.” He finally argued for stronger synergies among institutions, noting that their coordination constitutes “a major priority to improve the effectiveness of public policies.”

Mohamed Benalilou, president of the National Authority for Integrity, Prevention and the Fight against Corruption, echoed these views, giving the link an even more structural scope. According to him, the relationship between these two fields “is gradually evolving toward structural interdependence,” reflecting a profound transformation in analytical and action frameworks.

Adopting a victim-centered approach, he stressed that “it is no longer just about misappropriated funds, but about real victims of corruption deprived of their rights,” calling for moving beyond traditional paradigms. He also highlighted dimensions that remain insufficiently addressed, such as “gender-based corruption,” which he considers “an intrinsic obstacle to equality.”

Mohamed Benalilou further insisted on a major conceptual shift, stating that “corruption prevention is evolving into a positive obligation for states to protect rights and freedoms.” In this logic, it becomes “an essential element of human rights due diligence.”

He also advocated “preserving civic space” and “recognizing whistleblowers as human rights defenders,” while calling for a transition toward a model of “institutional integrity,” where institutions “do not limit themselves to the absence of corruption but actively protect rights and guarantee equality.”

On the international front, he stressed the need to “ensure greater coherence between the Geneva, Vienna, and New York processes,” noting that obligations under the United Nations Convention against Corruption and those relating to human rights “constitute two sides of the same commitment.” He thus called for establishing “structural bridges” between institutions and for the emergence of “preventive governance based on human rights.”

Throughout the exchanges, a consensus emerged among participants on the urgency of strengthening synergies among various actors—states, international institutions, and civil society—to make corruption prevention a key lever for protecting human rights. Particular emphasis was placed on the role of education, capacity building, citizen participation, and digital technologies, considered indispensable tools for promoting good governance, enhancing transparency, and preventing abuses.