At a recent international gathering in Geneva, where global awareness of corruption’s detrimental impact is steadily rising, a significant event reinforced the ongoing work of the Human Rights Council. This initiative aligns with Resolution 59/6, adopted in July 2025, which firmly establishes the widely accepted principle that combating corruption and safeguarding fundamental rights are intrinsically linked and mutually reinforcing. International commitments, including the United Nations Convention Against Corruption, the 2011 Marrakech Declaration, and the 2021 UNGASS political declaration, consistently underscore the necessity of a preventive strategy rooted in the rule of law, democracy, and human rights.
Within this framework, Morocco showcased its comprehensive strategy, emphasizing the synergy between public policies, national institutions, and international obligations. Ambassador Omar Zniber, the Kingdom’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations in Geneva, moderated the discussions, highlighting the profound importance of this multilateral undertaking. He lauded the valuable contributions from senior Moroccan officials and underscored Morocco’s leadership role in this UN-level process, stressing the coordinated mobilization of national bodies and their alignment with the Kingdom’s strategic priorities for transparency and robust governance.
El Habib Belkouch, the Interministerial Delegate for Human Rights, steered the discourse towards a more foundational aspect, asserting that “corruption also constitutes a major impediment to the effective enjoyment of human rights.” Moving beyond conventional approaches focused solely on governance or punitive measures, he highlighted its tangible consequences: “When it obstructs access to justice, healthcare, education, or employment, it deprives individuals of their legitimate rights.”
Belkouch further elaborated that “every resource diverted or squandered due to corruption is a resource no longer available to fund a school, a hospital, or a public policy,” vividly 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 communities.
Addressing potential remedies, he affirmed that “prevention today appears as one of the most effective levers,” advocating for key principles such as “transparency, the right to access information, citizen participation, and accountability.” He identified these not only as fundamental rights but also as “essential tools for preventing corruption.” Finally, he championed strengthened synergies among institutions, stressing that their coordination represents “a major priority for enhancing the effectiveness of public policies.”
Mohamed Benalilou, President of the National Authority for Probity, Prevention, and Fight Against Corruption, echoed these sentiments, lending a more structural dimension to the discussion. He posited that the connection between these two domains is “progressively evolving towards a structural interdependence,” signaling a profound transformation in analytical and operational frameworks.
Adopting a victim-centric approach, Benalilou underscored 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 insufficiently addressed dimensions, such as “gender-based corruption,” which he views as “an intrinsic obstacle to equality.”
Furthermore, Mohamed Benalilou highlighted a significant conceptual shift, asserting that “corruption prevention is evolving into 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, Benalilou stressed the imperative of “ensuring greater coherence among the Geneva, Vienna, and New York processes,” emphasizing 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 “rights-based preventive governance.”
Throughout the discussions, a consensus emerged among participants on the urgent need to strengthen synergies among various stakeholders—states, international institutions, and civil society—to leverage corruption prevention as a vital tool for human rights protection. Special emphasis was placed on the role of education, capacity building, citizen participation, and digital technologies, all deemed indispensable for promoting good governance, enhancing transparency, and preventing abuses.
