www.state.gov
Open in
urlscan Pro
2600:9000:2009:ce00:1f:e8cc:9e00:93a1
Public Scan
URL:
https://www.state.gov/under-secretary-zeyas-remarks-at-the-summit-for-democracy-day-2-anti-corruption-cohorts-event/
Submission: On December 23 via api from US — Scanned from US
Submission: On December 23 via api from US — Scanned from US
Form analysis
2 forms found in the DOMName: gs — GET //findit.state.gov/search
<form id="nav__search-form" accept-charset="UTF-8" action="//findit.state.gov/search" method="get" class="nav__search-form" name="gs">
<div class="nav__search-input-wrapper">
<label id="nav__search-query-id" for="nav__search-query">Search:</label>
<input autocomplete="off" class="usagov-search-autocomplete nav__search-input ui-autocomplete-input" id="nav__search-query" name="query" type="search" placeholder="Enter your search term or phrase" aria-labelledby="nav__search-query-id">
<input id="affiliate" name="affiliate" type="hidden" value="dos_stategov">
</div>
<div class="nav__search-cta-wrapper">
<button class="icon-arrow-right link--arrow--right nav__search-cta" type="submit" form="nav__search-form">Search</button>
</div>
</form>
<form>
<h2 class="sz-feedback-question sz-feedback-text-align-center sz-feedback-word-wrap sz-feedback-main-font-style" id="sz-feedback-question-element">What is your overall satisfaction with this site?</h2>
<div class="sz-feedback-validation-presenter sz-feedback-hide-validation" role="alert" aria-atomic="true"></div>
<div class="sz-feedback-rating" aria-labelledby="sz-feedback-question-element" role="radiogroup"><input class="sz-feedback-rating-icon-input sz-feedback-visually-hidden" type="radio" id="sz-feedback-rating-element-0" name="sz-feedback-rating"
value="0" required=""><label class="sz-feedback-rating-icon-label" for="sz-feedback-rating-element-0"><svg focusable="false" aria-hidden="true" class="sz-feedback-rating-icon" viewBox="0 0 19.93 18.85">
<path
d="M10,4.23l1.25,2.91.41.91,1,.09,3.32.33-2.49,2.16-.75.66.25,1,.75,3.15-2.91-1.66L10,13.29l-.83.49L6.31,15.44l.75-3.23.25-1-.83-.58L4.07,8.55,7.22,8.3l1-.08.42-.91L10,4.23M10,0,7.14,6.64,0,7.22l5.4,4.65-1.58,7L10,15.2l6.23,3.65-1.66-7,5.4-4.65-7.14-.74L10,0Z">
</path>
</svg><span class="sz-feedback-rating-icon-label-text sz-feedback-visually-hidden">1 <img draggable="false" role="img" class="emoji" alt="⭐" src="https://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/15.0.3/svg/2b50.svg"></span></label><input
class="sz-feedback-rating-icon-input sz-feedback-visually-hidden" type="radio" id="sz-feedback-rating-element-1" name="sz-feedback-rating" value="1" required=""><label class="sz-feedback-rating-icon-label"
for="sz-feedback-rating-element-1"><svg focusable="false" aria-hidden="true" class="sz-feedback-rating-icon" viewBox="0 0 19.93 18.85">
<path
d="M10,4.23l1.25,2.91.41.91,1,.09,3.32.33-2.49,2.16-.75.66.25,1,.75,3.15-2.91-1.66L10,13.29l-.83.49L6.31,15.44l.75-3.23.25-1-.83-.58L4.07,8.55,7.22,8.3l1-.08.42-.91L10,4.23M10,0,7.14,6.64,0,7.22l5.4,4.65-1.58,7L10,15.2l6.23,3.65-1.66-7,5.4-4.65-7.14-.74L10,0Z">
</path>
</svg><span class="sz-feedback-rating-icon-label-text sz-feedback-visually-hidden">2 <img draggable="false" role="img" class="emoji" alt="⭐" src="https://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/15.0.3/svg/2b50.svg"></span></label><input
class="sz-feedback-rating-icon-input sz-feedback-visually-hidden" type="radio" id="sz-feedback-rating-element-2" name="sz-feedback-rating" value="2" required=""><label class="sz-feedback-rating-icon-label"
for="sz-feedback-rating-element-2"><svg focusable="false" aria-hidden="true" class="sz-feedback-rating-icon" viewBox="0 0 19.93 18.85">
<path
d="M10,4.23l1.25,2.91.41.91,1,.09,3.32.33-2.49,2.16-.75.66.25,1,.75,3.15-2.91-1.66L10,13.29l-.83.49L6.31,15.44l.75-3.23.25-1-.83-.58L4.07,8.55,7.22,8.3l1-.08.42-.91L10,4.23M10,0,7.14,6.64,0,7.22l5.4,4.65-1.58,7L10,15.2l6.23,3.65-1.66-7,5.4-4.65-7.14-.74L10,0Z">
</path>
</svg><span class="sz-feedback-rating-icon-label-text sz-feedback-visually-hidden">3 <img draggable="false" role="img" class="emoji" alt="⭐" src="https://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/15.0.3/svg/2b50.svg"></span></label><input
class="sz-feedback-rating-icon-input sz-feedback-visually-hidden" type="radio" id="sz-feedback-rating-element-3" name="sz-feedback-rating" value="3" required=""><label class="sz-feedback-rating-icon-label"
for="sz-feedback-rating-element-3"><svg focusable="false" aria-hidden="true" class="sz-feedback-rating-icon" viewBox="0 0 19.93 18.85">
<path
d="M10,4.23l1.25,2.91.41.91,1,.09,3.32.33-2.49,2.16-.75.66.25,1,.75,3.15-2.91-1.66L10,13.29l-.83.49L6.31,15.44l.75-3.23.25-1-.83-.58L4.07,8.55,7.22,8.3l1-.08.42-.91L10,4.23M10,0,7.14,6.64,0,7.22l5.4,4.65-1.58,7L10,15.2l6.23,3.65-1.66-7,5.4-4.65-7.14-.74L10,0Z">
</path>
</svg><span class="sz-feedback-rating-icon-label-text sz-feedback-visually-hidden">4 <img draggable="false" role="img" class="emoji" alt="⭐" src="https://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/15.0.3/svg/2b50.svg"></span></label><input
class="sz-feedback-rating-icon-input sz-feedback-visually-hidden" type="radio" id="sz-feedback-rating-element-4" name="sz-feedback-rating" value="4" required=""><label class="sz-feedback-rating-icon-label"
for="sz-feedback-rating-element-4"><svg focusable="false" aria-hidden="true" class="sz-feedback-rating-icon" viewBox="0 0 19.93 18.85">
<path
d="M10,4.23l1.25,2.91.41.91,1,.09,3.32.33-2.49,2.16-.75.66.25,1,.75,3.15-2.91-1.66L10,13.29l-.83.49L6.31,15.44l.75-3.23.25-1-.83-.58L4.07,8.55,7.22,8.3l1-.08.42-.91L10,4.23M10,0,7.14,6.64,0,7.22l5.4,4.65-1.58,7L10,15.2l6.23,3.65-1.66-7,5.4-4.65-7.14-.74L10,0Z">
</path>
</svg><span class="sz-feedback-rating-icon-label-text sz-feedback-visually-hidden">5 <img draggable="false" role="img" class="emoji" alt="⭐" src="https://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/15.0.3/svg/2b50.svg"></span></label></div>
<div class="sz-feedback-validation-presenter sz-feedback-hide-validation" id="sz-feedback-comment-validation" role="alert" aria-atomic="true"></div>
<div><label class="sz-feedback-label-note sz-feedback-visually-hidden" for="sz-feedback-textarea">Have feedback about our website? Note: we can’t address visa or passport issues through this box.</label></div><textarea
class="sz-feedback-textarea sz-feedback-main-font-style ignore" rows="5" placeholder="Have feedback about our website? Note: we can’t address visa or passport issues through this box." maxlength="1000" id="sz-feedback-textarea"></textarea>
<div class="sz-feedback-comment-character-counter sz-feedback-display-none"><span></span><span>/1000</span></div><button
class="sz-feedback-submit-button sz-feedback-text-align-center sz-feedback-word-wrap sz-feedback-main-font-style sz-feedback-border-radius">Submit</button>
</form>
Text Content
Skip to content An official website of the United States Government Here's how you know Official websites use .gov A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States. Secure .gov websites use HTTPS A lock ( ) or https:// means you’ve safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites. * Newsroom * Business * Employees * Job Seekers * Students * Travelers * Visas Facebook X Instagram YouTube Flickr GovDelivery * State Department Home * Policy Issues * Back * Policy Issues Anti-Corruption and Transparency Arms Control and Nonproliferation Artificial Intelligence (AI) Climate and Environment Climate Crisis Combating Drugs and Crime Countering Terrorism COVID-19 Response and Recovery Cyber Issues Disarming Disinformation Economic Prosperity and Trade Policy Energy Global Health Global Women’s Issues Holding Russia and Belarus to Account Human Rights and Democracy Human Trafficking The Ocean and Polar Affairs Refugee and Humanitarian Assistance Science, Technology, and Innovation Treaties and International Agreements United with Ukraine * Countries & Areas * Back * Countries & Areas Search for country or area Select an Option Search for country or area AAfghanistanAlbaniaAlgeriaAndorraAngolaAntigua and BarbudaArgentinaArmeniaAustraliaAustriaAzerbaijanBBahamas, TheBahrainBangladeshBarbadosBelarusBelgiumBelizeBeninBhutanBoliviaBosnia and HerzegovinaBotswanaBrazilBruneiBulgariaBurkina FasoBurmaBurundiCCabo VerdeCambodiaCameroonCanadaCentral African RepublicChadChileChinaColombiaComorosCook IslandsCosta RicaCroatiaCubaCyprusCzechiaCôte d’IvoireDDemocratic Republic of the CongoDenmarkDjiboutiDominicaDominican RepublicEEcuadorEgyptEl SalvadorEquatorial GuineaEritreaEstoniaEswatiniEthiopiaFFijiFinlandFranceGGabonGambia, TheGeorgiaGermanyGhanaGreeceGrenadaGuatemalaGuineaGuinea-BissauGuyanaHHaitiHoly SeeHondurasHungaryIIcelandIndiaIndonesiaIranIraqIrelandIsraelItalyJJamaicaJapanJordanKKazakhstanKenyaKiribatiKosovoKuwaitKyrgyzstanLLaosLatviaLebanonLesothoLiberiaLibyaLiechtensteinLithuaniaLuxembourgMMadagascarMalawiMalaysiaMaldivesMaliMaltaMarshall IslandsMauritaniaMauritiusMexicoMicronesiaMoldovaMonacoMongoliaMontenegroMoroccoMozambiqueNNamibiaNauruNepalNetherlandsNew ZealandNicaraguaNigerNigeriaNiueNorth KoreaNorth MacedoniaNorwayOOmanPPakistanPalauPalestinian TerritoriesPanamaPapua New GuineaParaguayPeruPhilippinesPolandPortugalQQatarRRepublic of the CongoRomaniaRussiaRwandaSSaint Kitts and NevisSaint LuciaSaint Vincent and the GrenadinesSamoaSan MarinoSao Tome and PrincipeSaudi ArabiaSenegalSerbiaSeychellesSierra LeoneSingaporeSlovakiaSloveniaSolomon IslandsSomaliaSouth AfricaSouth KoreaSouth SudanSpainSri LankaSudanSurinameSwedenSwitzerlandSyriaTTaiwanTajikistanTanzaniaThailandTimor-LesteTogoTongaTrinidad and TobagoTunisiaTurkey (Türkiye)TurkmenistanTuvaluUUgandaUkraineUnited Arab EmiratesUnited KingdomUruguayUzbekistanVVanuatuVenezuelaVietnamYYemenZZambiaZimbabwe * Bureaus & Offices * Back * Bureaus & Offices * The Secretary of State * The Secretary of State * The Secretary of State * Bureau of Global Health Security and Diplomacy * Bureau of Intelligence and Research * Bureau of Legislative Affairs * Counselor of the Department * Executive Secretariat * Office of the Chief of Protocol * Office of Civil Rights * Office of Diversity and Inclusion * Office of Global Women’s Issues * Office of the AUKUS Senior Advisor * Office of the Legal Adviser * Office of the Ombuds * Office of the Special Envoy for Critical and Emerging Technology * Office of the U.S. Special Coordinator for the Partnership for Global Infrastructure and Investment * Office of the U.S. Special Presidential Envoy for Climate * Policy Planning Staff * Special Envoy for Iran * Special Presidential Envoy for Hostage Affairs * Special Representative for Syria Engagement * Special Representative for Venezuela * U.S. Security Coordinator for Israel and the Palestinian Authority * Deputy Secretaries of State * Deputy Secretaries of State * Deputy Secretary of State * Bureau of Cyberspace and Digital Policy * Office of the Ambassador-at-Large for Arctic Affairs * Deputy Secretary of State for Management and Resources * Office of Foreign Assistance * Office of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization * Arms Control and International Security * Arms Control and International Security * Under Secretary for Arms Control and International Security * Bureau of Arms Control, Deterrence, and Stability * Bureau of International Security and Nonproliferation * Bureau of Political-Military Affairs * Civilian Security, Democracy, and Human Rights * Civilian Security, Democracy, and Human Rights * Under Secretary for Civilian Security, Democracy, and Human Rights * Bureau of Conflict and Stabilization Operations * Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor * Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs * Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration * Office of Global Criminal Justice * Office of International Religious Freedom * Office of the Special Envoy To Monitor and Combat Antisemitism * Office of the U.S. Special Coordinator for Tibetan Issues * Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons * Economic Growth, Energy, and Environment * Economic Growth, Energy, and Environment * Under Secretary for Economic Growth, Energy, and the Environment * Bureau of Economic and Business Affairs * Bureau of Energy Resources * Bureau of Oceans and International Environmental and Scientific Affairs * Office of Global Food Security * Office of Global Partnerships * Office of the Chief Economist * Office of the Science and Technology Adviser * Subnational Diplomacy Unit * Management * Management * Under Secretary for Management * Bureau of Administration * Bureau of Budget and Planning * Bureau of the Comptroller and Global Financial Services * Bureau of Consular Affairs * Bureau of Diplomatic Security * Bureau of Diplomatic Technology * Bureau of Global Talent Management * Bureau of Medical Services * Bureau of Overseas Buildings Operations * Director of Diplomatic Reception Rooms * Foreign Service Institute * Office of Foreign Missions * Office of Management Strategy and Solutions * Political Affairs * Political Affairs * Under Secretary for Political Affairs * Bureau of African Affairs * Bureau of Counterterrorism * Bureau of East Asian and Pacific Affairs * Bureau of European and Eurasian Affairs * Bureau of International Organization Affairs * Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs * Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs * Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs * Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs * Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs * Under Secretary for Public Diplomacy * Educational and Cultural Affairs * Expo Unit * Global Engagement Center * Global Public Affairs * Office of Global Youth Issues * Policy, Planning, and Resources * U.S. Advisory Commission on Public Diplomacy * About * Back * About Mission About the U.S. Department of State Joint Strategic Plan Equity Action Plan Foreign Affairs Manual and Handbook Department of State by State Map DipNote Blog Domestic Impact We Are the U.S. Department of State History Previous Administration Archives Foreign Relations of the United States National Museum of American Diplomacy Art in Embassies Administrative Department Reports and Publications Agency Financial Reports Form Finder Organization Chart Plans, Performance, Budget Evidence, Evaluation, and Learning Information Quality Act Open Government Initiative Data Informed Diplomacy Digital Government Strategy Plain Writing Program Partner with State Leadership The Secretary of State Deputy Secretary of State Deputy Secretary of State for Management and Resources Biographies of Senior Officials Directories Contact Us Telephone Directory U.S. Ambassadors U.S. Embassies and Other Posts Country Offices Directory Key Officers of Foreign Service Posts Diplomats in Residence * Menu * State Department Home * search Search: Search Close HomeUnder Secretary for Civilian Security, Democracy, and Human Rights Remarks & Releases…Under Secretary Zeya’s Remarks at the Summit for Democracy Day 2 Anti-Corruption Cohorts Event hide UNDER SECRETARY ZEYA’S REMARKS AT THE SUMMIT FOR DEMOCRACY DAY 2 ANTI-CORRUPTION COHORTS EVENT Remarks Uzra Zeya, Under Secretary for Civilian Security, Democracy, and Human Rights Seoul, Republic of Korea March 19, 2024 Thank you, Renee. Good morning, everyone, and good afternoon and good evening to those joining online from across the globe. It is a pleasure to be here with you all reflecting on the dynamic contributions the three anti-corruption democracy cohorts have made to the Summit for Democracy. As someone who has been engaged in the Summit from its very earliest days, first leading the U.S. planning team and more recently as a partner and participant under the Republic of Korea’s leadership this past year, I am so proud to see how the cohorts have taken off. They embody the ideals we had in mind when we launched this process three years ago – bringing together bright minds from across sectors and around the world to tackle some of the stickiest challenges and most exciting opportunities facing democracies. They have created networks to support mutual learning and, most importantly, to encourage one another toward concrete action. Corruption is an attack on the very legitimacy of governments, driving a rift between citizens and the state that authoritarians and violent extremists can exploit. It is a vexing problem often hiding in shadows and operating under layers of secrecy. It warps incentive structures so that those who engage in corrupt acts often have substantial resources to entrench the systems that allow them to benefit from their misdeeds. At the same time, corruption can deny resources to those institutions working to expose and pursue accountability for corrupt acts. And so, the fight against corruption won’t be won by governments and anti-corruption authorities alone, civil society – and youth leaders among them – have a critical role to play. The overarching theme of this year’s Summit – Democracy for Future Generations – is especially salient because young people know that corruption will bankrupt their future. That is why young people are at the forefront of pushing all of us to be more transparent, more accountable, and more responsive to public needs. Civil society and young people know all too well the impact of corruption on their daily lives, and they are a blossoming hothouse of new ideas in the fight against corruption. The Biden Administration has made clear from day one that we simply cannot deliver for our people and all people, including youth, without tackling global corruption. Democratic governance depends on the trust and participation of citizenry and their faith in the electoral process, and few things poison trust in government more than corruption. Furthermore, corruption disproportionately affects underrepresented and marginalized groups, so countering corruption creates more pathways for fair and equitable access to resources and opportunities. Thankfully this trio of cohorts has certainly not shied away from such sticky challenges. First, the cohort led by the Government of Bulgaria, the Basel Institute on Governance, and the Center for the Study of Democracy focused on anti-corruption policies as a boon to national security, a proposition that the United States emphatically supports. When corrupt actors undermine domestic stability or external states choose to weaponize existing corruption to advance their foreign policy objectives – the best antidote is promoting transparency and fairness, adopting good and responsive governance, and exposing and fighting corruption. Doing so not only protects our own systems, but it pushes back on authoritarian or criminal actors who seek to reshape countries or even the world order to their own advantage. Second, the Government of Moldova, the Basel Institute, and Transparency International-led cohort strengthened international cooperation to fight corruption, another absolutely key priority. Corruption does not respect national boundaries, and so our solutions must also cross borders. We must learn from one another, exchange information and experiences, and work together to trace the proceeds of corruption and increase asset recovery. Building off the successful Global Forum on Asset Recovery in 2017, last year the United States and partners launched the GFAR Action Series to bring together law enforcement practitioners to advance cross-border asset recovery cases affecting eight “priority” countries. In December, the GFAR Action Series brought together practitioners from 20 jurisdictions for over 50 bilateral case coordination meetings during the UNCAC Conference of the States Parties. We look forward to seeing further progress this year and beyond. Third and finally, the United States has been proud to lead, jointly with the Brookings Institution and the Open Government Partnership, a cohort promoting financial transparency and integrity. We know a thing or two about how corrupt actors work. First, we know they often abuse public procurement processes to overcharge and under-deliver. Their next step is to move their ill-gotten gains through opaque layers of shell companies and other corporate vehicles. Step three relies on networks of complicit professional service providers to move and launder the proceeds of their corrupt acts, allowing them to freely enjoy the proceeds of their crimes wherever they choose. So, we decided to use what we’ve learned to disrupt this process at each stage. The FTI cohort, as we call it, set three focus areas early on: procurement transparency, beneficial ownership reform, and tackling the enablers of corruption. Over the past year and a half, the cohort has elevated the conversation in each of these three areas, bringing together dozens of representatives of governments and organizations across civil society, academia, and industry to discuss and exchange lessons learned and challenges. We’ve also created guidance documents summarizing key findings, highlighting useful resources, and offering practical considerations for governments looking to take on each of these areas of reform. These toolkits emphasize opportunities to work alongside civil society to foster transparency, accountability, and higher standards of integrity. I would encourage you to consult these outcome documents as a component of our ever-striving quest to learn from and build off one another’s work. The work achieved by these three cohorts directly informs our efforts in other forums. For the FTI cohort specifically, we have decided to integrate its work fully into other venues like OGP, the UNCAC Conference of States Parties, and regional multilateral bodies, to build international consensus among a wider audience, and to support our partners around the world to build the capacity and systems they need to develop effective beneficial ownership registries, create effective procurement processes that maximize service delivery to citizens and reduce opportunities for corruption, and understand and begin to tackle the issue of enablers of corruption. We are clear eyed about the mountain of work yet to be done in each of the three cohorts and on the part of the U.S. government, we are committed to keeping at it. We will continue to climb that mountain and chip away at the foundation corrupt actors use to fund their nefarious deeds. We’ve also made financial transparency and integrity a key component of U.S. engagement in other bodies. In particular, the United States is honored to serve as president of the Conference of the States Parties of the UN Convention against Corruption, where we have prioritized FTI issues for our two-year term as president. We are also advancing FTI themes through our support to the OECD’s Global Anti-Corruption and Integrity Forum, and through our partnership with TI on the International Anti-Corruption Conference series. I know our co-leads are just as committed to continuing their work on these issues, including via OGP’s Beneficial Ownership Leadership Group and Procurement Network, and Brookings’ Anti-Corruption, Democracy, and Security project. I am excited to see where this work will take us and I am so pleased that we are making this journey together. Thank you again to government, civil society, and intergovernmental partners leading the way, which brings us closer to a future in which democratic governments thrive and provide for their people, free of the scourge of corruption. Thank you. Tags Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor Democracy Human Rights Human Rights and Democracy Summit for Democracy Under Secretary for Civilian Security, Democracy, and Human Rights Back to Top * White House * USA.gov * Office of the Inspector General * Archives * Contact Us follow us Facebook X Instagram YouTube Flickr GovDelivery * Privacy Policy * Accessibility Statement * Copyright Information * FOIA * No FEAR Act U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE THE LESSONS OF 1989: FREEDOM AND OUR FUTURE Give feedback Close WHAT IS YOUR OVERALL SATISFACTION WITH THIS SITE? 1 2 3 4 5 Have feedback about our website? Note: we can’t address visa or passport issues through this box. /1000 Submit Don't show this again Cookie Icon We use cookies to make our website work better and improve your experience. By continuing to use the site, you agree to our Privacy Policy Allow Decline Close Cookie Preferences This website uses the following types of services. Learn more from our Cookie Policy. Accordion Toggle Close Strictly Necessary Always Active Strictly Necessary services are absolutely necessary for core functions such as navigating the page or accessing secure areas. The website cannot function properly without these cookies. Accordion Toggle Close Analytics analytics Toggle Analytics services serve to improve the performance and functionality of this website by collecting and reporting information anonymously. Accordion Toggle Close Marketing marketing Toggle Marketing services are used to track visitors across websites. The intention is to display ads that are relevant and engaging for the individual user and thereby more valuable for publishers and third party advertisers. Allow All Decline Accept Selected