UN Experts Urge States to Protect Civic Space at Upcoming UNCAC Conference

The experts stressed that corruption is not only a governance failure but also a structural threat to human rights.

A group of United Nations human rights experts has called on governments to take decisive steps at the 11th Conference of States Parties (CoSP) to the United Nations Convention against Corruption (UNCAC) to safeguard civic space and ensure meaningful participation of civil society in global anti-corruption efforts.

The meeting, scheduled to take place in Doha, comes at a time of heightened global concern over the shrinking space for activists, journalists, and human rights defenders, many of whom face harassment or reprisals for speaking out against corruption.

Corruption as a Human Rights Threat

The experts stressed that corruption is not only a governance failure but also a structural threat to human rights.

"Corruption threatens the stability and security of societies and erodes citizens' trust in public institutions," they said. "It impedes progress on climate and environmental justice, development, education, health, water and sanitation, judicial independence, and undermines protections for human rights defenders, journalists, Indigenous Peoples, women and girls, and marginalised groups."

They warned that unless States recognize the human rights dimensions of corruption, anti-corruption frameworks will remain incomplete and ineffective.

Civic Space Under Pressure

The experts expressed alarm at what they described as a "disturbing trend": governments using national security justifications, anti-terrorism laws, and restrictive regulations to silence civil society voices. This, they argued, directly undermines UNCAC's effectiveness.

Although Article 13 of UNCAC explicitly calls for active participation of non-state actors—including civil society, community groups, and media—participation in country reviews remains optional. The experts noted that this voluntary approach has resulted in weak transparency and limited inclusion, contrary to international human rights standards.

Reforming the Review Mechanism

With negotiations underway for the second phase of the UNCAC Implementation Review Mechanism (IRM), the experts urged States to strengthen transparency, inclusiveness, and accountability.

They called for:

• Mandatory consultations with civil society in all UNCAC country reviews.

• Public access to review documents and findings, beyond limited summaries.

• A global monitoring mechanism to document and respond to reprisals against anti-corruption defenders.

• Stronger integration of human rights and anti-corruption frameworks in UNCAC processes.

A Call for Political Will

The experts emphasized that States have both UNCAC obligations and human rights law responsibilities to protect civic participation. They insisted that failure to act at the Doha conference could accelerate the erosion of civic space globally and undermine anti-corruption work.

"When anti-corruption spaces exclude or restrict civil society voices and actions, the legitimacy and effectiveness of those efforts are severely compromised," they warned.

They added that the next phase of UNCAC implementation must reflect "genuine political will" through concrete reforms, not symbolic gestures.

Risks of Inaction

The experts cautioned that without reforms:

• Whistleblowers and journalists will continue to face reprisals.

• Anti-corruption defenders could be silenced, weakening oversight.

• Public trust in anti-corruption institutions may collapse.

• Efforts to combat corruption could be reduced to "mere box-ticking exercises" without real accountability.

"Failure to act risks accelerating the erosion of civic space, weakening anti-corruption efforts, and undermining the enjoyment of human rights globally," they said.

Looking Ahead to Doha

As the world prepares for the 11th UNCAC CoSP in Doha, the experts insisted that States have an opportunity—and an obligation—to demonstrate leadership by enshrining transparency, accountability, and civil society participation at the heart of UNCAC's future.

"States must demonstrate genuine political will through concrete action—not only to uphold the spirit and commitments of the Convention, but to protect and promote human rights," they concluded.