Nicosia: According to estimates by the World Economic Forum, the global cost of corruption exceeds $2.6 trillion, approximately 5% of global GDP, the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly’s Special Representative on Fighting Corruption, Vice-President and Cypriot MP Irene Charalambidou, said in a written statement on the occasion of International Anti-Corruption Day 2025.
According to Cyprus News Agency, She notes that the World Bank reports that businesses and individuals pay more than $1 trillion in bribes each year, amounts that represent resources stolen from the public by corrupt actors.
“On International Anti-Corruption Day, we should all be alarmed by how deeply corruption damages societies and how profoundly it affects people’s lives. This day serves as a reminder that honest citizens are the ones who ultimately pay the price for the actions of corrupt individuals,” notes the Cypriot MP.
“Today reminds us of our shared responsibility to combat corruption in all its forms, using every means available. As members of parliament and policymakers, our role is crucial. Our responsibilities go beyond adopting legislation-we must also ensure the effective implementation and enforcement of the laws we pass,” she adds.
She also states that institutions tasked with combating corruption, together with civil society organizations and the media, must be empowered and supported to detect, investigate, and combat corruption.
“Strengthening these institutions is essential to exposing wrongdoing and restoring public trust. No country is immune to corruption. Whether in the north or south, east or west, rich or poor, all states are vulnerable to it. The strongest safeguards against corruption are accountability, transparency, effective oversight mechanisms, a robust and independent judiciary, adequate legislation, and genuine political will,” she notes.
Charalambidou also said she was “shocked by the recent corruption cases in the EU and Kiev.”
“As the OSCE PA’s Special Representative on Fighting Corruption, I encourage all institutions involved in anti-corruption work to do their best, they have my full support,” she points out.
She also said that at the OSCE PA Annual Session in Porto, she introduced a resolution on ‘Addressing the Nexus between Corruption, Organized Crime and Terrorism’, which received broad support and was adopted as part of the Porto Declaration.
“Its adoption demonstrates the unity and determination within the OSCE PA to confront corruption. On this International Anti-Corruption Day, let us reaffirm our commitment to transparency, accountability, and integrity. Let us strengthen our resolve to address corruption not merely as a legal or policy challenge, but as a moral imperative. Through decisive action and collective effort, we can build a fairer, more equitable, and corruption-free world,” she concludes.