OSCE attends eleventh session of the Conference of States Parties to the United Nations Convention against Corruption (UNCAC) in Doha

The OSCE participated in the eleventh session of the Conference of States Parties (CoSP) to the United Nations Convention against Corruption (UNCAC), held from 15-19 December in Doha, Qatar.

Under the general theme “Shaping Tomorrow’s Integrity” the OSCE jointly organized and contributed to five topical special events addressing key anti-corruption challenges. 

“Our active engagement at the UNCAC CoSP demonstrates the OSCE’s continued commitment to preventing and combating corruption through practical, partnership-driven solutions” said Ambassador Bakyt Dzhusupov, Co-ordinator of OSCE Economic and Environmental Activities. He highlighted the importance of long-standing cooperation with international partners in translating global standards into effective regional and national actions. 

Two special events co-organized by the OSCE focused on the challenges posed by the rapidly evolving landscape of virtual assets. “Shaping digital asset regulations fit for the future” co-organized jointly with the Basel Institute on Governance and UNODC looked at how governments create smart digital asset regulations that foster financial innovation while reducing financial crime and provided cross-sector insights into key principles for managing digital asset risks and shaping effective regulation. A second event “Asset management and cryptoassets”, jointly organized with the Basel Institute on Governance, the International Association of Prosecutors (IAP), Government of Nigeria, and the StAR Initiative, spotlighted real-world lessons and practical strategies for prosecutors, investigators and asset managers to strengthen cryptoasset recovery and broader asset management systems. The OSCE shared key takeaways from its technical assistance under the virtual assets extra-budgetary project, emphasizing the importance of international co-operation, strong national co-ordination among relevant authorities, continuous training of practitioners, and translating complex technical concepts related to virtual assets into clear, actionable legal language to support investigations and prosecutions.

Another special event on “DLT and Open Data: Driving Transparent Governance” examined how these innovations can advance transparency and accountability in public administration. The discussion highlighted the role of innovation and data integrity in strengthening public trust and enabling more effective, evidence-based decision-making. The experience of Ukraine’s open data ecosystem, supported through the OSCE open data and digitalization project, was cited as an inspiring example of how transparency can be achieved even under challenging circumstances. 

Youth recruitment and exploitation as money mules was a focus of next OSCE side event “Corruption and organized crime: Exploring trends, threats and impacts” which OCEEA and the OSCE Transnational Threats Department co-organized in co-operation with Febelfin Belgium, the Government of France and the Global Initiative against Transnational Organized Crime (GI-TOC). The event focused on the nexus between organized crime and corruption, exploring youth recruitment and exploitation as money mules and drew on finding from recent OSCE research  on the nexus between financial literacy and youth engagement in organized crime. The event also highlighted innovative approaches to prevention, including the use of social media for awareness raising, amplifying voices of people with lived experience, and strengthening early intervention and co-operation between police, social services, and communities.

A final event “Punching above their weight: Leadership and innovation in anti-corruption reform in Moldova and North Macedonia”, jointly organized by OCEEA, the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights, and the government of Romania explored how national strategies, parliamentary integrity, and global partnerships contribute toward building sustainable, accountable governance systems in small and medium-sized participating States, with case studies from Moldova and North Macedonia. Participants emphasized that smaller states can be an important driver of reform, innovation and meaningful change when supported by strong international cooperation and partnerships. 

During the General Discussion at the plenary, the OSCE reaffirmed its commitment to supporting participating States in implementing the UNCAC and advancing good governance and anti-corruption efforts across the OSCE region.

The Conference of the States Parties (COSP) is the main policymaking body of the United Nations Convention against Corruption. The OSCE has the status of observer within this body.