UNCAC’s 11th Conference of State Parties: A global confab to vanquish corruption  

 FROM December 14-19, 2025, the enchanting city of Doha, Qatar played host to the 11^th Conference of State Parties to the United Nations Convention Against Corruption (UNCAC). The State of Qatar hosted the conference in close coordination with the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC). As the Convention’s main policymaking body, every two years, the CoSP bring together States Parties, signatories, observer states, intergovernmental organizations, civil society, and leading experts in the field of anti-corruption. These sessions provide a strategic platform to assess progress in implementing the Convention, address emerging challenges, and adopt resolutions that shape global anti-corruption priorities. For a first timer, the conference proved to be very enriching both in terms of procedure, policy and the entire gamut of the negotiation. The CoSP11 session featured plenary meetings, high-level dialogues, special events, and exhibitions, all designed to foster dialogue, facilitate knowledge exchange, and enhance collective action against corruption.

There could be no mistaken the factors, which made Qatar so alluring as conference host. Apart from its excellent infrastructure, the gulf state has over the years showcased the possibilities of what could be achieved, if a country invests its wealth on critical long term national priorities. The evidence was all over the place; the State of Qatar deployed public resources for the for the common good and was able to achieve critical national priorities. This resounding success has now ensured the country solidifies its place as a prime global business, and tourism destination. The entire stretch of Doha’s city centre presents breathtaking spaces and skyscrapers. Given the quantum of physical infrastructure in place, including a driverless, self-piloting metro rail system offering efficient public transportation, it was apparent that the State of Qatar achieved these milestones by putting in place a strong anti-corruption framework.

Unlike some countries whose developmental objectives and national priorities, can only be found in documents and the endless speeches of their leaders, the results on the ground in Doha pointed to country, which puts its money to work with clear priorities in mind. Little wonder, the massive development in Qatar, which was reportedly achieved in less than three decades, has cemented its position as the preferred destination for conferences, tourism and global events. This timeframe is about the same period Nigeria made the transition from military dictatorship to a civilian dispensation in 1999. In other words, Nigeria could also have been able to drastically change the fortune of its citizens, if its leaders since 1999 made the right choices. For the Qataris therefore, the exceptional transformation of their national space, which used to be a desert, remains a stark reminder of the woeful failure and the abysmal quality of life and leadership on offer in countries like Nigeria. For several Nigerians who attended CoSP 11, the beauty of Doha contrasted sharply with the terrible quality of the governance outcomes foisted on the Nigerian people. The world class infrastructure, law, and order in Doha would have been impossible if vast chunks of public funds had ended up in the private pockets and bank accounts of greedy leaders.

Little wonder, for the group of Nigerians at the UNCAC CoSP11, the giant and breathtaking strides of the State of Qatar was a constant source of simultaneous awe and anguish. While the achievements of the Qataris were applauded, the pain and heartaches of Nigerians were also apparent. Many were left to wonder if what the Nigerian State sells in the international market is “palm oil or coconut oil” instead of the same crude oil, which gulf countries like Qatar have used to completely transform themselves. Several posers and reflections followed focusing on the reason Nigerian leaders visit places like Doha, yet they return home to continue with the primitive accumulation, mindless treasury looting and unbridled corruption. The reality was clear and there could be no mistaken the fact that when it comes to corruption and abuse of power, the vast majority of Nigerian leaders are arguably the undisputed champions. This has made the country a basket case in which both earned revenue and borrowed funds meant to develop the country and create the future, disappear into private bank accounts. The ultimate losers are the long-suffering people of the country who are denied the benefit of having proper social goods and services. One did not need be in the meeting rooms in Doha to see the difference between a society that has vanquished corruption and one in which corruption thrives and undermines the public good.

By hosting the conference, the State of Qatar basically showed the way, given how it has set up independent institutions to prevent corruption. Through the Administrative Control and Transparency Authority, the State of Qatar has been quite active in strengthening key institutions to vigorously fight corruption. ACTA according to its website pushes for a national working environment characterised by the highest principles and standards of integrity and transparency. As expected, the effectiveness of those anti-corruption efforts has been repeatedly validated by data from Transparency International Corruption Perception Index, which showed that Qatar gained 59 points, making it rank second in Gulf and Arab countries.

When compared to the situation in Nigeria, Qatar proved its mettle as a society where leaders obey rules. In Nigeria, corruption is worsened by impunity because political leaders and followers celebrate and glorify mediocrity. By putting private greed ahead of the common good, corrupt leaders leave a dubious legacy of dilapidated infrastructure and deficits in critical sectors like education, healthcare, security and human development. As expected, the outcomes of the choices made by leaders will always be clear for all to see. In the city centre of Doha, residents and tourists walk very freely, without fear of being victims of violent crimes like kidnapping and banditry. The streets with their imposing architecture, are free of beggars and street urchins. Once in a while roars of gleamy and luxurious SUVs of different brands pierce the calmness of the city. At the same time, ordinary people who have no SUVs can commute cheaply and efficiently using the clean, timely and efficient metro. This contrast offers a perspective of a society in which no one is left behind.

Furthermore, the details of the discussions at the conference made more meaning in the context of the achievements of the State of Qatar. The sharing and networking, with a focus on combatting corruption did not feel like long winding rhetoric. The impeccably organised global confab, which held at the magnificent Sheraton Grand Resort in Doha provided the space for governments, development agencies and civil society across the world to reflect on the clear and present danger posed by corruption. As state parties negotiated, anti-corruption coalitions from across the world pondered on UNCAC themes like corruption prevention, asset recovery, criminalisation, anti-corruption education, political finance, beneficial ownership and many more. The diverse side events equally explored the roles and responsibilities of both the state and society in preventing, detecting and exposing corruption.

One of the unique aspects of the conference was the convening of a Civil Society Day. The day was used by civic organisations across the world to network and coordinate strategies for knowledge sharing and anti-corruption advocacy. Civil society was also able to collectively advocate to state parties about processes like the UNCAC Implementation Review Mechanism (IRM). Initiatives like the UNCAC Global Coalition’s Transparency Pledge, which embodies a voluntary commitment to meet minimum standards of transparency and civil society participation in the UNCAC review mechanism, featured prominently. Interestingly, only a handful of countries in Africa have signed on to the Transparency Pledge, which calls for civil society participation in the UNCAC review process through information sharing, publication of assessment reports and engaging civil society through briefings. African states, which have signed the pledge as at December 2025 are Liberia, Morrocco, Mauritius and Tunisia. Nigerian civil society groups like Grassroots Center for Rights & Civic Orientation (GRACO), Africa Network for Environment & Economic Justice (ANEEJ), the Center for Fiscal Transparency and Public Integrity, Socio-Economic Research & Development Centre (SERDEC), Paradigm Leadership Support Initiative (PLSI) and the 21^st Century Initiative for Youth & Women (CEYWI).

In the subsequent Doha Civil Society Declaration released at the end of the conference, civil society actors commended the State of Qatar for facilitating an inclusive conference that involved non-governmental stakeholders from all sectors in cooperation with UNODC. This gesture was described as being in line with the good practice established at the previous session of the Conference. However, the tension between civil society and state parties did not go away completely. At the start of the conference, some state parties initially objected to the participation of several non-governmental groups. These disagreements were eventually resolved, but they signal the tensions, which continue to affect state and society collaboration to fight corruption. Apart from commending state parties on progress recorded on issues like addressing corruption in political party finance, crimes that affect the environment and corruption prevention, the Doha Civil Society Declaration was quick to draw attention to the reality of the shrinking civic space in several countries.

As such, the declaration expressed deep concern about the repressive actions taken by numerous States Parties against individuals and organizations working to expose corruption, promote transparency, and hold those in power to account. The UNCAC coalition therefore warned that support for a truly inclusive approach to fighting corruption and ensuring a safe and enabling environment for civil society is rapidly diminishing in many countries, leading to shrinking civic space and reduced transparency and accountability. The Coalition further condemned actions by some States Parties to undermine the role of civil society organizations, the media, and academia in anti-corruption initiatives. It said: “Without adequate protections, those working to report, expose, investigate, and prosecute corruption face heightened risks of retaliation, discrimination, harassment, as well as severe personal, professional and psychosocial consequences.”

In one of its calls to action therefore, the UNCAC Coalition urged States Parties to actively protect and expand civic space as a fundamental precondition for effective prevention and detection of corruption. It noted that restrictions on freedoms of expression, association and peaceful assembly directly undermine the objectives of the UNCAC. The coalition said: “Governments must remove all barriers that constrain civic space and contravene international human rights obligations, and establish safeguards to identify, prevent, and address risks of reprisal and intimidation at an early stage.

“States must strengthen measures to protect and defend all individuals and groups who expose, report, or investigate corruption, including journalists, whistleblowers, human rights defenders and anti-corruption activists, and ensure timely, effective responses to threats and reprisals against them, including smear campaigns, gendered forms of intimidation and violence, and legal or administrative harassment.” As participants exited the conference after four intense days of connecting, sharing and networking, there could be no doubt that the memories of Qatar’s hospitality and its remarkable progress in preventing corruption would inspire individuals and organisations across the world.

• Ajanaku, Executive Director of Abuja-based Grassroots Center for Rights & Civic Orientation (GRACO), was in Doha, Qatar

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