Corruption affects all regions of the world and all levels of society, but the impact is greatest in developing countries, which comprises a large part of Asia and the Pacific. Corruption can undermine political, social and economic stability, and ultimately threaten the safety and security of society as a whole, and according to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), petty corruption to large-scale corruption not only weakens the state, it also weakens the ability of the state to defend its citizens from criminal activities, and makes itself and its neighboring countries vulnerable to terrorist activities. 

This year’s International Anticorruption Day (IAD) highlighted how corruption not only undermines political, social, and economic stability, but also threaten the safety and security of society. The IAD 2017 presentations illustrated how corruption facilitates money laundering and illicit trade and financing, which in turn benefits illicit entities and activities, fuels organized crime, and even terrorism. Keynote speakers Nikos Passas, Professor, Criminology and Criminal Justice, Northeastern University and Sayed Ikram Afzali, Executive Director, Integrity Watch Afghanistan, discussed the global and national implications of corruption on safety and security.