UNDP-ACIAC.ORG

What is anti-corruption and how are we helping related efforts in the Arab States region?... Corruption - the misuse of entrusted power for private gain - takes many forms, including bribery, embezzlement, abuse of function, trade in influence, illicit enrichment and other similar offenses, and is often intertwined with money laundering and others forms of organized crime. It is a complex global challenge that manifests itself in varying degrees across all countries. It spares none but seems to flourish most in places where anti-corruption measures are weak and the overall political, economic and social environment is conducive to opacity, impunity, monopoly and particularism. This includes the 22 Arab countries, which do share many commonalities but are also quite heterogenous in terms of political systems, economic models and social structures, facing different types and levels of corruption... The World Economic Forum estimates the annual cost of corruption to be at least USD 2.6..