Press Briefing to launch United Nations Video Spots Titled 'With Corruption Everyone Pays' and to Provide an Overview of the 13th Session of the Commission on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice

The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) launched two public service announcements to raise public awareness on corruption and presented the main topics of the Thirteenth Session of the Commission on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice, during a press briefing in Vienna on 10 May.

The spots were presented by Tim Carlsgaard, Chief of Advocacy Section at UNODC, who also chaired the briefing. Antonio Maria Costa, Executive Director of UNODC, outlined the issues to be discussed during the Thirteenth session of the Commission on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice, which will take place in Vienna from 11-20 May.

In his presentation, Mr. Carlsgaard said that the first-ever United Nations anti-corruption video spots were part of the UNODC awareness-raising campaign in the Office's efforts against corruption, which is meant to supplement the substantial work of the Office. Mr. Carlsgaard explained that there were two 30-second video spots, one on corruption among the judiciary and one on the provision of public services (health, water, roads), areas perceived as most often affected by corruption worldwide, according to UNODC research. The spots were available in seven languages at the time of the briefing with four more language versions being prepared. During the briefing both spots were previewed in English and the judiciary one also in French. Mr. Carlsgaard informed that the spots could be translated into any language and were available free-of-charge to media, governmental and educational institutions, NGOs and anyone interested in promoting anti-corruption.

Mr. Costa then took the floor and expressed his support for the public service announcements by saying that they were an attempt by the Office to encourage television viewers around the world to think about the topic of corruption. Mr. Costa then announced tomorrow's opening of the Thirteenth Session of the Commission on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice. He outlined the main topics of the session, starting with the interrelation between law and development. He announced that there would be a special report on the work of UNODC in 2003, with combined reports on drugs and crime. Mr. Costa told the journalists that the UN Convention against Corruption and possible ways of monitoring corruption would also be discussed and that terrorism would be on the agenda with senior experts discussing the topic on 14 May.

About 10 representatives of media, NGOs and permanent missions attended the briefing. An individual interview with the BBC Radio has been requested to take place during the Commission.

* *** *