A/HRC/23/26 responsibility of the media in combating corruption. The stronger journalists became, the stronger citizens became, armed with facts and truths. The Academy’s focus and experience was not limited to the public sector but also extended to the private sector. She also suggested that a primary factor in fighting corruption was education about corruption, its causes and effects, from small children, to graduate students, to citizens, as a necessary way of safeguarding human rights by combatting corruption. 13. Mr. Aboudrar shared the experience of Morocco in combating corruption. The first association to campaign against corruption with other civil society activists was set up 12 years prior to the ratification by Morocco of the Convention against Corruption in 2007. They were faced with a dilemma as to whether to deal first with large or small-scale corruption, and decided that they should deal with corruption on the ground. Corruption was widespread at the grassroots level. High-level corruption, not that it did not have an effect on human rights, was something abstract for the people on the street; everyday corruption needed to be tackled directly. He cited examples where people had been denied access to education, water and health-care services, and how the anti-corruption campaigners had involved all relevant players, such as families, doctors, paramedics and others represented in these sectors, to carry out risk-mapping and identify gaps 14. Summing up the panellists’ initial remarks, the moderator underlined the importance of a nuanced definition of corruption and that the denial of access to basic services as a result of corruption constituted human rights violations. He said that anti-corruption activists and whistle-blowers could be regarded as human rights defenders. Human rights and anti-corruption efforts shared basically the same principles, and the Convention against Corruption review mechanism had the potential to include a human rights-based approach to those efforts. Investigative journalists, witnesses and citizens could be assisted through training and education to enhance their participation in anti-corruption efforts. Corruption denied human rights and the complexity of the context must be taken into account when assessing corruption. IV. Summary of the discussion 15. Following the remarks by the panellists moderated by Mr. Marschall, the President of the Human Rights Council opened the floor for a question and answer session. Speaking during the two rounds of interactive discussion were Morocco, Gabon (on behalf of the African Group), Poland, Benin, Liechtenstein (on behalf of a group of States), Canada (on behalf of the Francophone Group), Burkina Faso, the United States of America, Estonia, Togo, Malaysia, Georgia, the European Union, Indonesia, Montenegro, Maldives, Brazil, Bahrain (on behalf of the Arab Group), Guatemala, United Republic of Tanzania, Australia, Egypt, Uruguay and Algeria. The following non-governmental organizations also took the floor: Reporters Without Borders, the International Association of Schools of Social Work, the European Union for Public Relations, the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights and the Indian Council of South America. 16. During the discussion, all speakers emphasized the links between corruption and human rights, whether those links concerned the negative impact of corruption on a wide range of human rights or the importance of human rights in strengthening anti-corruption efforts. Many speakers acknowledged that corruption affected all countries and underlined the need to combat corruption at the national and international levels with a comprehensive approach and increased cooperation. Corruption created injustice and was an obstacle to the realization of human rights, development and MDGs, such as the eradication of poverty, hunger and the delivery of basic services. It also seriously reduced the ability of the public administration of States to ensure the enjoyment of human rights. Countering corruption was an important dimension in ensuring human rights and concerted efforts were necessary 6