A/HRC/41/20 I. Introduction 1. Pursuant to its resolution 35/25, the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) organized, in coordination with the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) and with the participation of relevant United Nations entities, an intersessional half-day open-ended expert workshop, with the objective of exchanging best practices on how the United Nations system supports States in preventing and fighting against corruption, with a focus on human rights. The workshop was held on 11 June 2018. 2. The objectives of the expert workshop were: (a) To exchange good practices by the United Nations system in its support for States in the prevention of and fight against corruption, with a focus on human rights; (b) To identify challenges by exploring and discussing the difficulties that States face when fighting corruption; (c) To identify opportunities for linking anti-corruption measures with the promotion and protection of human rights; (d) To discuss methods for measuring the impact of corruption on the enjoyment of human rights and the importance of strong rights-based approaches to tackling corruption, for the enjoyment of all human rights and for the attainment of the Sustainable Development Goals; (e) To consider ideas for further steps and actions that might be taken by the United Nations system, including the Human Rights Council, to help States to adopt a rights-based approach to fighting and preventing corruption. 3. The Chief of the Right to Development Section of OHCHR, Ayuush Bat-Erdene, opened the workshop on behalf of OHCHR and UNODC. The Executive Secretary of the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights, Paulo Abrão, moderated the workshop and made concluding remarks. 4. The panellists included the Chief of the Implementation Support Section, Corruption and Economic Crime Branch of UNODC, Candice Welsch; the Global Programme Adviser on Anti-corruption of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), Anga Timilsina; the Head of the OHCHR Guatemala office, Liliana Valiña; the Dean and Executive Secretary of the International Anti-Corruption Academy, Martin Kreutner; and the Director of Anti-corruption of the Ghana Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice, Charles Ayamdoo. II. Opening session 5. In his opening statement,1 delivered on behalf of OHCHR and UNODC, Mr. BatErdene observed that the United Nations Convention against Corruption acknowledged the importance of addressing corruption to adequately protect democracy, the rule of law, sustainable development and, consequently, human rights. Moreover, it called for the active engagement of individuals and groups, including civil society organizations and the private sector. Public participation was a human right under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and a target under the Sustainable Development Goals. The Convention addressed the right to information and freedom of expression, rights also recognized in the Covenant. The international legal framework against corruption and human rights law shared common principles, such as transparency and accountability. The Convention gave due consideration to victims of corruption, including the need to protect and compensate them. Moreover, the Convention was sensitive to the need to respect due process and the 1 2 The statements are available from www.ohchr.org/EN/Issues/CorruptionAndHR/Pages/ WorkshopPreventingFightingAgainstCorruption.aspx.