The lack of financial integrity has an impact on each country's ability to mobilize its resources and risks jeopardizing the achievement of the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals. First of all, it penalizes the poorest and most fragile.

Corruption, tax evasion and money laundering are global scourges. The fight against the opaque channels contributing to the financing of terrorism became a priority for the international community after the attacks of 11 September. Since October 2001, the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) has become a central player in this mobilization. The monitoring of financial flows likely to fuel terrorist movements was further strengthened after the advent of the so-called "Islamic State" of Daesh in June 2014. But this narrow security prism assigned to the fight against illicit financial movements neglects an essential aspect of the phenomenon that concerns us: the impact of "ordinary" corruption and tax evasion on development and health policies. It is considerable. Experts have calculated that 5% of the world's gross domestic product is lost to corruption. As for tax evasion, and its corollary, "tax optimization", its cost amounts to nearly $100 billion annually in lost revenue for poor countries, according to estimates by the NGO Oxfam. These sums, if recovered, would, for example, enable nearly 124 million children to attend school worldwide. For the African continent alone, the African Union's High-Level Working Group on Illicit Financial Flows from Africa, chaired by ThaboMbeki, concluded in 2015 that more than $50 billion was lost to embezzlement. An amount equivalent to the flows of official development assistance! Our international system has loopholes that allow hundreds of billions of dollars of public funds to be misappropriated, almost with impunity. Unfortunately, the culture of corruption remains deeply rooted everywhere. To be convinced, it is enough to recall some of the most resounding scandals of recent years: the revelation of the "Panama Papers", followed by that of the "Paradise Papers", which irrefutably highlighted the toxic role of tax havens; the corruption scandal that shook the International Football Federation (FIFA) and led to the departure of its leaders, or the scandal of the Malaysian sovereign wealth fund 1MDB, which caused at least $ 4 billion in embezzlement... Developing countries are among the most exposed to the risk of financial embezzlement. They have weaker abilities. Their tax systems lack both qualified personnel, hardware and software adapted to enforce their own laws legislation, and to implement international standards. The President of the United Nations General Assembly and the President of the United Nations Economic and Social Council have done us the honour of appointing us, jointly, as Chair of a High-level Working Group on Accountability, transparency and international financial integrity, the FACTI PANEL. The lack of financial integrity has an impact on each country's ability to mobilize its resources and risks jeopardizing the achievement of the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals. First of all, it penalizes the poorest and most fragile. The Covid-19 crisis has spread across the globe, threatening both millions of lives and the global economy. In an emergency, governments, multilateral institutions and economic operators have mobilized to react. This urgency must not be to the detriment of the principles of financial integrity, but must instead lead to their strengthening. Every effort must be made to prevent much of the necessary aid from being diverted. We are living through a crisis of unprecedented magnitude. The lack of domestic resources to ensure universal access to health care and basic social safety nets for those who have lost their livelihoods as a result of this pandemic make the perpetuation of corrupt practices, tax evasion and illicit profits even more reprehensible. States, especially the most fragile, need stable tax bases to enable them to finance their health and social spending. The entire international community is mobilizing. We must act collectively, because when it comes to tax evasion and corruption, illicit flows do not respect borders. By acting globally and strengthening international cooperation, we can find ways to build stronger financial systems that are impervious to those tempted to exploit loopholes or loopholes in existing rules. More than ever, the Panel we chair is determined to continue its work. We are committed to contributing to the creation of global and national financial systems that are honest, fair and equitable. The pandemic offers a strong argument for improving good governance and the rule of law. It must encourage us to strengthen our collective determination to combat financial abuses in a context where budgetary room for manoeuvre is limited. This crisis can be a major turning point. (*) Ibrahim Mayaki, Executive Secretary of NEPAD, is former Prime Minister of Niger and co-chair of facti-panel. (**) Dalia Grybauskaitė, former President of the Republic of Lithuania, is co-chair of facti-panel.