In his remarks at the U.N. General Assembly, President Obama highlighted the issue of corruption and its detrimental effects on governance and development. The President’s remarks underscore the need for leaders to serve their people rather than to use government as a means for personal enrichment. Transparency, open government, and upholding the rule of law can address corruption, while also empowering communities.
On September 28, 2015, President Obama said:
"It is not a conspiracy of U.S.-backed NGOs that expose corruption and raise the expectations of people around the globe; it’s technology, social media, and the irreducible desire of people everywhere to make their own choices about how they are governed."
And in his remarks on the Sustainable Development Goals the previous day, the President said:
"So, in the face of corruption that siphons billions away from schools and hospitals and infrastructure into foreign bank accounts, governments have to embrace transparency and open government and rule of law."