Home > CoSP10

CoSP10

Page last updated: 8 December 2023

The Conference of the States Parties (CoSP) is the main decision-making body of the UN Convention against Corruption (UNCAC).

All states that have ratified the UNCAC are automatically part of the Conference of the State Parties. Other states (signatories and non-signatories), intergovernmental organisations and non-governmental organizations can apply for observer status at CoSP sessions.

The CoSP meets every two years and adopts resolutions and decisions aimed at building States parties’ capacity and cooperation to achieve the convention’s objectives as well as promoting and reviewing its implementation. It operates under Rules of Procedure adopted by the Conference.

The 10th session of the UNCAC Conference of the States Parties (CoSP10) will take place in Atlanta, Georgia, USA from 11-15 December 2023.

Official websites for the UNCAC CoSP10:

Check out our resources for civil society

UNCAC Coalition Written submissions to the UNCAC CoSP

Thematic submissions

Submissions by the organizations in the UNCAC Coalition’s network on regional anti-corruption priorities

Executive summaries of civil society parallel reports on UNCAC implementation

Submissions by UNCAC Coalition Working Groups

NEW! CoSP Events

UNODC has published the program for CoSP10 special events between 11-15 December.

We would like to invite those of you attending the CoSP10 in person to the UNCAC Coalition Victims of Corruption Working Group meeting on Wednesday, 13 December, at 15:00 in the Dallas/Civil Society Meeting Room. This will be an excellent opportunity to gather everyone interested in this issue, including government officials. This event is open to everyone attending the CoSP10, you do not have to be a member of the working group to attend. We will share more information closer to the meeting date.

The call from UNODC for applications for special events closed on 26 August 2023. Kindly note that the UNCAC Coalition is not involved in the process of organizing or selecting which events will be held at the CoSP10: this process is moderated by UNODC.

Pre-CoSP Events

A Civil Society Forum, an Academic Symposium and a Youth Event will be taking place before the CoSP, between Saturday and Sunday 9-10 December. To participate in these events, CoSP10 accreditation is not necessary. You can register for these events here. 

*Pre-CoSP Civil Society Forum registration is now closed, as we have reached the 800 in-person participant registration limit. However, online attendance is still possible and you can register to attend online. NGOs that have been accredited to the CoSP10 but did not manage to sign up to the forum may still attend in-person using their CoSP10 badge.

UNCAC Coalition CoSP10 Mailing List Communities

If you are an NGO representative or academic planning to attend in person or online the 10th UNCAC CoSP,  the UNCAC Coalition invites you to subscribe to our CoSP10 Mailing List Communities where we will coordinate advocacy efforts and share relevant information before and during the conference. Fill out the form here!

Applications to attend the CoSP

After receiving your invitation letter from UNODC, register to attend the CoSP10 via Indico by 1 December 2023. Follow our guidance on how to apply here.

The call from UNODC for non-ECOSOC NGOs to apply to participate in CoSP10 has already closed – the firm deadline was 23 June 2023.

ECOSOC NGOs, in particular those that have not recently participated in UNCAC CoSPs, should express their interest in participating by sending an email to the UNCAC Secretariat: email hidden; JavaScript is required. They will then receive an invitation in September.

Please see our guidance regarding US visa below.

Applying for a USA-entry Visa

  • NGO participants should apply for B1/B2 Visas (combined).
  • Even if no visa appointments are available for your country until after the CoSP10, we strongly encourage you to apply to participate in the CoSP10 and for a U.S. visa as soon as possible: US consulate can provide expedited visa appointments. These can be requested through a dedicated email address or form by the respective consulate.
  • The application fee should be the same worldwide ($160), but some countries have reciprocity fees that could tack on additional costs if the visa is approved.
  • If you must choose between B1or B2 for the DS-160 application form when B1/B2 is not available for whatever reason or for reciprocity fee differences, please choose B1 visa, as that is for business travel (“Traveling for a scientific, educational, professional or business convention, or a conference on specific dates”).
  • If you need to provide a supporting document for your visa appointment, we suggest you use the official CoSP 10 invitation letter the organization received from UNODC.
    • If the DS-160 form asks you to provide a contact person or organization in the United States, you can name UNODC:
      UNODC New York Office
      United Nations Headquarters
      DC1 Building
      Room 613
      One United Nations Plaza
      New York, NY 10017
      Telephone: +1 (212) 963-5698
      Contact person: N/A
  • If you enjoy visa-free travel (eligible through ESTA), you do not need an additional visa for the CoSP. In this case, you should travel through the ESTA like all ESTA-eligible travellers.
  • If your ESTA is denied for whatever reason, e.g., travel to a “state sponsor of terrorism” (Cuba, North Korea, Iran, and Syria), you would then need to apply for a visa to enter the US.

Pre-CoSP CSO briefings

The UNCAC Coalition hosted a fourth and final briefing for civil society in November 2023 on CoSP10 preparations. Did you miss out? Catch up by watching the event recording or by scrolling through the slides.

  • You can find here the presentation recording and slides on getting ready for the CoSP10 from the UNCAC Coalition’s third civil society briefing in October 2023. 
  • You can find here the presentation on UNCAC CoSP10 registration and logistics that the UNCAC Coalition during a second briefing for civil society in May 2023.
  • The UNCAC Coalition hosted a first civil society briefing in February 2023 on basic information and advocacy plans for the Conference. Find out more by scrolling through the slides.

Useful links & resources

A global civil society network promoting the implementation and monitoring of the United Nations Convention against Corruption (UNCAC)