A few days ago, as an accredited participant, I attended the Second Global Conference on Harnessing Data to Improve Corruption Measurement, a global forum convened by the United Nations that gathered more than 450 specialists, multilateral institutions, state delegations, academia, and the private sector. It was a deeply technical yet honest space: the anti-corruption fight cannot continue to advance with incomplete data, with perceptions that carry more weight than evidence, or with national systems that do not always manage to see the full picture. The message that resonated throughout the entire conference was simple and resounding: we cannot combat what we do not know how to measure.

That concept set the pace for the discussions. From there, four lines of work emerged that clearly reveal where the global agenda must head. The first—and perhaps the most urgent—is this:

1. Corruption Can Indeed Be Measured—and We Must Do It Better

One of the most powerful assertions of the meeting was also the clearest: corruption can be measured in an objective, reliable, and methodologically robust manner.

Today, frameworks such as the UNODC Statistical Framework to Measure Corruption are available for countries to use as a technical reference to measure corruption more rigorously and comparably. These frameworks allow for the capture of real data from national household and business surveys, administrative records such as public procurement, criminal justice, and financial statistics, as well as risk indicators and evaluations of the effectiveness of institutional controls. Added to this is the potential of more advanced analytical tools—including AI—to identify patterns that previously remained hidden.

The challenge is no longer conceptual. The challenge is one of capacity, coordination, and investment in national data systems. And it was precisely on this point that the conference's next discussion focused.

2. Countries Need National Data Systems, Not Isolated Efforts

One of the central recommendations was clear: statistical offices and anti-corruption agencies must work together. Without institutional coordination, corruption data becomes fragmented and loses value.

Producing reliable information requires systems that integrate diverse sources, enable interoperability between institutions, eliminate obstacles to the responsible exchange of information, establish clear rules for data governance and publication, and reflect institutional reality beyond perceptions or intuitions.

Measuring corruption is not about generating an annual index; it is about understanding whether controls are working, where the real risks lie, and where resources should be directed. At that juncture, the conversation moved toward a cross-cutting element that can either empower—or weaken—this entire infrastructure: technology.

3. Technology, Yes, But with Clear Boundaries

The conference was precise when discussing technology. Tools such as data analytics, pattern detection, early warnings, or visualization systems expand our capacity to identify irregularities and anticipate risks, but they also demand something fundamental: ethical safeguards.

The use of technology in anti-corruption measurement must be transparent, explainable, accountable, and respectful of privacy. Innovation without control does not strengthen integrity; it puts it at risk. Since corruption recognizes no borders, this point naturally led to the next key theme of the gathering: the need for international cooperation.

4. International Cooperation Is Not Optional

Corruption is transnational, and its data must be as well. For this reason, one of the final recommendations was to institutionalize this conference every two years as a permanent mechanism for global coordination, learning, and monitoring. Furthermore, the need to strengthen collaboration between countries was reinforced through the UNCAC—the United Nations anti-corruption convention—, the GlobE Network—a global operational network of anti-corruption law enforcement authorities—, and other specialized forums to share practices, methodologies, and experiences that allow for improved measurement and response.

The anti-corruption fight advances when evidence is shared and contrasted, not when each country works in isolation. And that global reflection carries direct implications for our region.

What Does This Mean for Costa Rica and the Region?

For Latin America—and for Costa Rica—these recommendations offer a valuable technical framework to reflect on how to strengthen data systems, move toward measurements that transcend perception, and design evidence-based anti-corruption policies.

The region has advanced in terms of norms and regulatory frameworks, but without solid data, it is difficult to evaluate their actual effectiveness. Corruption is not combated solely through laws. It is combated with information, rigorous measurement, and the institutional capacity to understand what is happening, which brings us back to the central message of this day.

A Message on This International Anti-Corruption Day

Closing the gap between what we believe is happening and what is actually occurring is one of the most urgent challenges for the coming years. Because what is not measured becomes distorted, underestimated, and ultimately normalized.

This December 9, the invitation is clear: to face corruption, we must first know it. Only then can we understand it and, finally, combat it effectively.