United Nations A/RES/59/155 General Assembly Distr.: General 3 February 2005 Fifty-ninth session Agenda item 96 Resolution adopted by the General Assembly on 20 December 2004 [on the report of the Third Committee (A/59/494)] 59/155. Action against corruption: assistance to States in capacity-building with a view to facilitating the entry into force and subsequent implementation of the United Nations Convention against Corruption The General Assembly, Deeply concerned about the impact of corruption on the political, social and economic stability and development of societies, Bearing in mind that the prevention and combating of corruption is a common and shared responsibility of the international community, necessitating cooperation at the bilateral and multilateral levels, Bearing in mind also that the prevention and eradication of corruption is a responsibility of all States and that they must cooperate with one another, with the support and involvement of individuals and groups outside the public sector, such as civil society, non-governmental organizations and community-based organizations, if their efforts to prevent and combat corruption are to be effective, Reaffirming its support and commitment to the goals of the United Nations in the field of crime prevention and criminal justice, in particular the objectives set forth in the Vienna Declaration on Crime and Justice: Meeting the Challenges of the Twenty-first Century, 1 Recalling its resolution 58/4 of 31 October 2003, in which it adopted the United Nations Convention against Corruption and urged all States and competent regional economic integration organizations to sign and ratify it, Noting with appreciation the High-level Political Conference for the Purpose of Signing the United Nations Convention against Corruption, held in Merida, Mexico, from 9 to 11 December 2003, Noting with appreciation also the initiative of those States which have pledged financial contributions to the United Nations Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice Fund in order to enable developing countries and countries with economies in transition to initiate measures to implement the Convention, _______________ 1 04-48556 Resolution 55/59, annex.