In July 2024, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) launched an international essay writing competition through its Global Resource for Anti-Corruption Education and Youth Empowerment (GRACE) initiative. The competition invited young people from around the world to share how corruption impacts their lives, families, and communities, as well as how civil society in their countries or communities works to prevent and combat corruption.
After reviewing a total of 1,331 essay submissions from more than 100 countries, the GRACE initiative selected 26 winners, representing 21 countries across all regions of the world.