United Nations (New York), Dec 14 (IANS): UN Secretary General, Antonio Guterres has warned against criminal exploitation of Covid-19 recovery resources.

In a video message to the ninth session of the Conference of the States Parties to the UN Convention against Corruption (CoSP9) in Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt, the top UN official on Monday warned that countries investing in Covid-19 recovery, "must guard against the diversion of vital resources by criminal opportunists."

Corruption spreads through societies and erodes people's trust in leaders and institutions, Guterres told the anti-corruption conference, stressing that "greed over need, harms us all."

Corruption deepens inequalities, feeds cynicism and reinforces obstacles facing women and girls, according to the UN Chief, who maintained that tackling it is "an important step towards inclusive, sustainable development."

Guterres described the conference as an opportunity to strengthen cooperation and accelerate global action against corruption, Xinhua news agency reported.

"Let us revive hope and restore trust in institutions ... now is the time to act for a safer, more prosperous and just future," the UN Chief added.

The session kicked off on Monday in Egypt's resort city of Sharm El-Sheikh. The session will last until December 17, with more than 2,000 participants from governments, regional and inter-governmental organisations, civil society, academia, and the private sector taking part virtually and in-person.