Jeddah, Their Excellencies the Ministers who are responsible for the enforcement of anti-corruption laws in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries held the 1st Ministerial Meeting for the Enforcement Agencies of Anti-corruption laws in the GCC countries, on Wednesday (December 21, 2022), at the kind invitation of the Oversight and Anti-Corruption Authority in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in Jeddah Governorate. The meeting was chaired by His Excellency Mr. Mazin bin Ibrahim Al Kahmous, President of the Oversight and Anti-Corruption Authority in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, present in it were His Excellency Mr. Harib Al Amimi, President of State Audit Institution United Arab Emirates, His Excellency Lt. Gen. Tariq bin Hassan Al Hassan, Chief of Public Security in the Kingdom of Bahrain, His Excellency Shaikh Ghosn bin Hilal bin Khalifa Al Alawi, President of the State Financial and Administrative Audit Institution in the Sultanate of Oman, His Excellency Mr. Hamad bin Nasser Al Misned, Chairman of the Administrative Control and Transparency Authority in the State of Qatar, His Excellency Mr. Abdul Aziz Al Majid, Minister of Justice, Islamic Affairs and Endowments and Minister of State for Integrity Promotion in the State of Kuwait, and with the participation of His Excellency Dr Nayef Falah M. Al Hajraf, Secretary General of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC).
The following statement was issued following the meeting:
“We, the Ministers who are responsible for the enforcement of anti-corruption laws in the GCC states, met on Wednesday (December 21, 2022), in Jeddah Governorate. The meeting was chaired by His Excellency Mr. Mazin bin Ibrahim Al Kahmous, President of the Oversight and Anti-Corruption Authority of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, in the presence of Their Excellencies the Ministers of Anti-Corruption Law Enforcement Authorities in the GCC states, and with the participation of His Excellency Dr Nayef Falah M. Al Hajraf, Secretary General of the GCC, with the aim of enhancing cooperation between the enforcement agencies of anti-corruption laws, in order to achieve the aspirations of the leaders of the GCC states and the desired integration.
We commend what has been included in the closing statement issued by the GCC Supreme Council in its 43rd session that was held on December 9, 2022, which emphasised the full and accurate implementation of the vision of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud to enhance joint GCC action, and the strength and cohesion of the Cooperation Council, as well as unity between its members, to achieve more coordination, integration and interdependence in all fields, and in order to achieve the aspirations of the citizens of the GCC states.
We welcome the decision issued by the 1st Ministerial Meeting of the Enforcement Agencies of Anti-Corruption Laws in the member states of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation, held on December 20, 2022, chaired by the Oversight and Anti-Corruption Authority of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and stipulating the approval of the Makkah Agreement of the Member States of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation for cooperation in the field of enforcing anti-corruption laws, and submitting it to the Council of Foreign Ministers of Member States of the Organisation for approval.
We commend the decision of the Ministerial Council in its 154th preparatory session for the 43rd session of the GCC Supreme Council that was held on December 7, 2022, to approve what was submitted by the GCC Anti-Corruption Ministerial Committee in the minutes of the 8th meeting that was held on October 12, 2022, by providing full support to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in its initiative to adopt an agreement to enhance cooperation between the law enforcement authorities concerned with combating corruption in the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation.
We commend the decision issued by the 7th meeting of the GCC Anti-Corruption Ministerial Committee that was held on October 3, 2021, urging the enforcement agencies of anti-corruption laws in the GCC countries to swiftly join the Riyadh Global Initiative Network for enforcement authorities in charge of Anti-Corruption Law (Globe Network), in line with the Al Ula statement issued by the 41st session of the GCC Supreme Council (Sultan Qaboos and Shaikh Al Sabah Summit), which stressed the need to benefit from what was agreed upon within the framework of the G20 and the Riyadh initiative regarding cooperation in investigations into cross-border corruption cases and pursue of the perpetrators.
We also commend the decision issued by the 7th meeting of the GCC Anti-Corruption Ministerial Committee, to approve the title of the annual event for the year 2022; “Enhancing Cooperation Between Law Enforcement Authorities In Charge Of Combating Corruption” organised by the Oversight and Anti-Corruption Authority of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (the presidential state).
We also commend the decision issued by the 9th session of the Conference of the States Parties to the United Nations Convention against Corruption No. 9/5 of 2021, which calls on member states to encourage enforcement agencies of anti-corruption laws to join the Riyadh Global Initiative Network for enforcement authorities in charge of Anti-Corruption Law (Globe Network), which aims to provide flexible and effective tools to combat cross-border corruption crimes.
In view of the economic, security and social threats and danger posed by corruption, and since the crime of corruption is a cross-border crime; its control requires close international cooperation. We stress through this statement the importance of enhancing cooperation between enforcement agencies of anti-corruption laws within the framework of the GCC.
To raise the level of coordination and enhance the ability of the GCC states to pursue the perpetrators of cross-border corruption crimes, and the revenues resulting from their criminal activities, and to take precautionary measures on them, in accordance with the national regulations (laws) in force in each of the GCC states, it has been agreed that enforcement agencies of anti-corruption laws in the GCC states assign communication officers and providing the General Secretariat with their names and means of communication with them, with the aim to facilitate coordination between them, in order to ensure the speed of exchanging information and investigations related to cross-border corruption crimes, provided that the General Secretariat circulates the list of names of communication officers to the GCC countries and periodically updating it.
Seeking the goal of enhancing regional cooperation, we recommend that the General Secretariat coordinates to hold an annual ministerial meeting for enforcement agencies of anti-corruption laws in the GCC states, in accordance with the procedures in force within the framework of the GCC, and to hold a periodic meeting of the communication officers in these authorities, which contributes to enhancing GCC integration and cooperation in the field of combating cross-border corruption crimes, through the exchange of information and investigations in those crimes, revealing, investigating them, pursuing the perpetrators, and helping to recover and restore stolen assets.
Moreover, and in order to enhance international cooperation to combat cross-border corruption crimes, we encourage enforcement agencies of anti-corruption laws in the GCC states to join the Riyadh Global Initiative Network for enforcement authorities in charge of Anti-Corruption Law (Globe Network), which was launched under the umbrella of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, considering its contribution to raising the level of cooperation between enforcement agencies of anti-corruption laws.
We thank the Oversight and Anti-Corruption Authority of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for its chairmanship of the GCC Anti-Corruption Ministerial Committee and its outstanding efforts during its presidency period in the year 2022, and for its organisation and hosting of this first ministerial meeting of its kind in the field of combatting corruption in the GCC, within the member states’ efforts towards building a culture that rejects corruption in all its forms, and to proceed with determination to block all the routes that lead to corruption.”
Source: Bahrain News Agency