ABU DHABI, 4th November, 2020 (WAM) — Dr. Harib Saeed Al Amimi, President of Supreme Audit Institution, SAI, of the UAE and Chairman of the Conference of the States Parties to UN Convention against Corruption, has chaired the 6th meeting of Chairmen of GCC Anti-Corruption and Integrity Protection Agencies, which was held via video conferencing.
The meeting was attended by the GCC Secretary-General, Dr. Nayef Falah Al Hajraf, as well as ministers and heads of relevant authorities.
During the meeting, Al Amimi stressed that corruption is a dangerous phenomenon present in every country while pointing out that it has become an international cross-border crime, which threatens stability and peace and hinder rule of law and development projects.
He added that the GCC countries believe that corruption is a multi-faceted criminal phenomenon that has a negative effect on ethical values, political life and social and economic areas, affirming that they have begun drafting relevant legislation and establishing authorities in charge of addressing corruption, which will cooperate with relevant national entities.
The GCC countries have also joined related bilateral, regional and international agreements, most notably the UN Convention Against Corruption, to cooperate with other countries in combatting this menace.
“Today, four decades have passed since the establishment of the GCC in Abu Dhabi in 1981, in light of the developments associated with the current conditions and the numerous political, economic, security, environmental and social challenges faced by its member countries, including the COVID-19 pandemic, which has magnified current issues and imposed an alternative reality that forced countries and peoples to find alternative ways of practising their activities, requiring the use of information technology and artificial intelligence, AI, to detect corruption and benefit from information systems analysis, in addition to the promotion of bilateral and international cooperation,” he said.
He also commended the efforts of the GCC countries to combat corruption, including the Abu Dhabi Declaration issued by the conference, as well as Riyadh’s initiative issued during the G20 ministerial meeting of anti-corruption ministers.
The meeting’s agenda comprised several topics related to cooperation and coordination and training courses. Its participants also adopted the Abu Dhabi Declaration as an official international document, as well as Riyadh’s initiative, which as an official document that will serve as the appropriate guideline in the GCC countries.
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November 4, 2020, Published by Emirate News Agency
