Under the patronage of His Royal Highness Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Crown Prince and Prime Minister, President of the Oversight and Anti-Corruption Authority Mazin bin Ibrahim Al-Kahmous in Jeddah today inaugurated the two-day First Ministerial Meeting of Anti-Corruption Law Enforcement Agencies in Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) Member States, which is organized by Nazaha. The agenda of the meeting includes the election of members of the bureau, the adoption of the draft agenda, the program of work, the adoption of the report of the senior officials' meeting, as well as the adoption of a resolution for the convention of OIC member states in the field of anti-corruption law enforcement, and the adoption of the final report of the meeting. Al-Kahmous welcomed the heads and representatives of international organizations to the First Ministerial Meeting of Anti-Corruption Law Enforcement Agencies of the OIC Member States. He stressed that Saudi Arabia, led by the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, and HRH the Crown Prince supports efforts to combat corruption at the local and international levels, as combating corruption is one of the most crucial pillars of the Kingdom's Vision 2030. The President of the Authority appreciated His Royal Highness Crown Prince's patronage of this meeting. He also explained that the First Ministerial Meeting of Anti-Corruption Law Enforcement Agencies of the OIC member states is a confirmation of the activation of the organization's charter, which states to combat corruption, money laundering and organized crime, and to embody the strong relations between Islamic countries and achieve the desired goals, indicating that the adoption of the Makkah Convention by member states establishes a new phase of strengthening cooperation in the field of combating corruption to serve common interests and achieve more development and prosperity, and to set an example to follow, which is a step consistent with the contents of the United Nations Convention against Corruption, and reflects the seriousness of member states of the organization, as the second largest international organization after the United Nations. He also thanked the Secretary General of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, the General Secretariat, the Group of Governmental Experts for the efforts made in preparing for this meeting and for the Makkah Al-Mukarramah Convention and appreciated Member States and organizations for their participation. Later on, OIC Secretary General Hissein Brahim Taha delivered a speech stressing that the Makkah Al-Mukarramah Convention represents the most important suitable framework for preventing and fighting corruption in OIC member states through effective prevention, law enforcement, international cooperation and asset recovery mechanisms, noting that member states need legal mechanisms that help enhance the principles of transparency and integrity to uphold the foundations of good governance. He renewed his appreciation to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for its generous initiative, as President of the 14th Islamic Summit, to host the 1st Ministerial Meeting of Anti-Corruption Law Enforcement Agencies in OIC Member States under the umbrella of the OIC. The secretary general called for engaging in the fight against corruption by signing and ratifying the Makkah Al-Mukarramah Convention for OIC member states to cooperate in the enforcement of anti-corruption laws in accordance with their legal regulations and in line with member states' aspirations and views in the fight against corruption. Heads and representatives of anti-corruption law enforcement agencies in the member states of the OIC participate in the meeting, in addition to several international organizations, including the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), the International Criminal Police Organization (INTERPOL), and the Egmont Group of Financial Intelligence Units, as well as several experts in the field of protecting integrity and combating corruption from inside and outside the Kingdom. The Makkah Al-Mukarramah Convention promotes cooperation among anti-corruption law enforcement agencies in an effective and quick manner, encourages joining to the Riyadh Global Initiative Network, provides a legal framework for the direct and quick exchange of information and investigations, and contributes to preventing corruption crimes and reducing safe havens for corrupt people.
