Under the chairmanship of Qatar, Doha Ministerial Conference of OIC Anti-Corruption Authorities kicks off

Doha (UNA-OIC) – Under the patronage of Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani, Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Qatar, the second ministerial meeting of anti-corruption law enforcement authorities in the member states of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) kicked off today, Wednesday (November 27, 2024) in the Qatari capital, Doha.

The meeting was chaired by the State of Qatar and witnessed the participation of 56 countries and a number of international and regional organizations.

At the beginning of the meeting, President of the Oversight and Anti-Corruption Authority (Nazaha) Mazen bin Ibrahim Al-Kahmous delivered the speech of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Chair of the First Ministerial Meeting, expressing his sincere thanks and appreciation to the State of Qatar for its initiative in hosting the Second Ministerial Meeting, and for the good organization and hospitality of this meeting.

Al-Kahmous said: We gather today while the tragic events persist, as our brothers and sisters in Palestine and Lebanon continue to face unprecedented aggression and blatant violations by Israeli occupation forces. These atrocities have resulted in more than 150,000 casualties, including martyrs, injured, and missing persons, the majority of whom are women and children.

He added: Based on the historical responsibility of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and its commitment to joint Islamic action, it did not stand idly by, but rather, within the framework of the OIC and the League of Arab States, hosted two extraordinary joint Arab and Islamic summits, as well as hosting the initiative of the Global Alliance for Implementation of the Two-State Solution, in addition to hosting a number of ministerial meetings, pointing out that the ministerial committee headed by the Kingdom is still currently touring the world in support of the just rights of the Palestinian people.

Al-Kahmous stressed that based on the Kingdom’s keenness to transfer experiences and exchange expertise, it took the initiative during the period 20-21 December 2022 to host the first ministerial meeting of law enforcement authorities specialized in combating corruption in the OIC member states, under the generous patronage of His Royal Highness the Crown Prince, Prime Minister, Prince Mohammed bin Salman.

He explained that the meeting resulted in the approval of the “Makkah Al-Mukarramah Convention of the Member States of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation on Anti- Corruption Law Enforcement Cooperation,” which embodies the interest of member states in enhancing cooperation in the exchange of information and investigations between law enforcement authorities in an efficient and rapid manner that contributes to the recovery and return of assets.

He stressed the Kingdom’s awareness of the repercussions of the cross-border crime of corruption and its impact on Islamic societies and their renaissance. Therefore, concerted efforts at the local and international levels to combat this scourge represent a fundamental pillar for achieving its 2030 vision, which will achieve prosperity and flourishing in our Islamic countries and support their sustainable development goals.

He pointed out that in this regard, the “Makkah Convention” is the ideal framework for enhancing anti-corruption efforts and strengthening international cooperation in this field, calling on member states to expedite the signing of the agreement during this meeting and take the necessary regulatory measures to ratify it.

Al-Kahmous welcomed the ministerial meeting’s adoption of a draft resolution submitted by Saudi Arabia and the Republic of Maldives with the aim of confronting modern methods and loopholes used by perpetrators of corruption crimes related to the tourism sector.

He stressed that the process of measuring corruption is important, complex and multidimensional, noting that in the absence of reference and objective indicators that measure our countries’ efforts in combating corruption, the Kingdom has worked in partnership with relevant international organizations to develop methodologies and indicators to measure corruption.

In this regard, Al-Kahmous welcomed the meeting’s adoption of a draft resolution submitted by Saudi Arabia to encourage OIC member states to cooperate with the United Nations Development Program and relevant international organizations in the field of measuring corruption.

Following that, the State of Qatar assumed the presidency of the second ministerial meeting, where the Chairman of the Administrative Control and Transparency Authority, Hamad bin Nasser Al-Misnad, delivered Qatar’s speech, welcoming the countries participating in the meeting, and expressing his thanks to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for successfully hosting the first ministerial meeting of anti-corruption law enforcement authorities.

In his speech, Al-Misnad stressed that corruption is a major scourge and poses a real challenge to global security and peace, which requires intensifying efforts together to develop effective strategies, programs and executive plans to eliminate corruption in all its forms and achieve sustainable development.

He explained that the OIC countries have achieved many accomplishments in the field of combating corruption, whether through enacting the necessary legislation and strengthening legal frameworks, or through establishing strong and effective oversight bodies, noting that despite these achievements, challenges still exist, and we must continue to work on strengthening integrity and transparency systems and developing oversight and accountability mechanisms.

Al-Misnad stressed that the State of Qatar gives great importance to international cooperation and participatory methodology in combating corruption, and is committed to strengthening international partnerships by concluding several memoranda of understanding with regional and international institutions and bodies concerned with combating corruption in the world.

“The State of Qatar stands out as a reliable partner in achieving the highest levels of integrity and promoting effective governance, thanks to the wise leadership of His Highness Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, Amir of the State Qatar, which has paved the way for enhancing national efforts for integrity and transparency and taking clear efforts based on solid foundations and strict legislation that contribute in turn to achieving Qatar National Vision 2030, which aims to build an honest society that enhances opportunities for sustainable development,” said Al-Misnad.

He pointed out that the second ministerial meeting is a valuable opportunity to enhance regional and international cooperation in the field of combating corruption, expressing his confidence that the recommendations and proposals that the meeting will reach will contribute effectively to combating corruption and building an administrative and institutional system based on justice, fairness and equality.

Al-Misnad expressed his hope that the meeting would be an opportunity to exchange experiences, ideas and visions, explaining that the State of Qatar always welcomes sharing its experiences with sisterly and friendly countries.

For his part, the OIC Secretary General, Hissein Brahim Taha, on behalf of the OIC General Secretariat and all participating delegations, expressed his deep gratitude to His Highness Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani and the Government of the State of Qatar for hosting this important meeting.

He stressed that the “Makkah Convention” is not just a legal document; rather, it is evidence of our collective commitment to enhancing cooperation, as it focuses on enhancing cooperation between anti-corruption law enforcement authorities, with a particular focus on strengthening communication mechanisms, exchanging information, accelerating investigations and collecting evidence.

Taha explained that the ultimate goal of the agreement is to ensure the prompt and effective processing of requests for information exchange and investigations between member states to support criminal justice and ensure accountability for perpetrators of corruption.

Taha stressed that we live in a world where traditional anti-corruption measures are no longer sufficient, noting that the rapid pace of technological advancement has provided perpetrators with new tools to hide the proceeds of corruption and escape punishment, so the OIC must enhance cooperation and coordination, especially among anti-corruption law enforcement authorities in member states, to address this global challenge.

He stressed that the second ministerial meeting provides a crucial opportunity to strengthen our commitment to combating corruption by enhancing cooperation between law enforcement authorities involved in combating corruption and reinforces the message that combating corruption remains a top priority on the Organization’s agenda.

Taha urged all member states to demonstrate their commitment to combating corruption by signing and ratifying the “Makkah Convention”, explaining that the agreement is not just a formal agreement, but a means to create synergy, strengthen partnerships, and intensify concerted efforts to reduce corruption.

Following the opening session, a number of countries signed the “Makkah Al-Mukarramah Convention of the Member States of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation on Anti- Corruption Law Enforcement Cooperation.”

The Convention was signed by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the State of Qatar, the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, the Kingdom of Bahrain, the People’s Republic of Bangladesh, the Republic of Sudan, the Republic of Sierra Leone, the Federal Republic of Somalia, the Republic of Iraq, the Sultanate of Oman, the United Republic of the Comoros, the State of Kuwait, the Lebanese Republic, the State of Libya, Malaysia, the Republic of Niger, the Republic of Yemen, the Islamic Republic of Mauritania, Guinea, and the Republic of Chad.

The ministerial meeting witnessed interventions from member states reviewing their efforts and contributions in the field of combating corruption.

The ministerial meeting also adopted several resolutions aimed at enhancing joint Islamic action in the field of promoting transparency, combating corruption and raising the level of coordination between the legal authorities responsible for combating corruption in the OIC countries.