QNA
Doha
The State of Qatar chaired Tuesday the Meeting of Anti-Corruption Law Enforcement Agencies in the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) Member States, hosted by the Administrative Control and Transparency Authority (ACTA) in Doha.
The meeting discussed several decisions, the foremost of which was the formation of an open-ended government expert team to examine the mechanisms and methods of implementing the Makkah Al Mukarramah Convention of the OIC member states.
The team will focus on measures related to anti-corruption laws, including the mechanism for the periodic review of the enforcement of the convention, in addition to determining the working mechanism and developing a technical and legislative guide to expedite the implementation of the convention in member states.
Furthermore, the meeting discussed establishing of a joint forum between the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the Republic of Maldives, aiming to promote integrity in the tourism sector in the Maldives. The outcomes of these discussions will be submitted to the ministerial meeting scheduledto take place in Doha.
Director of the Control and Development Department of ACTA Amal Ahmed Al Kuwari and Chairperson of the meeting, emphasized that this convention is a crucial step toward building on the significant efforts to bring the Makkah convention into force, stating that the agreement represents a vital addition to both regional and global efforts to promote integrity and combat corruption.
She expressed hope that this meeting would serve as a productive platform for sharing experiences and strengthening cooperation among OIC member states in the fight against corruption, as a global challenge that requires collective efforts and resources to succeed, highlighting that the State of Qatar gives foremost priority to the prevention and fight against corruption and works tirelessly to foster integrity and transparency across all sectors.
This commitment has been translated into numerous initiatives and legislative tools that have been adopted, aimed at improving the legal environment and fostering transparency in both public and private institutions, said Al Kuwari, underlining that the most notable of these efforts are the amendments made by the State of Qatar to its domestic laws, in line with international agreements and standards in the fight against corruption.
She gave examples of these efforts, including the penal code and the code of criminal procedure, which ensure the comprehensiveness of the legal framework in criminalizing corruption and enforcing the law according to the best international standards, emphasizing the anti-money laundering and terrorism financing law, which provides a strong legal framework to prevent money laundering and terrorism financing, thereby enhancing the integrity of the national economy and contributing to a secure investment environment.
Al Kuwari affirmed that she feels a sense of pride in the State of Qatar’s establishment of the HH Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani International Anti-Corruption Excellence Award which represents one of the trailblazing initiatives globally and aims to honour individuals and institutions that effectively contribute to combating corruption and bolstering transparency and integrity and is granted annually in four major areas, in collaboration with the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC).
She emphasized that these initiatives and legislative amendments are part of Qatar’s ironclad commitment to enhancing integrity and providing a safe and sustainable environment for future generations.
In her closing remarks, Al Kuwari emphasized that this meeting represents a great opportunity to exchange ideas, unify efforts, and serves as an ideal platform to maximize the benefits of the discussions and sessions addressing various aspects of the fight against corruption, underlining that it contributes to fostering cooperation and the exchange of best practices and experiences among the OIC member states.
She expressed hope that this meeting would yield novel ideas and insights that would contribute to the development of joint efforts.
For his part, Assistant Secretary-General for Political Affairs at the OIC, Ambassador Yousef bin Mohammed Al Dubaie, praised the efforts of the State of Qatar in hosting this conference, and for the efforts it has made to all participating member states to make this meeting a success, expressing his hope that the meeting will achieve the common goals of member states in the field of law enforcement to combat corruption.
During his speech, Al Dubaie explained that the meeting will be held on Nov. 26, 2024, in accordance with Resolution (No. 49/2 - Q.T.) issued by the meeting of the Council of Foreign Ministers, where the Makkah Agreement was adopted, with the recommendation to hold a regular ministerial meeting of anti-corruption law enforcement authorities every two years.
He pointed out that the Council of Foreign Ministers of the OIC expressed in its Resolution (No. 50/2 - Q.T.) its thanks to the State of Qatar for hosting the second ministerial meeting of anti-corruption law enforcement authorities in the member states of the OIC in Doha.