VIENNA — Saudi Arabia's contribution of $10 million to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) is nothing but a reflection of the pioneering role that the Kingdom plays in the field of fighting corruption said Ghada Wali, the executive director of the UNODC. The UNODC chief made the remarks during a meeting with Prince Abdullah Bin Khalid Bin Sultan, the Kingdom's permanent representative to international organizations in Vienna, at the UN office here on Wednesday. Ghada Wali expressed her gratitude to the Kingdom for the generous contribution and trust in the UNODC office during the signing of a $10 million financing agreement between Saudi Arabia represented by the Oversight and Anti-Corruption Authority (Nazaha) with the UNODC to enhance international cooperation between law enforcement agencies specialized in combating corruption. She noted the great development the Kingdom is witnessing in a number of areas, especially empowering women in the security and criminal justice fields. The UNODC chief also put forward many ideas to expand the scope of cooperation between Saudi Arabia and the UN office in this regard, noting the possibility of the Kingdom supporting developing countries under the umbrella of the UNODC through the transfer of experiences and expertise because it has many qualified cadres that can be used to implement many programs. For his part, Prince Abdullah bin Khalid bin Sultan pointed out that the signing of the agreement comes in implementation of the Riyadh Initiative, which was welcomed by the leaders of the G20 countries, and that the financing of this agreement highlights the Kingdom's keenness on international cooperation to combat corruption. The agreement also seeks to activate the role of the UNODC in providing technical assistance to member states to strengthen national capabilities, which demonstrates the Kingdom's effective role in expanding partnerships and adopting international initiatives, he said. The Saudi envoy also the Kingdom is always keen to forge international cooperation in all fields, expressing the Kingdom's interest in strengthening these partnerships. Prince Abdullah Bin Khalid Bin Sultan affirmed Saudi Arabia's keenness to support all the efforts of the UNODC office, and everything that would enhance its programs in the Kingdom.
