The Council of Ministers Monday amended two Articles of government regulations to monitor the extent to which government transactions are being conducted electronically. As per the amendment, each government department will measure its level of conversion to electronic dealings every six months and attach copies to its annual report. A yearly general report will be submitted to the King. The Cabinet, chaired by Vice Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques Crown Prince Sultan Bin Abdul Aziz, condemned the Israeli decision to demolish 22 Palestinian homes north of occupied Al-Quds, said Acting Minister of Culture and Information Dr. Yousif Bin Ahmad Al-Othaimeen in a statement to the Saudi Press Agency. Al-Othaimeen stressed that Saudi Arabia condemns the decision which is a part of Israel's policy of expanding settlements. Crown Prince Sultan praised King Abdullah's speech at the G20 summit which included significant points pertaining to global economic conditions, developments in the oil market, the necessity of reforming global financial systems to avoid any future crisis and the support of developing countries especially the poor ones. The Cabinet also approved the Kingdom's joining of the Optional Protocol on Involvement of Children in Armed Conflict and the Optional Protocol of the Convention on the Rights of the Child on child trafficking, child prostitution and pedophilia. These two protocols were approved by the United Nations General Assembly in 2000. The Cabinet authorized the Minister of Interior to hold talks with the Tajikistan government to draft an anti-crime cooperation agreement. It also approved two memorandums of cooperation with the government of Sudan on marine transport and land transport.
