The Secretariat General of the Arab League today started hosting the first session of a team to review the ultimate implementation of the Arab anti-corruption committee, which is organized by the Arab League's legal affairs administration in cooperation with the Saudi National Anti-corruption Commission (Nazaha) with the presidency of Nazaha Assistant President for International Cooperation Dr. Nasser Aba Al-Kheil and the presence of representatives of Arab member states to the committee. Assistant Secretary General of the Arab League and Head of the Legal Affairs Sector Mohamed Al-Amin Ould Akik said that preventing and combating corruption is one of the essential pillars for the success of economic and social development projects, and for enhancing democratic construction for states, adding that combating corruption, uprooting it and prioritizing preventive measures are also considered a main pillar to avoid its risks and limit its devastating impacts on development. He noted that there are multi-pillar comprehensive strategies that were adopted to face all aspects of corruption, enacting laws and preparing national mechanisms for this, including the establishment of independent higher commissions to combat corruption that are tasked with drawing policies, coordinating efforts of all concerned institutions, following up on the implementation of action plans, issuing periodic reports regarding anti-corruption efforts, and retrieving money collected through corruption. He also referred to the support of the Arab League to national efforts exerted in stopping and combating corruption and subsequent impacts, supporting civil society institutions, and enhancing the respect of human rights, pointing out that holding this session is in implementation of what was endorsed in the fourth session of the Arab Anti-Corruption Convention, which was held in March in Riyadh. For his part, Aba Al-Kheil stressed the importance of the joint Arab cooperation in anti-corruption efforts and steps to be made to implement the agreement as part of continuous cooperation among Arab countries to combat this cross-border scourge, in a bid to reduce its negative impact that undermine pillars of progress and development of societies, and realizing positive results in investing human and financial resources, realizing further growth, and boosting public performance levels to achieve economic and social progress for the Arab peoples.
