Doha: The sixth session of the Conference of the States Parties to the Arab Anti-Corruption Convention commenced under the leadership of HE Hamad bin Nasser Al Misnad, President of the Administrative Control and Transparency Authority (ACTA). The conference is scheduled to run for three days.
According to Qatar News Agency, Saeed Shehadeh, Advisor to the Head of the Palestinian Anti-Corruption Commission and Chair of the conference's fifth session, expressed appreciation to Qatar for its hospitality and support during Palestine's presidency of the previous session. He highlighted Qatar's technical and logistical contributions, which facilitated various activities and events.
Shehadeh detailed the challenges faced by the State of Palestine in fulfilling its duties during its presidency, due to the Israeli occupation's restrictions and the ongoing conflict's impacts. He acknowledged the support from Arab states, which enabled Palestine to carry out its responsibilities, despite the inability to host sessions and events locally. He expressed optimism for increased Arab cooperation in the sixth session.
Dr. Maha Bakheet, Acting Head of Legal Affairs Sector and Director of the Legal Affairs Department, explained that the sixth session was convened following Resolution No. 7 from the fifth session, held in May 2024 in Cairo. This resolution facilitated the submission of draft resolutions to the Conference, a process communicated to States Parties by the General Secretariat.
Dr. Bakheet noted that several consultative meetings on draft resolutions occurred via video conference, coordinated with the Palestinian Anti-Corruption Commission and Qatar's ACTA. She emphasized the importance of the draft resolutions, which aim to enhance the effective implementation of the Arab Convention against Corruption.
The conference's initial sessions tackled the provisional agenda items for the sixth session. The Conference serves as a platform for monitoring the Convention's implementation, fostering coordination among States Parties, and exchanging expertise in combating corruption.
Key issues addressed in the sixth session include reviewing the implementation mechanism of the Arab Convention against Corruption, identifying challenges, and promoting preventive measures. The session also focuses on developing financial investigation mechanisms, expediting mutual legal assistance, and enhancing transparency in beneficial ownership disclosures.
Since its inaugural session in 2015, the Conference has seen 15 Arab states ratify the Convention as of May 2024.
