SAI supremo chairs anti-corruption meet of GCC ministers

Muscat: The fifth meeting of the agencies responsible for promoting integrity and combating corruption in the GCC was held on Monday, 9 September.

Chairman of State Audit Institution (SAI), Sheikh Nasser bin Hilal bin Nasser Al Mawali, chaired the meeting which was held at the headquarters of the Advisory Board of the Supreme Council of the GCC.

Also present at the meeting were Secretary General of the Gulf Cooperation Council, Abdullatif bin Rashid Al Zayani, and their respective delegates.

The objective of the meeting was to lay the foundations for transparency and integrity in order to channel resources to serve the sustainable development plans in the region.

“The establishment of the commission of Chairmen of agencies responsible for integrity promotion and anti-corruption demonstrates the significance of cooperation between the GCC States on matters of mutual concern,” Al Mawali said.

The meeting's agenda covered a number of key matters, mainly deliberation on a draft referential law on the protection of public funds in the GCC region, and the GCC agreement to promote integrity and anti-corruption, and the preparation of procedural manuals.

A paper on developing the future GCC cooperation fundamentals to protect the integrity and promote anti-corruption was presented during the meeting.

Further, different proposals for preparing GCC manuals in the fields concerned with integrity promotion were tabled.

The meeting also reviewed the recommendations of the GCC workshop that examined international experiences with regards to measuring transparency and integrity, and the resulting impact on public policies concerned with combating corruption.

Moreover, officials reviewed the Professional Code of Conduct of the agencies, and the items relevant to preparing a text on transparency and integrity that are to be included in the annual report that will be issued by the Secretariat General highlighting the human rights situation in the GCC region.

Al Mawali stressed on the keen efforts exerted by GCC States to promote integrity and fight corruption, guided by the religious values and their Majesties and Highnesses’, and the leaders of GCC States' wise vision.

The chairman of SAI also assured the importance of exchanging knowledge as a vital tool that can significantly contribute to building efficient professional capabilities and promoting institutional performance.

He added that integrity and fighting corruption requires consistent follow-up on the regional and international advancements in the fields of knowledge, law and procedures.

Al Mawali emphasised on the diligence shown by the Sultanate in ensuring effective collaboration in coordination with the efforts of the GCC Member States in order to realise the desired level of integrity protection and fighting corruption.

In addition, Al Zayani, secretary general of the GCC, expressed his deepest gratitude to the Sultanate for hosting the meeting and to SAI for their hospitality, the preparation and organisation.

He stressed on the importance of the accomplishments that serve the agencies’ mutual goals with respect to protection of integrity and promotion of anti-corruption practices.