Saudi Gazette report

RIYADH — Saudi Arabia’s anti-corruption authority has signed an agreement with the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) as part of its efforts to combat corruption.

The agreement was signed on Thursday by Mazin Al-Kahmous, the president of Saudi Arabia’s Oversight and Anti-Corruption Authority (Nazaha), and Dr. Ghada Waly, the executive director of the UNODC.

As part of the agreement, the UNODC, as custodian of the United Nations Convention against Corruption, will implement the Riyadh Initiative, which is aimed at strengthening international cooperation between law enforcement authorities concerned with combating corruption.

The core features of the Riyadh Initiative are:

— Establishing a global anti-corruption law enforcement authorities operational network.

— Establishing a global platform to facilitate the exchange of information between anti-corruption law enforcement authorities.

— Launching a capacity-building program within the network for anti-corruption authorities’ workforces, especially in developing countries.

— Enhancing the use of international law enforcement networks such as INTERPOL and OECD.