Manama:The 12th meeting of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Ministerial Committee focused on combating corruption was chaired by Lieutenant General Adel bin Khalifa Al Fadhel, Deputy Minister of Interior, in the Kingdom of Bahrain. The meeting was attended by Shaikh Sultan bin Mohammed bin Saud Al Thani, Assistant Secretary General for Legislative and Legal Affairs at the GCC General Secretariat.
According to Bahrain News Agency, the Deputy Interior Minister expressed pride in Bahrain hosting the meeting and extended wishes for a successful event. He highlighted Bahrain's commitment, under the guidance of His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, to uphold integrity, accountability, and transparency as fundamental national principles. The directives of His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, the Crown Prince and Prime Minister, were commended for promoting governance and accountability.
The Deputy Interior Minister emphasized the need for enhanced cooperation among GCC countries to combat corruption, particularly due to its intersection with economic, financial, and cybercrimes. He highlighted the importance of sharing information and expertise, developing specialized capabilities, and leveraging modern technologies to improve corruption prevention and combat effectiveness.
The meeting addressed multiple agenda items, including a guiding mechanism for the Committee of Experts on Combating Corruption and the 2027 annual event theme focused on direct cooperation between law enforcement authorities. Additionally, recommendations from the 2026 annual event, a research competition on integrity protection, and a workshop on identifying beneficial ownership were discussed. Efforts to enhance cooperation and information exchange were also considered.
The Deputy Interior Minister thanked the State of Kuwait for its presidency in the previous session and its contributions to GCC integrity protection efforts. He acknowledged the positive cooperation during the meeting and the collective commitment to enhancing joint GCC efforts against corruption.
He also praised the contributions of the GCC General Secretariat, Committee of Undersecretaries, Committee of Experts, and the delegation members for their constructive input, expressing anticipation for the next session under Saudi Arabia's presidency to further develop GCC actions in this field.