Egypt has participated in a special session of the United Nations (UN) General Assembly in New York, to discuss challenges and measures aimed at preventing and combating corruption. The session, which was opened by Ghada Wali, Under-Secretary-General and Executive Director of the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), also aims to strengthen international cooperation on combating corruption. Hassan Abdel Shafi, Chairperson of Egypt's Administrative Control Authority (ACA), affirmed his country's adoption of strict anti-corruption policies. These take into account the principles of rule of law, and the consolidation of accountability and transparency. Abdel Shafi also stressed the importance of strengthening international and regional cooperation in building human, technical, and technological capacity to prosecute corruption crimes. It also includes the recovery of assets and funds smuggled without any conditionality, concluding with Egypt's commitment to the full implementation of all obligations arising from the UN Convention against Corruption (UNCAC). For his part, Mohamed Idris, Egypt's permanent representative to the UN in New York, said that the high-level Egyptian participation comes as part of the country's keenness to strengthen efforts to combat corruption. It recognises the practice as a harmful scourge that undermines efforts to achieve development. He stressed the importance of strengthening international cooperation to confront corruption and its cross-border repercussions. Idris also praised the efforts made UNODC, headed by Wali, in this regard.
