KNCA Wins Presidency of International Working Group in UN Anti-Corruption Network

The Public Authority for Combating Corruption (Nazaha) was elected to lead the third Working Group on Knowledge and Peer Learning within the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime’s (UNODC) GlobE Network, securing 91 percent of the votes from participating member-state representatives. In a press statement on Thursday, Nazaha said this victory reflects growing international confidence in Kuwait’s role and its capacity to make a substantive contribution to leading international anti-corruption cooperation efforts.

According to the statement, Anwar Al-Qadiri, Director of the International Cooperation Department at Nazaha, emphasized that the election to this international responsibility is an achievement for Kuwait and underscores the trust and respect the country enjoys among international anti-corruption bodies. Al-Qadiri noted that the significance of this achievement extends beyond assuming a leadership position within the network; it lies in the nature of the responsibilities the working group will undertake and its role in translating international knowledge and experiences into practical tools that relevant authorities can use to address increasingly complex corruption crimes, particularly transnational ones.

She added that Nazaha views this responsibility as an opportunity to enhance Kuwait’s contribution to developing joint international efforts, stressing that the success of Nazaha’s leadership of the working group will be measured by the practical initiatives and outputs that benefit network members, rather than merely by holding a leadership position.

For his part, Dhafer Buayyab, Observer for International Organizations and Conferences at Nazaha, explained in the statement that the third working group plays a key role in developing evidence and knowledge materials, and in exchanging best practices among law enforcement authorities. He added that the group’s tasks also include monitoring challenges, risks, and emerging patterns in corruption crimes, including those linked to modern technologies, virtual assets, and artificial intelligence, and proposing initiatives that contribute to enhancing the capacity of relevant agencies to combat them.

He affirmed that Nazaha will work, during its leadership of the group, to strengthen coordination among member authorities, encourage the exchange of successful experiences, and develop knowledge and training initiatives that support the capacities of competent authorities to detect corruption crimes, prosecute perpetrators, trace illicit proceeds, and recover assets.

Buayyab noted that this achievement gains particular significance given the expanding scope of the GlobE Network, which comprises 256 anti-corruption authorities from 137 countries and provides a platform for direct and secure communication among law enforcement authorities, helping to accelerate information exchange and enhance cooperation on transnational cases.

He stated that Nazaha’s election caps continuous efforts to strengthen Kuwait’s presence in international forums, highlighting the authority’s active participation in the seventh meeting of the Network’s General Assembly, held in Vienna, Austria, from August 25 to 28. During the meeting, Kuwait presented its experience in international cooperation and combating transnational corruption crimes, its efforts to enhance beneficial ownership transparency, and its experience in receiving electronic complaints via the “Sahl” application.

The authority added in its statement that the Kuwaiti delegation held a series of bilateral meetings on the sidelines of the assembly with representatives of anti-corruption authorities in several countries, discussing opportunities to enhance cooperation, information sharing, and expertise exchange, which contributed to expanding Nazaha’s international relations and showcasing Kuwait’s experience in this field.

The election of Nizahah took place during the meeting held by the Network yesterday, Wednesday, via video conference, to assume the Authority’s responsibility for leading the team’s work and coordinating its efforts with other working groups, the Secretariat, and the Network’s Steering Committee, thereby contributing to the development of mechanisms for sharing knowledge and expertise and enhancing practical cooperation among law enforcement authorities worldwide tasked with combating corruption.