Azerbaijan chosen for two-year chair of OIC anti-corruption bureau
The meeting focused on putting a convention into practice to improve cross-border cooperation and recover assets linked to corruption.
Anti-corruption officials meeting in Azerbaijan chose the host country for a two-year term as bureau chair, said Tugay Rahimli, Special Assistant to the Prosecutor General of Azerbaijan. The gathering brought together authorities from Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) member states.
Delegates examined implementation of the Makkah al-Mukarramah Convention, which seeks to speed up intelligence exchanges, enable joint investigations and help authorities trace, freeze and return stolen state funds. The OIC describes the treaty as its first multilateral agreement devoted specifically to anti-corruption law enforcement among its members.
Rahimli put attendance at more than 250 participants, alongside eight international organisations. He said the meeting aimed to strengthen cooperation, promote exchanges of information and best practices, and support joint efforts to recover assets obtained through crime.
Bosnia and Herzegovina’s Deputy Minister of Security, Ivica Bošnjak, highlighted difficulties in coordinating 16 police agencies and other enforcement bodies. He said that, despite existing regulations and action plans, important laws and operational strategies still needed refinement to address financial crime across borders.
Imed Hazgui, President of Tunisia’s High Authority for Administrative and Financial Control, called for greater sharing of advanced technologies and wider use of artificial intelligence against corruption. He said terrorist groups and organised crime groups were increasingly using technology to carry out crimes, conceal resources and escape sanctions.
