Arab anti-corruption authorities: the way forward

To date, 16 Arab countries have ratified the Convention and 11 countries have established anti-corruption authorities and enacted the laws necessary for their work. These countries are Jordan, Algeria, Tunisia, Morocco, Palestine, Libya, Iraq, Yemen, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and the Comoros. Many of these countries have made legislative amendments to harmonise their national laws with the requirements of the convention, and some of them have drawn up strategic plans to fight corruption. The Arab Anti-Corruption and Integrity Network (ACINET) was established to coordinate the efforts of the integrity and anti-corruption bodies in Arab countries. Recently, no less than four Arab countries have undergone a review of the extent of their adherence to the convention. Despite these achievements, the results on the ground in the field of strengthening integrity and fighting corruption in the Arab region are still modest compared to other regions of the world.