NEW YORK: Saudi Arabia has stressed the importance of the rule of law at the national and international levels, calling it a “foundation and prerequisite” for achieving international peace and security. Nidaa Abu Ali, a member of the Kingdom’s permanent delegation at the UN, told the sixth committee meeting as part of the work of the 76th session of the UN General Assembly: “It is also an important pillar that guarantees the protection of human rights and the achievement of justice and equality, based on the shared responsibility of states in facing internal and international challenges.” Abu Ali commended, on behalf of the Kingdom, the efforts reflected in the secretary-general’s report on the annual UN activities related to the rule of law, especially in the context of the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic. The pandemic has affected efforts to establish the supremacy of law and harmed states’ protection functions. She said the vision of the UN secretary-general, in the recently issued report, reflects a special interest in the rule of law with his idea of “a more comprehensive, effective and interconnected multilateral world of systems and institutions that provide services to people, to restore public confidence.” Trust, she said, is essential to reimagining the social contract that in turn establishes the foundational relationship between an individual, society and the state. Abu Ali added: “The rule of law at the national and international levels can only come through the development of strong measures based on governance and accountability, applicable to all persons and entities. “This is the approach the Kingdom follows to raise the level of integrity and accountability based on the awareness of the grave consequences of corruption economically and socially,” to achieve the goals of the Kingdom’s Vision 2030, she said. Through its anti-corruption authority (Nazaha) and with the continuous regulations and legislation to fight graft in all its forms, Saudi Arabia strives to plug the holes in the system that lead to the occurrence of corruption. Abu Ali stressed the importance of the concerted efforts of the international community and the need for international cooperation based on shared responsibility. She noted that Riyadh’s initiative to establish a global network of law enforcement authorities concerned with fighting corruption, launched at the UN headquarters in Vienna by the end of May 2021, came as one of the most important steps to eradicate the problem. She emphasized that the Kingdom pays special attention to cross-border challenges such as terrorist threats, and the need to strengthen the rule of law to combat terror.