Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt, December 13, 2021, SPA -- The ninth Session of the Conference of States Parties to United Nations Convention against Corruption kicked off today in Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt in the presence of Egyptian Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly and ministers and representatives of state parties to the convention. The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia's delegation was headed by President of the Oversight and Anti-Corruption Authority (Nazaha) Mazin bin Ibrahim Al-Kahmous. The session also included the participation of relevant international organizations, civil community institutions concerned with transparency, protecting integrity and anti-corruption with a total of 2,700 participants. During the opening session of the conference, Chairman of the Egyptian Administrative Control Authority Hassan Abdel-Shafi was elected as president of the ninth session. During a videoconference speech, UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres called for taking a global procedure to combat and undermine corruption, considering the current session of the conference an important opportunity to take important global steps to surround and combat corruption that to some extent increased during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. The conference, over its sessions extending till Friday, will be addressing several issues, the most important of which is technical assistance and international cooperation, retrieving assets, reviewing the implementation of the United Nations Convention against Corruption, the role of law and its application in combating corruption and reviewing relevant top opportunities and main challenges. The conference, which is considered the top international event concerned with anti-corruption, aims to improve the capacity of States to implement the Convention, enhance cooperation among States in achieving the objectives of the Convention, promote and review the implementation of the Convention, help states assess legislations related to anti-corruption, and enhance transparency and integrity and means to develop them. --SPA 14:53 LOCAL TIME 11:53 GMT 0010 www.spa.gov.sa/w1664590