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The seventh session of the General Assembly of the African Association of Anti-Corruption Authorities commenced Monday in Algiers, gathering representatives from 29 African countries under the banner: “Asset Recovery: Strengthening Cooperation and Knowledge Sharing for a Strong and United Africa Against Corruption.”
The event brings together diverse anti-corruption agencies from across the continent, united under the framework of the African Union Convention on Preventing and Combating Corruption.
Salima Mesrati, President of Algeria’s High Authority for Transparency, Prevention, and Fight Against Corruption, hailed her country’s hosting of the event as a “renewed expression of Algeria’s commitment to implementing the African anti-corruption convention, particularly in the area of cooperation and coordination among African nations.”
She stressed the complexity of corruption and Algeria’s readiness to support all initiatives promoting coordination, experience-sharing, and joint efforts across the continent.
“Corruption is a complicated crime that is difficult to combat,” she noted, emphasizing the need for a united front.
Khaled Abdel Rahman, President of the Union of African Anti-Corruption Bodies, expressed gratitude to Algeria for its strong support in the continental fight against corruption.
“This reflects Algeria’s keenness to stand in solidarity with its African brothers and take the lead in addressing the challenges that may hinder anti-corruption efforts in the continent,” he said.
Reviewing the Union’s activities over the past year, Abdel Rahman highlighted “major progress” in establishing a dedicated research and studies center on anti-corruption, describing it as a “core source of scientific research to serve the continent.”
He also revealed the development of a new survey aimed at assessing the research and training needs of member states, with the goal of crafting Africa-specific solutions to corruption.
The two-day gathering will include closed-door sessions focused on electing a new Secretary-General for the Union and presenting the annual report on anti-corruption efforts across Africa for 2023–2024. A panel discussion will also be held,
spotlighting national experiences in asset recovery, corruption prevention, and integrity index development across the continent.
