Arab League, UNODC hold Cairo meeting on crime, drugs, counterterrorism cooperation

CAIRO – 24 June 2026: The League of Arab States, in cooperation with the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), is holding the third Steering and Follow-up Committee Meeting for the “Regional Framework for Arab States (2023 – 2028)” this week in Cairo.

The Regional Framework guides cooperation between the UNODC, the League of Arab States and participating Arab countries on efforts to combat drugs, crime, corruption and terrorism, while advancing security and sustainable development.

The meeting, held on Wednesday and Thursday, brings together representatives of relevant ministries and agencies from Arab countries, as well as officials from the specialized departments of the League of Arab States' General Secretariat and concerned regional institutions.

Participants include representatives from Jordan, the UAE, Bahrain, Tunisia, Algeria, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, Syria, Iraq, Oman, Palestine, Qatar, Lebanon, Libya, Egypt, Morocco and Yemen.

Also taking part are representatives of the Arab Interior Ministers Council, the Naif Arab University for Security Sciences and the Asset Recovery Inter-Agency Network (ARIN) in the Middle East and North Africa.

The meeting is being held as part of the regular review of the regional framework, with participants assessing activities and projects implemented during 2025.

Discussions will also focus on joint programs and projects scheduled for implementation in 2026 between Arab countries and UNODC, with the aim of strengthening regional cooperation in addressing current challenges.

The meeting comes amid growing security and legal challenges facing the Arab region, particularly in the areas of counterterrorism and combating organized crime.

Participants are also discussing anti-corruption efforts, financial crimes and drug-related offenses, as well as ways to strengthen criminal justice systems and enhance cooperation mechanisms among Arab states in these fields.

The meeting opens with remarks from the League of Arab States' General Secretariat and the UNODC Regional Office for the Middle East and North Africa.

During the sessions, experts and representatives of Arab states are reviewing detailed reports on achievements made in 2025 and discussing priorities for joint action in the next phase.