Major General Mohammed Khalfan Al Rumaithi, Commander-in-Chief of Abu Dhabi Police, on Wednesday opened the International Anti-Corruption Day Conference, organised by Abu Dhabi Police under the theme ''United Against Corruption."

The two-day event is part of International Anti-Corruption Day, celebrated worldwide on 9th December each year.

In his keynote address, Al Rumaithi said fighting corruption is one of the UAE's core principles in the pursuit of national sustainable development goals, SDGs.

''Fighting corruption is a process that harnesses both deep theoretical knowledge and technical expertise and advanced technological skills,'' he said in his address read on his behalf by Brigadier Salem Shaheen Al Nuaimi, Director of Leadership Affairs at Abu Dhabi Police.

Al Rumaithi called for mobilising efforts to promote justice, transparency and job integrity.

Lauding the efforts being made by the UAE to fight corruption, Dr. Hatem Ali, Representative of the UN Office on Drugs and Crime in the GCC, said, ''We are really united against this menace because corruption does not only threaten services provided to people but also targets security and the future. It has become the backbone that supports organised crimes and terrorism."

Delegates discussed a number of international best practices in the fight against corruption, national and international anti-corruption laws, and integrity in financial systems and anti-corruption e-evidence.

Lt. Colonel Matar Mu'ded Al Muhairi, Head of the Anti-Corruption Department at the Abu Dhabi Police, said the two-day event will see discussions on the latest trends and international best practices and experiments, with the aim of embedding the value of job integrity and mechanisms to combat corruption.

''The conference aims to provide experts from the UN and other organisations with an interactive regional platform to share anti-corruption experiences and experiments,'' he stated.

Every year, US$1 trillion is paid in bribes, while an estimated $2.6 trillion is stolen annually through corruption a sum equivalent to more than 5 percent of the global gross domestic product. In developing countries, according to the United Nations Development Programme, UNDP, funds lost to corruption are estimated at 10 times the amount of official development assistance.

Corruption is a serious crime that can undermine social and economic development in all societies. No country, region or community is immune. This year, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime and UNDP have developed a joint global campaign, focusing on how corruption affects education, health, justice, democracy, prosperity and development.

The 2017 joint international campaign focused on corruption as one of the greatest impediments to achieving the SDGs