The 48th Conference of Arab Police and Security Leaders opened in Tunis on Wednesday to discuss ways to enhance pan-Arab security cooperation amid regional and global tensions.

In his inaugural speech, Tunisian Interior Minister Khaled Nouri highlighted the need for “strengthening, unifying and coordinating Arab security efforts, exchanging visions and formulating positions towards current issues in a way that serves the interests of our Arab peoples and ensures their stability, security and territorial integrity,” according to the Tunis Afrique Presse (TAP).

He reaffirmed Tunisia’s support for the Palestinian and Lebanese peoples amidst ongoing Israeli attacks that have become “a real and direct threat to security and stability in the Arab region.”

Meanwhile, Mohamed Ben Ali Koman, Secretary General of the Arab Interior Ministers’ Council, identified drug trafficking and cybercrime as the top two security threats facing the Arab world, alongside terrorism, human trafficking, and migrant smuggling.

The two-day event featured the participation of security directors from various Arab countries, as well as representatives from the International Criminal Police Organization (Interpol), the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), the European Border and Coast Guard Agency (Frontex), the European Union Agency for Law Enforcement, Naif Arab University for Security Sciences (NAUSS), and the Arab Police Sports Federation.

During the meeting at the General Secretariat of the Arab Interior Ministers Council (AIMC) in Tunis, police and security chiefs discussed electronic financial fraud crimes and showcased distinguished security experiences, the Saudi Press Agency (SPA) reported.

They also reviewed recommendations from security sector chiefs’ conferences, meetings of committees held within the General Secretariat during 2024, the 47th conference of Arab police and security chiefs, and the report of the Arab Police Sports Federation.