2024-4-26

An ICAC delegation, led by Deputy Commissioner Ricky Yau Shu-chun, attended a meeting hosted by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) in Vienna, Austria. Whilst in Europe, the delegation called on anti-corruption agencies in Italy and Greece to promote the Hong Kong International Academy Against Corruption (HKIAAC) and strengthen international anti-corruption collaboration.

At the invitation of UNODC, Yau, accompanied by two other ICAC officers, participated in the Seventh Steering Committee Meeting of the Global Operational Network of Anti-Corruption Law Enforcement Authorities (GlobE Network) in Vienna, Austria as part of the Chinese delegation. The three-day meeting took place from April 23 (Tuesday) to April 25 (Thursday).

“Participating in international anti-corruption conferences is the most effective way to gain insights into the global anti-corruption landscape and strengthen international exchanges. The GlobE Network, established by the United Nations in 2021, serves as an exchange platform for anti-corruption cooperation for over 200 members worldwide. The Steering Committee Meeting served to formulate strategies and guidelines for future international anti-corruption efforts. The meeting also provided the opportunity for the ICAC to leverage the advantage of the ‘tripartite partnership’ formed between the Commission, the HKIAAC and the International Association of Anti-Corruption Authorities (IAACA) to expand connections and fortify the global anti-corruption efforts,” said Yau.

During the three-day meeting, the ICAC delegation also met with Brigitte Strobel-Shaw, Chief of the Corruption and Economic Crime Branch of the UNODC, and introduced to her the HKIAAC’s latest development plans following its establishment in February this year. Future anti-graft cooperation with UNODC was also explored with Ms Strobel-Shaw. Yau noted that the ICAC and UNODC were close partners. Two trainings on technology in anti-corruption work and financial investigation co-hosted by the two organisations last year were highly commended by graft fighting counterparts around the world. As the HKIAAC and UNODC were planning to co-host more training courses in future, detailed arrangements and relevant execution were discussed at the meeting with Ms Strobel-Shaw. Both organisations would continue to make greater contributions to the global fight against corruption, Yau said.

Earlier on Monday (April 22), the delegation called on the President of the National Anti-Corruption Authority Council (ANAC) of Italy Dr Giuseppe Busia, who is also an Executive Committee member of IAACA, to exchange the latest anti-corruption initiatives of the two places, as well as the latest development of HKIAAC and IAACA.

The delegation also paid visits to the Permanent Representative and Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the People's Republic of China to the United Nations Office at Vienna and other International Organisations in Vienna Li Song, and Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the People's Republic of China to the Republic of Italy Jia Guide. The ICAC delegation briefed the two Ambassadors on Hong Kong’s latest graft-fighting strategy and initiatives.

In Vienna, the delegation also visited two ICAC officers, Cindy Ho Pui-ha and Victor Lee Wai-hong, who are currently serving in UNODC. The two officers were nominated by the Office of the Commissioner of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (OCMFA) in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region for the United Nations Junior Professional Programme (UNJPO) early last year. They were assigned to the UNODC’s Corruption and Economic Crime Branch and the Organized Crime and Illicit Trafficking Branch respectively as Junior Professional Officers for two years. Yau asked about their work in UNODC, and they also shared their experience in the past year.

On April 26, the delegation headed for Greece, where they met with Interim Governor of National Transparency Authority Alexandra Rogkakou, who is also an Executive Committee member of IAACA, to discuss future collaboration plans between Hong Kong and Greece, and exchange views on the latest development of HKIAAC and IAACA.

ICAC officers accompanying Yau on the duty visit are Deputy Director of Academy Office Eric Chan Cheuk-hay and Principal Investigator of the Operations Department Matthew Chang Chor-ming.