2024-12-11

Thirty-one representatives from local, Mainland and overseas law enforcement agencies and professional bodies today (December 11) completed a three-week ICAC’s Leadership and Executive Development (LED) Programme organised by the Hong Kong International Academy Against Corruption (HKIAAC). Themed “Press ahead, lead the future”, the programme aimed at further enhancing participants’ leadership capabilities to address future challenges.

Speaking at the closing ceremony of the LED Programme, ICAC Commissioner Mr Woo Ying-ming remarked that corruption knew no boundaries, neither should anti-corruption collaborations. By pulling their professional knowledge and strengths together, participants of the programme formed an anti-corruption cooperation network which would was of utmost important in advancing the anti-corruption cause.

“The programme featured sharing by senior government officials, experienced ICAC officers and industry experts which aimed at strengthening participants’ leadership skills. While the programme has come an end today, I hope participants could become torchbearers of ethical leadership, setting examples to inspire other future leaders in the graft fight,” Mr Woo noted.

ICAC Head of Operations Mr Ricky Yau Shu-chun, speaking at the opening ceremony of the programme, noted that effective leadership was important to participants who were the pillars of safety, fairness and justice. The programme covered topics including strategic decision making, crisis management and ethical leadership. In collaboration with the University of Hong Kong, scholars of the university were invited to host training modules, combining academic perspectives with real-world applications, to equip participants to become effective leaders to navigate future challenges.

The LED Programme also featured a five-day study tour to various law enforcement authorities in Henan Province in Mainland, including its Commission for Discipline Inspection and Supervision as well as local anti-corruption education facilities. The study-tour allowed participants to fully understand the Country’s efforts and commitment in combating corruption, and to learn first-hand the Country’s latest social, cultural and economic landscapes.

Joining the programme for the first time, Mr István Turcsán, Deputy Head of Investigation Office of the Hungarian Integrity Authority, commented that the programme offered an excellent exchange platform for participants to enhance their anti-graft ability. He found the study visit to Zhengzhou in the Mainland was a valuable experience and of great help to the future anti-corruption development in Hungary.

Prominent speakers of the LED programme included Secretary for Security Mr Tang Ping-keung, who spoke on the theme “leadership in times of crisis”; and Chief Executive Officer of the Securities and Futures Commission (SFC) Ms Julia Leung Fung-yee, who shared leadership strategies.

Other speakers included Assistant Commander of Police (Operations), Mr David Jordan, Executive Director (Enforcement) of the SFC, Mr Christopher Wilson, Chair Professor of the Fudan University and Southern University of Science and Technology, Professor Gong Ting, Crime Prevention and criminal Justice Officer of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), Mr Ronan O’Laoire, etc.

This year, overseas participants of the LED Programme came from the UNODC and eight overseas agencies, including the Australian Federal Police, the Anti-Corruption Bureau of Brunei Darussalam, the Hungarian Integrity Authority, the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission of Kenya, the Oversight and Anti-Corruption Authority of Saudi Arabia, the Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau of Singapore; the Singapore Police Force; and the Special Investigating Unit of South Africa.

Also attending the LED Programme were three officials from the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection and National Commission of Supervision of the People’s Republic of China, and the Commission Against Corruption, Macao, SAR. Locally, 19 participants completed the LED Programme, including 10 ICAC officers and eight law enforcers from the Correctional Services Department, the Customs and Excise Department, the Fire Services Department, the Immigration Department, the Hong Kong Police Force, the SFC, the Accounting and Financial Reporting Council and the Insurance Authority, as well as a representative from the Hong Kong Jockey Club.

The LED Programme is one of the major initiatives of HKIAAC in advancing international anti-graft cooperation. Formerly known as the Chief Investigator Command Course, it had provided trainings for over 800 local and overseas participants since the late 1970s and is ICAC’s most internationally acclaimed and well established professional training course.