2025-2-18

The ICAC and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) are jointly running a nine-day “Professional Development Programme on Financial Investigation and Asset Recovery” for the second time in Hong Kong, following overwhelming response to last year’s course. A total of 19 countries, including eight new players, have sent representatives to participate in this year’s programme which aims to enhance global capabilities for combatting corruption and financial crimes.

Speaking at the opening ceremony of the programme yesterday (February 17), ICAC Commissioner, Woo Ying-ming, noted that corruption and financial crimes were global challenges that transcended borders, undermined governance and hindered sustainable development. The mission of conducting financial investigations was to expose illicit activities, identify the wrongdoers and regain their proceeds of crime. The ICAC and UNODC joint programme was a highly sought-after one which set to equip participants with the latest strategies, techniques and tools for effective financial investigations and asset recovery.

Jointly organised by the Hong Kong International Academy Against Corruption of the ICAC and the UNODC, this year’s programme, themed “Combatting Corruption and Financial Crimes: A Global Response”, covers topics such as forensic investigation, financial data analysis, tracing of illicit funds, anti-money laundering, and international co-operation.

The 34 participants came from 19 countries across Africa, Asia, Oceania, Europe and South America. Eight of them – Bahrain, Chile, Côte d’Ivoire, Haiti, Malta, Russia, Serbia, and Tonga – have sent representatives to join the programme for the first time. Other participating countries are Mainland China, Djibouti, Iraq, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Nigeria, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Spain and Thailand.

All 19 countries are members of the Global Operational Network of Anti-Corruption Law Enforcement Authorities (GlobE Network), which was established under the auspices of the UNODC in 2021 to facilitate co-operation among anti-corruption law enforcement authorities to prevent and combat corruption. Members of the GlobE Network come from around 230 authorities of over 120 countries worldwide.

Addressing the opening ceremony of the programme, GlobE Network Coordinator of the Corruption and Economic Crime Branch of the UNODC, Rositsa Zaharieva, reaffirmed GlobE Network’s commitment to excellence and integrity. “The course represents a significant opportunity to enhance the skills and deepen our understanding of financial investigations. By participating in this training, the members of the GlobE Network are taking crucial steps to further the mission of upholding justice and accountability,” she added.

During the programme, experienced ICAC forensic accountants and investigators of its Asset Recovery Office will share with participants the Commission’s expertise and experience in financial investigation and recovery of crime proceeds. Anti-graft strategy in safeguarding Hong Kong’s status as an international finance centre will also be introduced to the participants.

The programme also gathered speakers from the UNODC, Tsinghua University, the University of Macau, as well as those from local agencies such as the Department of Justice, the Hong Kong Police Force, the Securities and Futures Commission, the Hong Kong Jockey Club, the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, and a fintech company. The programme also covers topics such as combatting money laundering and cross-border financial crimes, as well as international collaborations and mutual legal assistance relating to assets recovery.

Participants will visit the facilities of the ICAC, local law enforcement agencies and public bodies to deepen their understanding of the anti-corruption regime and the rule of law in Hong Kong. They will also embark on a three-day study tour to the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, during which officials from the National Commission of Supervision and the People’s Bank of China will brief them on Mainland’s experience in fighting corruption and integrity building. Participants will also visit the Shenzhen Stock Exchange and major listed companies on the Mainland to learn about its financial regulatory mechanism and to gain first-hand knowledge of the latest economic development of the Mainland.

Since late 2022, the ICAC has organised three international programmes on financial investigation, providing professional training to approximately 100 graft-fighters and law enforcement officers from about 30 countries. Of the programmes, two are co-hosted with the UNODC. This year, the programme houses 23 overseas participants and 11 others from the National Commission of Supervision, the Hong Kong Customs and Excise Department, the Hong Kong Police Force, the Hong Kong ICAC, and the Securities and Futures Commission.