The head of Hong Kong’s anti-corruption watchdog has spearheaded a major international conference in Hungary, marking the city's largest-ever and most comprehensive exchange initiative in Europe aimed at tackling increasingly sophisticated global corruption crimes.
Independent Commission Against Corruption Commissioner Danny Woo Ying-ming, acting in his capacity as head of the International Association of Anti-Corruption Authorities, recently gathered over 180 experts from more than 70 law enforcement and regulatory bodies in Budapest.
Delivering the opening address, Woo emphasized that although the geopolitical environment is complex, the anti-corruption mission transcends political divides.
"To tackle the increasingly complex corruption crimes, we must unite anti-corruption forces from all fronts to overcome challenges such as geopolitical tensions and address future corruption risks through professional collaboration," said Woo.
With the European Union's latest anti-corruption directive coming into effect – requiring member states to establish dedicated anti-corruption agencies – Woo believes this is the optimal time for Hong Kong to share its more than 50 years of valuable experience with European countries to build a more robust global anti-corruption network.
A key highlight of the gathering was the introduction of a new strategic "regional clusters" approach. With Hungary as a focal point, the conference provided a highly efficient platform to engage representatives from across the European continent.
Attendees included department heads and experts from Croatia, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Montenegro, Norway, Portugal, Romania, Spain, and Switzerland, alongside the EU Anti-Fraud Office, the European Public Prosecutor’s Office, and various think tanks.
"Many participants are heads of the organizations, underscoring the importance attached to this conference by our European counterparts. This conference not only significantly expands our outreach and enhances resource efficiency but also enables the ICAC to gain deeper insights into the anti-corruption strategies and challenges faced by different jurisdictions. This valuable experience allows us to refine our training model to better meet the needs of different anti-corruption agencies,” Woo added.
The conference was jointly hosted by the international association alongside graft-fighting agencies from Hungary, Italy, and Greece. During the sessions, senior ICAC investigators brought cutting-edge topics to the table, sharing their innovative experiences in applying effective measurement of anti-corruption work and the latest innovative education strategy to enhance anti-corruption efforts.
Beyond the main discussions, the visit facilitated practical training and formal partnerships. A new memorandum of understanding was signed with the International Anti-Corruption Academy in Austria to establish a long-term partnership for training and expertise exchange.
This marks the 10th MoU that ICAC has signed with international organizations to cooperate on the shared mission to fight graft.
In a concerted effort to promote the city’s robust legal framework on the world stage, the Independent Commission Against Corruption is increasingly joining forces with various Hong Kong government departments and law enforcement agencies to share its highly effective, collaborative anticorruption model globally.
The ICAC teamed up with the Department of Justice this month, building on previous joint missions with Hong Kong Customs and the Hong Kong Police Force to Kazakhstan, Thailand, and Cambodia.
The agency is expanding on this strategy by partnering extensively with the DoJ.
Following a joint trip to Vietnam in early May to shed light on Hong Kong’s successful experiences in law enforcement and prosecution, legal experts also joined the landmark European anti-corruption conference in Budapest.
During the Hungary visit, senior assistant director of public prosecutions of the DoJ, Laura Ng Shuk-kuen, joined the ICAC delegation to expound on Hong Kong’s experience and achievements in fugitive apprehension and illicit asset recovery in corruption cases in the training seminar.
