ICAC chief calls for united front in global fight against corruption
2015-5-11
ICAC Commissioner Simon Peh Yun-lu today (Monday) called on graft-fighters and other stakeholders from jurisdictions around the world to work as a united front against the corrupt amid a rapid changing world.
In his welcoming remarks at the 6th ICAC Symposium entitled “A Future without Corruption – One Vision, Multiple Strategies”, Mr Peh said the modus operandi of the criminals was fuelled by cross-jurisdictional transactions and new information technology.
“The transfer and disposal of ill-gotten gains has never been easier, and it will not be the same from one day to the next,” Mr Peh said. “To this end, we must constantly review and refine our perspectives and approaches.”
“Only through concerted efforts can we effectively keep our societies free from the evils that corruption breeds,” he added.
The Commissioner noted that the Symposium would be an excellent opportunity for graft fighters to share, evaluate and enhance their strategies in the three arenas that had proven to be very effective in Hong Kong’s anti-corruption efforts – effective enforcement, systemic prevention, and comprehensive education.
Meeting the press after the Symposium’s opening, Mr Peh said the international event featured distinguished speakers from a number of renowned international ranking institutions.
Noting that some international surveys relied largely on perceptions while evaluating a place’s freedom from corruption, the Commissioner said speakers and participants, while in Hong Kong, could take this opportunity to see for themselves the actual probity situation of the city.
The three-day Symposium was today opened by Chief Executive Mr C Y Leung at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre.
Mr Justice Joseph Paul Fok, Permanent Judge of the Court of Final Appeal, delivered a keynote address on the importance of rule of law to a corruption-free future.
Other keynote speakers addressing the Symposium this morning were Ms Natalia Soebagjo, Member of the Board of Directors, Transparency International; Mr Guo Xinwang, Director-General, International Cooperation Department of the Supreme People’s Procuratorate and Mr Giovanni Kessler, Director-General, European Anti-Fraud Office.
In the following two days, keynote speakers will include Dr Juan Carlos Botero, Executive Director of The World Justice Project; Ms Gretchen Jonker, Head of Anti-Corruption and Illicit Finance, World Economic Forum; Mr Fu Kui, Deputy Director General, National Corruption Prevention Bureau; Mr Dimitri Vlassis, Officer-in-Charge, Division for Treaty Affairs and Chief, Corruption and Economic Crime Branch, United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime; and Mr Stephen Zimmermann, Director of Operations and Integrity Vice Presidency of The World Bank Group.
ICAC’s Deputy Commissioner and Head of Operations, Mr Ryan Wong Sai-chiu; Director of Corruption Prevention Mr Tse Man-shing; and Acting Director of Community Relations, Mr Raymond Ng Kwok-ming, will also share Hong Kong’s anti-graft work through law enforcement, enhancing corporate governance in public and private sectors, as well as community engagement and value education.
The Symposium was attended by over 500 delegates from about 60 jurisdictions and international organisations, including the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia, Germany, Switzerland, Italy, Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Mongolia, Mainland and Macao, United Nations, World Bank Group, World Economic Forum, World Justice Project and the International Association of Anti-Corruption Authorities.
In his welcoming remarks at the 6th ICAC Symposium entitled “A Future without Corruption – One Vision, Multiple Strategies”, Mr Peh said the modus operandi of the criminals was fuelled by cross-jurisdictional transactions and new information technology.
“The transfer and disposal of ill-gotten gains has never been easier, and it will not be the same from one day to the next,” Mr Peh said. “To this end, we must constantly review and refine our perspectives and approaches.”
“Only through concerted efforts can we effectively keep our societies free from the evils that corruption breeds,” he added.
The Commissioner noted that the Symposium would be an excellent opportunity for graft fighters to share, evaluate and enhance their strategies in the three arenas that had proven to be very effective in Hong Kong’s anti-corruption efforts – effective enforcement, systemic prevention, and comprehensive education.
Meeting the press after the Symposium’s opening, Mr Peh said the international event featured distinguished speakers from a number of renowned international ranking institutions.
Noting that some international surveys relied largely on perceptions while evaluating a place’s freedom from corruption, the Commissioner said speakers and participants, while in Hong Kong, could take this opportunity to see for themselves the actual probity situation of the city.
The three-day Symposium was today opened by Chief Executive Mr C Y Leung at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre.
Mr Justice Joseph Paul Fok, Permanent Judge of the Court of Final Appeal, delivered a keynote address on the importance of rule of law to a corruption-free future.
Other keynote speakers addressing the Symposium this morning were Ms Natalia Soebagjo, Member of the Board of Directors, Transparency International; Mr Guo Xinwang, Director-General, International Cooperation Department of the Supreme People’s Procuratorate and Mr Giovanni Kessler, Director-General, European Anti-Fraud Office.
In the following two days, keynote speakers will include Dr Juan Carlos Botero, Executive Director of The World Justice Project; Ms Gretchen Jonker, Head of Anti-Corruption and Illicit Finance, World Economic Forum; Mr Fu Kui, Deputy Director General, National Corruption Prevention Bureau; Mr Dimitri Vlassis, Officer-in-Charge, Division for Treaty Affairs and Chief, Corruption and Economic Crime Branch, United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime; and Mr Stephen Zimmermann, Director of Operations and Integrity Vice Presidency of The World Bank Group.
ICAC’s Deputy Commissioner and Head of Operations, Mr Ryan Wong Sai-chiu; Director of Corruption Prevention Mr Tse Man-shing; and Acting Director of Community Relations, Mr Raymond Ng Kwok-ming, will also share Hong Kong’s anti-graft work through law enforcement, enhancing corporate governance in public and private sectors, as well as community engagement and value education.
The Symposium was attended by over 500 delegates from about 60 jurisdictions and international organisations, including the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia, Germany, Switzerland, Italy, Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Mongolia, Mainland and Macao, United Nations, World Bank Group, World Economic Forum, World Justice Project and the International Association of Anti-Corruption Authorities.
