ICAC Commissioner, Mr Simon Peh Yun-lu, has been elected President of the International Association of Anti-Corruption Authorities (IAACA) at its General Meeting on January 5, 2022.
"I am deeply grateful to the Central People's Government and the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government for the confidence they placed in me and permitting me in running for presidency of the IAACA. It demonstrates the unwavering commitment of the ICAC to contributing to the global anti-corruption cause," Mr Peh told the ICAC Post.
"I also wish to express my gratitude to all IAACA members for their backing and trust. We will work closely together in the next three years on our common agenda of advancing the fight against corruption," Mr Peh added.
The newly elected President is set to steer the international anti-graft organization towards three main goals: deepening communication and collaboration among members through regional coordination, enhancing IAACA's involvement in the international community and strengthening the Secretariat's role in supporting members of the organisation.
Established in 2006, the IAACA is an independent, non-political anti-corruption organisation which promotes the effective implementation of the United Nations Convention against Corruption (UNCAC) and assists anti-corruption agencies worldwide in the prevention of and fight against corruption. Over 140 countries and regions have participated as members or engaged in various IAACA initiatives.
"Rapid advancement of information technology has made corruption a global issue. It is a crime which knows no boundaries, making international cooperation ever more important," Mr Peh said. To enhance global collaboration, Mr Peh proposes to put member organisations under five regional groups, The President and the four Vice-Presidents will each serve as Regional Coordinator of one specific regional group.
Regional Coordinators, who better understand the needs of anti-corruption agencies under their specific regions, will help these agencies devise and implement initiatives to promote networking and collaboration through training and capacity building activities, as well as regular communications. They will also serve as a link between the IAACA Executive Committee and individual member authorities.
Mr Peh also aims to lead IAACA establishing closer working relationships with the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), international/regional organisations and anti-corruption experts around the world, and to enhance IAACA's visibility in the international arena by engaging in international conferences, seminars and projects.
Under Mr Peh's leaderhip, the IAACA Secretary-General and the Secretariat will be administered by the Hong Kong ICAC. Full-scale support will be provided to IAACA's operation, which includes liaising with IAACA members, assisting in regional co-ordination work, as well as organising annual meetings, conferences and training events, etc. The Secretariat will also upgrade its database of existing and potential members for the effective implementation of the IAACA's future projects and its further expansion.
IAACA members and external parties will stay connected through regular newsletters from the Secretariat. In addition, the existing website will be revamped to provide the latest updates on IAACA activities and initiatives.
The Hong Kong ICAC became an IAACA member in 2007 and has been an active participant in its initiatives since the first IAACA Annual Conference held in Beijing in October 2006. Over the past 15 years, the ICAC has spared no efforts in IAACA's development as well as international anti-graft collaborations, especially in providing anti-corruption trainings to its counterparts.
Under the framework of the UNCAC, the ICAC has earnestly offered capacity building trainings to anti-corruption agencies of many jurisdictions. Over the past five years, the Commission has established connection with 60 Belt and Round countries and hosted 30 training programmes for more than 1,000 graft fighters worldwide, either in-person or through online platforms. Mr Peh and ICAC directorates also regularly met overseas anti-graft agencies to share Hong Kong's experience.
"The ICAC is recognised by the international community as a forerunner in the fight against corruption. The Commission's three-pronged anti-graft strategy, comprising law enforcement, systematic prevention as well as community education is time-tested, and has been adopted by many anti-graft agencies in different places. While the ICAC always stands ready to share our experience, we also learn from our counterparts. It is hoped that with the concerted efforts of all stakeholders, we can establish a powerful global graft-fighting network together." Mr Peh added.
Mr Peh is also Convenor of the IAACA's Training Committee. With the support of the Training Committee, the ICAC organised the inaugural IAACA Training Programme in May 2019 in Hong Kong with great success. Officers of the Commission also spoke at the online IAACA Training Programme hosted by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission in June 2021 and shared Hong Kong's anti-graft experience.
"Over the years, the Hong Kong ICAC has been contributing steadfastly to the international anti-graft missions. It is now time for the Commission to take our missions to the next level and to advance the international joint anti-graft efforts. Together, we will endure and prevail every challenge," Mr Peh concluded.
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