From Hong Kong to Vienna – a reflection by ICAC Senior Investigator Wilson LAI participant of United Nations Junior Professional Officer (JPO) Programme

In 2019, for the first time Hong Kong’s young civil servants were recommended by the Central People’s Government (CPG) to participate in the United Nations (UN) Junior Professional Officer (JPO) programme and enter the world diplomatic arena. I had the opportunity to represent the ICAC in this programme and was posted to the Corruption and Economic Crime Unit of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) in Vienna, Austria for two years. In March 2022, I completed my two-year secondment and resumed my job at the ICAC.

The United Nations Convention Against Corruption (UNCAC) entered into force in December 2005. It is the only legally binding anti-corruption instrument, covering almost the entire world. As the Secretariat to the UNCAC, the UNODC is tasked with assisting States Parties in the effective implementation of the UNCAC. The work of the Secretariat comprises three main components: firstly, to provide support services to the Conference of the Parties to the UNCAC and its subsidiary bodies; secondly, to assist in the review of the implementation of the UNCAC in States Parties under their respective legal frameworks; and thirdly, to provide technical assistance to States Parties as well as preparing corruption prevention tools and resource guides that cover various thematic areas.

To advance the broad scope of work of the UN, solid diplomatic knowledge and anti-corruption experience is necessary. Admittedly, young civil servants in Hong Kong have limited exposure to foreign affairs. Hence, unlike other colleagues with a foreign affairs background, I had to catch up on my diplomatic knowledge at the beginning of my secondment. That said, I was fortunate to come from a criminal investigation background which proved to be an advantage and allowed me to find my bearing in the Secretariat more easily. And needless to say, I also benefited from the international reputation that the ICAC has earned over the years.

In the past two years, I was actively involved in the work of the Secretariat. Amongst the many tasks, I found the negotiations on a resolution of the Ninth Meeting of the Conference of the States Parties to the UNCAC one of the most memorable. I had the invaluable opportunity to coordinate the negotiation process and witness the passing of the resolution. I was able to witness how States Parties took stock of the situation in foreign affairs and made the right compromises to reach a consensus. I was able to gain a better understanding of the world order in a short period of time.

Looking back on my two-year tenure, my life and work were full of challenges. When I first arrived when the new epidemic was ravaging Europe, I had to work from “home” for more than three months before I was able to step into the UN office in Vienna. It was a challenging time as the epidemic was fluctuating and the city was locked down four times.

Despite the epidemic, I was able to integrate myself into the team. I had many opportunities to communicate and collaborate with my colleagues through virtual means. In fact, the way the UN worked had changed in view of the epidemic, with physical meetings being held online instead. I truly appreciated how some of our problems could be solved with technology, and I also reminded myself the need to remain flexible so that I could adapt to the new norm.

My two years at the UN have been very rewarding. Most importantly, my thinking has become more stereoscopic and macroscopic. The experience has broadened my horizons as I learnt to take into account the situations of different stakeholders from different continents while tackling my tasks. It has been a valuable learning opportunity.

I believe that young civil servants in Hong Kong have the ability to contribute to the foreign affairs of our country, and the invitation to participate in the UNJPO programme has best illustrated what we could do. I would like to take the opportunity to express my gratitude to the CPG, the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) Government and the ICAC for this invaluable opportunity, and the relevant departments of the CPG and the HKSAR Government for all the arrangements they made to facilitate this programme. I am also grateful to the CPG for the importance and care it has attached and shown to the youth of Hong Kong by deploying diplomatic resources to provide such an invaluable opportunity for young Hong Kong civil servants.