ICAC golden jubilee: anti-graft mission continues 50 years and beyond
Founded on February 15, 1974, the ICAC and the Hong Kong society have come a long way in transforming the city from a society plagued with corruption to an internationally acclaimed graft-free metropolis. To mark its 50th years anniversary in 2024, the ICAC recently hosted a series of events to showcase to Hong Kong citizens and the international community the Commission’s unwavering commitment to the anti-corruption mission and to demonstrate that the anti-graft agency was ready to forge ahead towards another milestone.
On February 21, around 600 distinguished guests around the world gathered at the ICAC Building to attend the ICAC 50th Anniversary Reception and Establishment Ceremony of the Hong Kong International Academy Against Corruption (HKIAAC) and witness the unveiling of a new chapter in Hong Kong’s anti-corruption journey.
The Chief Executive, Mr John Lee noted that Hong Kong had been placed in a strong position, both within Asia and globally, in maintaining clean governance and social integrity. He stressed that rankings of various international surveys bore clear testimony to the ICAC’s solid efforts in eradicating corruption in the past five decades.
ICAC Commissioner Mr Woo Ying-ming noted that 50 years ago, the ICAC initiated a “quiet revolution” and built a united front in the society to triumph over corruption, a social evil which was once thought to be incurable. He added that the success of the ICAC would not have been possible without the resolute commitment of the Government, the unfailing support of the public, and the tireless efforts of successive generations of graft fighters who undertook their mission without fear or favour.
At the reception, Mr Lee and Mr Woo officiated the commemorative plaque unveiling ceremony of the HKIAAC. To mark its inauguration, the HKIAAC, in collaboration with the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, co-hosted a 9-day “Professional Development Programme on Financial Investigation and Asset Recovery” in late February. The inaugural course attracted 35 anti-corruption professionals from about 20 jurisdictions, making it the ICAC course with the highest number of participating jurisdictions ever. After the inauguration ceremony, Mr Lee and Mr Woo also met with course participants and chatted with them about their expectations and feedback on the training.
On the same day, HKIAAC concluded memoranda of understanding with five esteemed universities in the Mainland, Macao and Hong Kong, propelling anti-corruption research and fostering talents exchange. The five partnering universities included School of Government of Peking University, Institute for Discipline Inspection and Supervision of Tsinghua University, Faculty of Law of the University of Macau, Department of Sociology of the University of Hong Kong, and Division of Public Policy of the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology.
To celebrate the ICAC’s 50th anniversary with Hong Kong citizens, three events combining running and anti-corruption education, themed “Fighting Corruption: The Mission Continues”, were held with massive turnouts. The ICAC 50th Anniversary Running Gala, one of the flagship events, took place at West Kowloon Cultural District in early February. The event comprised a 5-kilometre challenge run and a 1-kilometre family run, attracting about 1,000 participants from different sectors and age groups.
Speaking at the Running Gala, ICAC Commissioner Woo Ying-ming remarked that Hong Kong’s battle against corruption was hard-fought. The theme “Fighting Corruption: The Mission Continues” simply meant that the ICAC would never stop fighting, and would strive to safeguard and promote the probity culture of Hong Kong. Officiating at the event, Chief Secretary for Administration Eric Chan Kwok-ki commended the ICAC for its three-pronged approach combining law enforcement, prevention and education in tackling corruption, successfully enlisting the general public’s support and trust and winning international acclaims.
Also under the umbrella of “Fighting Corruption: The Mission Continues”, over 300 ICAC officers participated in a Kick-off Run at the Peak in December last year. In addition, by January this year, total of over 2,000 citizens completed a Virtual Walk, accumulating walking or running distances totalling about 90,000 kilometres in a month. The distance exceeded that of going round the Earth twice. For information on the ICAC’s 50th anniversary celebrations, please visit the dedicated webpage at www.icac.org.hk/icac/50a/en/index.html。