HK to sustain pioneering role in combating corruption: John Lee

Hong Kong on Wednesday kicked off the eighth Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) Symposium, pooling global wisdom on current anti-graft challenges, measures as well as international cooperation.

Under "one country, two systems," Hong Kong maintains a robust regulatory regime in line with international standards, and is renowned globally for its clean and efficient government, level-playing field for doing business, sound rule of law, a judiciary with independent judicial power, and zero tolerance for corruption, said John Lee, chief executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR), while addressing the opening ceremony.

"We are also at the forefront of the international fight against corruption," Lee said. "It is a priority of the HKSAR government to sustain our pioneering role in combating corruption. We are pleased, and proud, to back the ICAC in widening its international network and cooperating with overseas counterparts," he added.

International surveys consistently confirm Hong Kong's success in tackling corruption. The World Justice Project rated Hong Kong ninth, overall, in "absence of corruption," out of more than 140 jurisdictions in 2023. Similarly, Hong Kong was ranked 14th out of 180 countries and territories in Transparency International's Corruption Perceptions Index last year.

Addressing the ceremony, Woo Ying-ming, ICAC commissioner and president of the International Association of Anti-Corruption Authorities (IAACA), noted that the Symposium showcased the ICAC's commitment to fully aligning with the country's initiative to develop a clean Silk Road with the concerted efforts of international counterparts.

Ghada Fathi Waly, director-general of the United Nations Office at Vienna and executive director of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, underscored the role of such new technologies such as big data to promote international and regional anti-graft cooperation frameworks and grasp the new characteristics of corruption through measurement, investigation and analysis.

The Symposium has attracted over 500 representatives of about 180 anti-corruption and law enforcement agencies from nearly 60 jurisdictions.

Co-hosted by the ICAC and the IAACA, the three-day symposium, entitled "Charting a New Path to Combat Corruption," is one of the flagship events to mark the ICAC's 50th Anniversary.

The IAACA, founded in 2006, aims to promote the effective implementation of the United Nations Convention against Corruption and foster international anti-corruption collaboration.