ICAC Commissioner attends first IAACA European regional anti-corruption conference in Hungary

BUDAPEST, Hungary, July 1, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- ICAC Commissioner, Mr Woo Ying-ming, in his capacity of President of the International Association of Anti-Corruption Authorities (IAACA), successfully concluded the first European regional anti-corruption conference in Hungary. The conference, which marked the largest and most extensive European anti-corruption exchange initiative of the ICAC and the IAACA, had united over 180 international experts from more than 70 anti-corruption, law enforcement and regulatory bodies across Europe and other regions of the world to work beyond geographical boundaries for enhancing multilateral collaboration and advancing integrity governance in Europe and worldwide.

Delivering the opening address in Budapest, Mr Woo said, "To tackle the increasingly complex corruption crimes, we must unite anti-corruption forces from all fronts to overcome challenges such as geopolitical tensions and address future corruption risks through professional collaboration. Following the recent adoption of European Union (EU)'s latest anti-corruption directive, all Member States are required to establish dedicated anti-corruption agencies with aligned penalties. This regional conference comes at an opportune time for the IAACA and the ICAC to enhance collaboration among anti-corruption agencies and share the ICAC's valuable experience of over 50 years, so as to strengthen a more robust global anti-corruption network."

Strategic "regional clusters" approach for enhancing training and exchange

The conference, showcasing the new "regional clusters" strategic approach of the IAACA, provided an efficient training and exchange platform for various anti-corruption agencies on the European continent with Hungary serving as a focal point. "The conference brings together representatives from law enforcement agencies, anti-corruption research and academic institutions from Croatia, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Montenegro, Norway, Portugal, Romania, Spain, Switzerland and others, as well as think tanks across Europe, the European Anti-Fraud Office, the European Public Prosecutor's Office and the International Anti-Corruption Academy (IACA) of Austria. Many participants are heads of the organisations, underscoring the importance attached to this conference by our European counterparts. This conference not only significantly expands our outreach and enhanced resource efficiency, but also enables the ICAC to gain deeper insights into the anti-corruption strategies and challenges faced by different jurisdictions. This valuable experience allows us to refine our training model to better meet the needs of different anti-corruption agencies," Mr Woo added.

In the conference jointly organised by the IAACA, the ICAC, the Integrity Authority of Hungary, the National Anti-Corruption Authority Council of Italy, and the Hellenic National Transparency Authority, ICAC representatives shared innovative strategies in anti-graft education and effective measurement of anti-corruption performance. Apart from highlighting the strengths of the Mainland and Hong Kong in upholding integrity, the rule of law and prosperity, they also invited participants to visit the Mainland and Hong Kong to gain first-hand experience.

Broadening international collaboration and enhancing anti-corruption capabilities

The Hong Kong International Academy Against Corruption (HKIAAC) of the ICAC also seized the opportunity to host a post-conference training seminar for participants, sharing experience on effective measurement of anti-corruption performance. During his stay in Budapest, Mr Woo also chaired the IAACA Executive Committee meeting to chart the path of the IAACA upon its 20th anniversary.

Following a bilateral meeting between Mr Woo and President of the Integrity Authority of Hungary, Mr Ferenc Pál Biró, the ICAC entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the IACA. Under the MoU framework, the two agencies agreed to enhance exchange of anti-corruption experience and training programmes etc. Including the present ones, the ICAC has entered into 10 MoUs with overseas anti-corruption agencies or international organisations to foster international anti-corruption collaboration.

Strategic partnership with government departments to tell good stories of Hong Kong

In recent years, the ICAC has actively joined hands with various government departments and law enforcement agencies of Hong Kong to promote abroad Hong Kong's collaborative anti-corruption strategy. Following earlier joint missions to Kazakhstan, Thailand and Cambodia with the Hong Kong Customs and Excise Department and the Hong Kong Police Force, the ICAC partnered with the Department of Justice (DoJ) to shed light on Hong Kong's successful experience in anti-corruption law enforcement and prosecution earlier this month in Viet Nam. During the visit to Budapest, Senior Assistant Director of Public Prosecutions of the DoJ, Ms Laura Ng Shuk-kuen, joined the ICAC delegation to expound on Hong Kong's experience and achievements in fugitive apprehension and illicit asset recovery in corruption cases in the training seminar.

Exchange views with Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the People's Republic of China to Hungary

During the visit, the ICAC delegation also called on the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the People's Republic of China to Hungary, Mr Gong Tao, to learn about local social developments. The delegation also shared ICAC's anti-corruption initiatives on international cooperation.

Accompanying Mr Woo on his visit included Assistant Directors of Operations Department Mr Cheung Chin-kit and Mr Paul Lau Chi-ho, Principal Investigator Mr Eric Chan Cheuk-hay and Principal International Cooperation Officer Mr Daniel Leung Chun-yu.

SOURCE The Independent Commission Against Corruption of Hong Kong, China