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Feature | 12th General Meeting 2022
Feature | 12th General Meeting 2022
12th General Meeting
3rd ExCo Meeting
Active participation of IAACA members at the 12th General Meeting and 3rd Executive Committee Meeting
The 12th IAACA General Meeting was held back to back the 3rd Executive Committee (ExCo) meeting on 8 December 2022, around 100 heads, senior officials and representatives of over 50 IAACA member organisations participated in it. At the General Meeting, President Simon Peh expressed his gratitude for members’ efforts in taking forward IAACA’s new initiatives implemented in this term (2022-2024) and appealed to their continuous commitment in advancing the global fight against corruption.
President’s Message
Since the inception of the new term in January 2022, IAACA and its members have been working closely together to sustain the Association’s existing programmes and implement new initiatives. I am grateful for the efforts contributed by our members in achieving the desired result of enhancing communication and collaboration among members and other ACAs around the world for enabling the effective implementation of the United Nations Convention against Corruption (UNCAC).
Yet, corruption is still a major challenge to the world and with the advance of technologies and free flow of capital, it will only become more difficult to tackle. Despite the progress made in the last decade, there are only 8 years ahead to attain the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goal 16.5 to “substantially reduce corruption and bribery in all their forms” by 2030. Fighting corruption is never a straightforward task that can be accomplished by an anti-graft agency alone. International cooperation is what keeps us going forward.
Looking ahead, IAACA will excel further to reach new heights. The Secretariat and ExCo Members will continue to work closely together under the newly implemented Regional Coordination Mechanism with the purpose of strengthening collaboration with ACAs worldwide and enhancing the capacity of fellow anti-graft fighters in tackling corruption. Together, we will leave no one behind in the journey towards a corruption-free world.
Simon Peh
IAACA President
Remarks by Esteemed Executive Committee Members
Mr. Danny Woo
Commissioner of ICAC
“Under my steer, ICAC will continue the collaboration with IAACA members and our counterparts around the world and maintain fruitful exchange of expertise, experience, knowledge and skills in combating and preventing corruption. I am looking forward to meeting and building closer relationship with individual member authorities of IAACA to explore more opportunities for cooperation in areas of mutual interest.”
Hong Kong, China
Madam Anifa Rafiza Abd Ghani
Director of ACB
“As one of the ExCo members, we have undertaken the role and responsibility as Sub-regional Coordinator for the Middle East countries. ACB has already made contacts with ACAs in the region. ACB will continue to work closely with the IAACA Secretariat on the 3-year work plan and take forward the outreach to ACAs in the region.”
Brunei Darussalam
Ms. Alexandra Rogkakou
Governor of NTA
“In NTA we strongly believe that well-structured multilateral initiatives can become an important building block in our mutual efforts to enhance the capacity of national anti-corruption mechanisms, strengthen public integrity safeguards and promote a value driven anti-corruption culture. To this end, I express my strong commitment to the values and goals of IAACA and reiterate our willingness to constructively contribute to the work of the Association.”
Greece
Ms. Kari Ann Lucas
“Similar to IAACA’s Regional Coordination Mechanism, UNODC has taken forward two initiatives to advance the implementation of UNCAC. The first one is the establishment of regional anti-corruption platforms which cover jurisdictions across Eastern Africa, Southern Africa, South America and Mexico, Southeast Asia, Western Sahara Africa, Western Balkan and Central America and the Caribbean. Countries within the same region can share challenges and good practices with one another, thereby enabling them to better fast track their anti-corruption goals. The second initiative is the launch of the regional anti-corruption hubs which aims to put together anti-corruption experts in tailoring responses to meet the needs of different regions. Last but not least, UNODC will continue the partnership with IAACA to create synergies in the global fight against corruption. ”
Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice Officer of the Corruption and Economic Branch, UNODC
New heads of organisational members in the ExCo, including the Commissioner of the Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC), Hong Kong, China, Mr. Danny Woo; Director of the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB), Brunei Darussalam, Madam Anifa Rafiza Abd Ghani; and Governor of National Transparency Authority (NTA), Greece, Ms. Alexandra Rogkakou assured their organisations’ support to IAACA. In addition, Observer to the ExCo and also custodian of the UNCAC, the Corruption and Economic Branch of United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) represented by Ms. Kari Ann Lucas shared with members progress of the implementation of UNCAC and UNODC’s global anti-corruption initiatives.
The General Meeting also highlighted IAACA’s significant achievements in 2022 and its major initiatives in 2023.
Significant Achievements of IAACA in 2022
1. Foster member’s communication and collaboration through Regional Coordination Mechanism
The regional coordination work was carried out extensively in all directions. A number of regional meetings were conducted to hammer out strategies and plans in taking forward the regional coordination mechanism. Some Regional Coordinators had further divided their regions into sub-regions overseen by sub-regional coordinators and some had partnered with prominent anti-corruption networks in the region to reach out to ACAs. With the assistance of UNODC and its field offices, the Secretariat was also successfully connected with ACAs in Latin America and Central Asia. As a result, the IAACA membership size expanded to 155 by early December 2022.
A survey was also conducted to understand the training needs of ACAs worldwide for tailoring training activities to enhance the capacity of graft-fighters.
Most popular training topics – Top 5
Enhancing public sector
integrity awareness &
partnership
Best practices – Use of
technology in identifying
corruption risks
Asset recovery
Financial investigations
2. Enhance IAACA’s involvement in the international community
Leveraging the extensive network of our ExCo members and the Secretariat, IAACA had strengthened working relationship with international and regional counterparts and enhanced its presence in the international community with the aim of creating synergies in advancing the fight against corruption.
Meetings with anti-corruption networks, like-minded international organisations and ranking institutions to promote IAACA and explore collaboration
ExCo members also participated in different regional or international meetings, seminars and conferences to promote IAACA and its work.
President addressing participants of UNDOC Regional meeting for South America and Mexico, Secretary General introducing the work of IAACA at the 21st EPAC/EACN Annual Conference and Assembly and Vice President Advocate Mothibi promoting IAACA at the Regional Conference of Heads of Anti-Corruption Agencies in the Commonwealth Africa
3. Strengthening the Secretariat Support
The Secretariat published four issues of e-newsletter in 2022 to keep members and other ACAs abreast of IAACA’s latest development as well as major anti-corruption initiatives and important insights shared by members. The Secretariat has also drawn members’ attention to anti-corruption and related events organised by our working partners through e-alerts.
Major Initiatives of IAACA in 2023
1. Capacity Building Programmes
Regional Coordinators are highly encouraged to organise tailored capacity building activities on a regional or sub-regional basis to address ACAs’ specific interests. Programmes in the pipeline include an online training about forensic investigation to be held in February, which will be opened up to all ACAs. [Sign Up Now] The 3rd IAACA Training Programme jointly organised with Rule of Law and Anti-Corruption Centre (ROLACC) of Qatar is tentatively scheduled for mid-2023.
2. Anti-Corruption Collaboration
As a joint project among UNODC, ICAC, Hong Kong, China and IAACA, a Policy Guide on the "Meaningful Engagement of Youth in Anti-Corruption Efforts for Policymakers and National Anti-Corruption Agencies" will be produced to celebrate the 20th Anniversary of UNCAC next year. To support the development of the Policy Guide, a questionnaire survey on initiatives implemented by ACAs to engage young people in the anti-corruption mission will be conducted. All ACAs will be invited to contribute to this survey in early January and your input is important to us. IAACA will also help launch this Guide in mid-2023 which will be the first ever global policy guide of its kind for reference by policy makers and national ACAs.
In support of the call of the United Nations for strengthening cooperation between Supreme Audit Institutions (SAIs) and ACAs, IAACA is actively seeking collaboration with the International Organization of Supreme Audit Institutions (INTOSAI) and related organisations such as Organization of Latin American and Caribbean Supreme Audit Institutions (OLACEFS). At the last session of the IAACA General Meeting on 8 December 2022, Mr. Giovanni Gallo, Chief of the Thematic Support Section and Ms. Zorana Markovic, Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice Associate from the Corruption and Economic Crime Branch of UNODC shared with participants UNODC’s latest practical guide entitled “Enhancing the collaboration between Supreme Audit Institutions and Anti-Corruption Bodies in preventing and fighting corruption”.
IAACA Secretariat
Independent Commission Against Corruption, Hong Kong, China
Tel : (852) 2826 3361
Email: info@iaaca.net
Website: www.iaaca.net