Second Global Forum on Fighting Corruption and Safeguarding Integrity
Second Global Forum on Fighting Corruption and Safeguarding Integrity
The Second Global Forum on Fighting Corruption and Safeguarding Integrity took place in The Hague, the Netherlands between 27 - 31 May 2001, and was attended by representatives from more than 120 countries.
Mr. Tony KWOK, Deputy Commissioner of ICAC, Hong Kong and Mr. John C. TSANG, Commissioner of Customs and Excise, Hong Kong were Invited to give a presentation at the plenary session of the Customs Workshop on the subject – A Partnership for Integrity – Customs and ICAC. The workshop was attended by a large number of senior customs officers from around the world and the following is a summary of their presentation.
Mr. KWOK's Presentation: A Partnership for Integrity – Customs and ICAC
Speaking first, Mr. KWOK said “The objective of my talk is to demonstrate how Hong Kong succeeded in fighting corruption in society but I appreciate that fighting corruption in a society is quite different from fighting corruption within an organisation such as the Customs service. My approach to this talk is to see what can be learned from our fight in society so that I can provide some food for thought for you, leaders of the Customs services, in your deliberation of anti-corruption strategies.”
"Firstly, what is most important is that there should be ‘Political will from the top'. This political will enables us to Investigate independently without fear or favour and also provides adequate resources for the work. So there is food for thought:
�� How much time do I give to maintaining staff integrity?
�� What resources do I allocate for anti-corruption?
�� Do I believe in ‘Don't wash your dirty linen in public?'
This old saying is our worst enemy. In Hong Kong, we believe in a zero tolerance policy in fighting corruption. Unless you demonstrate clearly that you would not tolerate corruption, staff may have a misconception that they might have a chance to get away with corruption,'.
"The second critical factor is our three-prong strategy. We believe we should fight corruption through deterrence, prevention and education. So the food for thought:
�� Do I have a comprehensive three-prong strategy?”
"The third critical factor for success in Hong Kong is the strong legislative support. We need effective legislation to support our investigations and prosecutions. So the food for thought:
�� Do I have effective internal regulations?
�� Do I have a declaration system to avoid conflict of interests?”
"The fourth critical factor is our effort in the change of culture through education and media publicity and the launching of a code of ethics. So the food for thought:
�� Do I have a code of ethics for staff?
�� How do I promote and reinforce a culture of probity and honesty amongst my staff?
�� What kind of example am I setting in my personal conduct?”
"The fifth critical factor of success is that there should be a professional team that would ensure effective investigation. The food for thought:
�� Do I have a dedicated internal investigation and monitoring unit?
�� Are they professional and effective?
"The sixth is our proactive approach. We don't sit and wait for corruption reports to come; we take steps to unearth corruption. So the food for thought.
�� Do I have an effective system to detect early signs of corruption?
�� How do I encourage whistle-blowers?
�� Do I conduct staff surveys to monitor staff ethical standards?
�� Do I develop a set of best practices for corruption prevention?”
"The seventh factor for success is our partnership approach. We believe we should work together with other law enforcement agencies, government departments and the public in the fight against corruption."
If your answers to all the questions are all positive in nature, I am sure you should be well on top of the problem of corruption in your organisation.