ENG-2012 — Page 335

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Public Order

Prevention and Education

In 2012, corruption prevention guides to enhance governance and internal controls were tailor- made for the testing and certification industry, estate agencies and national sports associations. Workshops and seminars were convened to help tertiary education institutions (TEls) adopt best practices in managing donations, technology transfer and commercialisation, outside practice, procurement and financial reporting as recommended in a comprehensive guidebook produced earlier.

Sixty-six detailed studies were undertaken to assist government departments and public bodies to reduce corruption risks in different areas. Prompt advice was offered to these organisations on 600 occasions during the formulation of new policies, laws and procedures. Free and confidential advice was given to private organisations upon request on 415 occasions. For government servants, an information package on the prevention and handling of conflict of interests was promulgated through a network of ethics officers in all government bureaux and departments.

To help small and medium enterprises enhance management of their cross-boundary operations, the ICAC and the Guangdong and Macao anti-corruption authorities jointly compiled a new guidebook on the anti-corruption laws in the three places. In collaboration with the banking industry, the ICAC embarked on a two-year integrity management and corruption prevention programme for banking practitioners.

On the youth front, the commission jointly organised with the Guangdong and Macao anti- corruption authorities the Cross-boundary Anti-corruption Computer Animation and Comics Competition, which attracted 3,000 young talents from the three places.

The 'ICAC Ambassador Programme, which encourages tertiary students to initiate integrity projects, was extended to all TEls. A number of TEls also adopted a personal ethics module developed by the ICAC as part of their curricula. While interactive dramas with probity themes were staged in secondary schools, a multi-media electronic story book and a reading scheme were introduced to foster positive values amongst young children.

A new advertising campaign was rolled out in 2012 to highlight the importance of upholding the core value of integrity and the ICAC launched territory-wide education and publicity campaigns to promote clean elections through various channels, including TV commercials, advertisements, briefings, exhibitions, and information booklets.

Checks and balances

Besides judicial supervision, the work of the ICAC is subject to the scrutiny of four independent committees the Advisory Committee on Corruption, the Operations Review Committee, the Corruption Prevention Advisory Committee and the Citizens Advisory Committee on Community Relations. The committee chairmen host an annual press conference to account for their work in overseeing the ICAC.

An independent ICAC Complaints Committee, comprising members of the Legislative Council and prominent members of the community appointed by the Chief Executive, monitors and reviews all non-criminal complaints against the ICAC or its officers.

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