IAACA's first-ever regional conference in Europe helps equipping law enforcers in fighting new forms of corruption

BUDAPEST, Hungary, May 5, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- The International Association of Anti-Corruption Authorities (IAACA), an independent and non-political anti-corruption organization with over 190 anti-corruption agencies (ACAs) worldwide as members, spares no efforts in sharing experience, forging closer partnerships and strengthening online initiatives in the global fight against corruption. On May 14, the IAACA will hold its first-ever European Regional Conference in Budapest, Hungary. This conference will bring together the regional graft-fighting experts from EU Member States, candidate countries from the Western Balkan region and Eastern Partnership countries, to exchange latest information, tackle new challenges and thrive for continuous improvement in the fight against corruption.

This is the IAACA's first ever large-scale regional conference in Europe and is expected to attract about 150 anti-corruption practitioners and high-level government representatives from Europe and neighbouring non-European countries. In collaboration with the Integrity Authority of Hungry, this conference aims to equip the graft fighters in Europe to tackle various new forms of corruptions, and exchange the latest graft fighting initiatives, experience and insights among ACAs. 

The Conference will feature keynote speeches and panel discussions addressing contemporary anti-corruption issues, including corruption detection and prevention through artificial intelligence, big data, and digital solutions; and the latest education and innovation approaches in promoting integrity. The Conference will also serve as a timely opportunity to discuss the challenges and chances of the implementation of the new EU Anti-Corruption Directive.

IAACA President: New anti-graft strategy increases regional influence

IAACA President Woo Ying-ming, also Commissioner of the Hong Kong's Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC), mentioned that the Conference will be a new try for the IAACA to amplify its influence and connections with European countries. "Compared with the previous practice of providing point-to-point training and exchange to a single country's ACA, the IAACA now adopts a more dynamic approach by largely expanding the scale of our trainings and conferences for agencies from countries in the same continents. This time in Europe the Conference will be participated by law enforcement agencies in Greece, Hungary, Italy, Portugal, Romania, Spain as well as the International Anti-Corruption Academy (IACA) of Austria. This strategy not only enhances cost-effectiveness but also enables us to know more about the anti-graft challenges, experiences and tactics in different countries with diverse social, economic and cultural patterns, so as to further upgrade our training modules to better meet the needs of all anti-graft agencies," President Woo said.

The IAACA and ICAC will also collaborate with Integrity Authority of Hungary and the IACA to co-host a one-day back-to-back training seminar. Experienced ICAC investigators will share the Commission's practical latest experience in evaluating and sustaining effectiveness. This will enable participants to better understand international frameworks and methodologies for evaluating ACAs' graft-fighting work.

"We look forward to the European Conference. The back-to-back training seminar will serve as a platform for all European participants to effectively build up a strong and long-lasting anti-corruption network in the region, and continuously exchange their up-to-date graft-fighting information and experience. The IAACA always stands ready to join hands with different nations to provide strategic and technical assistance in the fight against global corruption. Together we build a world of integrity," President Woo concluded.

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