The thirteenth session of the Assembly of Parties of the International Anti-Corruption Academy (IACA) was held on Wednesday, 30 October 2024, at the Vienna International Centre (VIC) in Austria.
In accordance with Article V of the IACA Agreement, the Assembly serves as a platform for the Parties to discuss the organization's overall policy and other matters of interest under the Agreement.
The Assembly elected Honorable Dato’ Sri Azalina Othman Said of Malaysia, Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Law and Institutional Reform), as President of the thirteenth session.
In addition, the Assembly elected H.E. Mr. Yacouba Cisse, Permanent Representative of Côte d'Ivoire to IACA, and H.E. Mr. Georgios Iliopoulos, Permanent Representative of Greece to IACA, as Vice Presidents; and Ms. Liliana Oliva Bernal from the Permanent Mission of Mexico to International Organizations in Vienna, and Ms. Boni Cvetanovska from the Permanent Mission of North Macedonia to International Organization in Vienna, as Rapporteurs.
More than 160 representatives of the Parties and Signatories to the Agreement for the Establishment of the International Anti-Corruption Academy as an International Organization (IACA Agreement), as well as other stakeholders representing over 60 delegations participated in this event.
In her opening address, Professor Slagjana Taseva, Dean and Executive Secretary of IACA, noted that the Academy intends to play a very active role in future efforts to foster international cooperation and enable countries to track and monitor progress on tackling corruption. She also emphasized IACA’s dedication to developing capacity-building initiatives to empower professionals in various countries to assess accurately corruption levels within their countries and jurisdictions and design effective measures to combat it.
The Chair of the IACA’s Borad of Governors, Mr. Mathias Vogl, stressed on behalf of the entire Board that the Academy had achieved significant progress in the implementation of the Work Programme 2021 – 2024 and that those of the previously planned activities which could not be implemented due to the lack of necessary resources, should be carried out under the new Work Programme covering the period 2025 – 2028. In this context, he stressed that the need for support of the Academy remains as critical as ever and expressed hope of the Board that the Parties and Signatories will increase their assistance to the Academy, including by providing financial resources and seconding personnel.
A panel session held during the Assembly featured discussions on current and emerging trends and challenges in prevention of and combating corruption, with a particular focus on the issue of measuring corruption. It was moderated by Mr. Khalid Bubshait, Director of the International Partnerships Department from the Oversight and Anti-Corruption Commission (NAZAHA) of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and involved Mr. Leonardo Borlini, Ms. Yoojin Choi from IACA, Ms. Angela Me from UNODC, and Mr. Anga Timilsina from UNDP.
The Parties adopted resolutions on the Work Programme 2025-2028, election of members of the Board of Governos, IACA’s budget for the year 2025, general matters, and the upcoming session of the Assembly of Parties.
The day before the session, the Board of Governors of IACA met for its 42nd meeting, which was devoted to the preparations for the Assembly. The Board paid particular attention to the IACA Work Programme 2025 – 2028 and the budget of the Academy for the year 2025.
On the sidelines of the Assembly, Prof. Slagjana Taseva held bilateral meetings with the Chairman of the Independent Corruption Practices and other Related Offences Commission of the Republic of Nigeria, Dr. Adamu Aliyu Musa, and the Commissioner of the National Anti-Corruption Commission of the Kingdom of Thailand, H.E. Mr. Phattarasak Vannasaeng. These meetings focused on identifying ways to enhance cooperation between IACA and the two respective institutions on issues related to the promotion of the international fight against corruption.
