Participants from 60 countries attended an online workshop held by the International Association of Anti-Corruption Authorities (IAACA). The conference aimed to jointly strengthen regional and global cooperation to tackle corruption, said an August 3 announcement from the Cambodian Anti-Corruption Unit (ACU).

The ACU shared that the workshop was themed “We are united to cooperate to tackle corruption”, and was held in cooperation with the European Partners against Corruption (EPAC) and the European contact-point network against corruption (EACN).

It said the forum brought together experienced speakers in various fields related to the international fight against corruption, including from both the EPAC and EACN, as well as Hong Kong’s Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC).

The participants shared their experiences and skills on three topics. First, they discussed international anti-corruption training cooperation. They also dealt with international cooperation to facilitate access to information for cross-border investigations. Finally, they identified several anti-corruption best practices and drew on their own experiences and lessons for their implementation.

Yentieng Puthirith, deputy head of the ACU, led an ACU delegation of 46 officials to the workshop.

Am Sam Ath, deputy director for monitoring at rights group LICADHO, said on August 4 that the workshop marked a good starting point for discussions and the sharing of experiences with other nations.

It was his opinion that tackling deep-rooted corruption required Cambodia and all other countries to strengthen cooperation.

“In order to curb corruption efficiently, each country is required to have a strong will and commitment. Cambodia is no different. We must clearly demonstrate our strong commitment to our principles before we can combat corruption effectively,” he added.