IOI | Delegation of the Korean ACRC visits IOI General Secretariat

On 29 August 2014, Secretary General Günther Kräuter welcomed a delegation of the Korean Anti-Corruption & Civil Rights Commission (ACRC) to the headquarters of the IOI General Secretariat in Vienna. The 26-person strong delegation was headed by Director of the ACRC, Mr. Sang-Bum Lee.

The comprehensive visit was organized in cooperation with the International Anti-Corruption Academy (IACA), a UN based international organization with its seat in Laxenburg, Austria. Since entering into a Memorandum of Understanding in November 2012 IACA and IOI regularly cooperate, particularly in the area of trainings and exchange of information.

After an initial welcome and an introductory assessment over the functions, purpose and mandate of both the Austrian Ombudsman Board and the International Ombudsman Institute questions covering a wide range of topics highlighted the lively debate.

The questions concerned, amongst other topics, the independence of the Austrian Ombudsman Board in selecting their staff, the power of making recommendations to the administration and the current tendency of privatizing public services and its implications.

This was the third visit of the ACRC to the IOI General Secretariat since it was located to Vienna in 2009 and thus forms another highlight in the fruitful relations between the Korean ACRC and the IOI.