Ethical leaders: ICAC Commissioner Fanny Law, Secretary for Justice Wong Yan-lung and the ICAC youth programme organising committee chairman Moses Cheng open the youth summit.

The Independent Commission Against Corrutpion will create 27 new posts in the coming financial year to bolster its investigative capabilities, youth education and anti-graft work in the building management sector.

ICAC Commissioner Fanny Law said cases concerning the building management sector took up about 40% of all private sector corruption reports in recent years. Among the 300-plus prosecutions completed each year, about one-sixth of the offenders were aged under 30.

Speaking at the Ethical Leadership for the New Generation Youth Summit today, Mrs Law said integrity is essential for the governance of a society built on moral foundations, including the rule of law, fairness, and concern for the common good.

The downfall of huge corporations in recent years demonstrated that ethical leadership is as important as a sound compliance system and company code in maintaining a high standard of corporate governance, she added.

Secretary for Justice Wong Yan-lung encouraged young people to uphold high ethical standards to prepare for future challenges.

"As leaders for the new generation, you need to be not just a driving force for changes and prosperity but also an anchor of high morals," he added.

Youth programme

The youth summit is the climax of a nine-month ICAC youth programme, which was launched last July to equip tertiary students with the knowledge and skills to be ethical leaders.

The programme has attracted more than 1,000 students from Hong Kong, the Mainland, Macau and overseas to partake in workshops and a case study contest to explore real life corruption issues and ethical dilemmas.

A total of 264 teams from 10 tertiary institutions from Hong Kong, two Macau universities, 14 universities from the Mainland and four from Australia, Canada, Singapore and Mexico joined the contest. Eight outstanding teams from Hong Kong University, University of Science & Technology, Zhejiang and Fudan Universities, Zhejiang University City College and National University of Singapore presented their case analysis at the youth summit.

Members of the Hong Kong outstanding teams will be offered internship in nine corporations this summer.