The High Authority receives a delegation of South Korean public officials

On 10 September 2018, the High Authority received a delegation of six public officials from the Department of Education of Jeollabuk-do, a province in South Korea, as part of a training course for local civil servants. On a study trip to France, the delegation wished to know the French system for preventing corruption in the public sector.

The delegation was received by Anne de Moussac, Deputy Head of the Legal and Studies Division, and Izadora Zubek, Policy Officer. They presented the various missions of the High Authority, and how they had been changed by legislative developments that occurred since the adoption of the laws on transparency in public life in October 2013.

During the presentation, South Korean public officials were interested in the cooperation and exchange of information between the High Authority and the tax administration during the control of asset declarations. Likewise, the delegation was interested in the sanctions applied in France for non-compliance with declarative obligations, and in the ethical opinions issued by the High Authority to public institutions. Besides, questions were asked on the High Authority’s organization and staff.

Sensitive to the role of education in disseminating a culture of integrity, the delegation paid particular attention to the ethics training sessions conducted by the High Authority for public officials. The partnership between the High Authority and the National School of Administration, and the National School for the Judiciary, was mentioned.

In addition, discussions focused on the online publication of declarations of public officials, and the register of interest representatives. The challenge of reconciling the right to personal data protection with the duty of transparency was addressed. Finally, the High Authority’s commitment to open data was highlighted, as well as the importance of publishing declarations as open data to strengthen citizen control.