Secretary for Justice of the HKSAR

On behalf of the Department of Justice of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR), it is my great pleasure and honour to invite you to Hong Kong for the 11th Regional Conference (Asia and Pacific Region) of the International Association of Prosecutors. Hong Kong is a fascinating cosmopolitan city where the best of the East and West coalesce.  It has continuously been recognised as an international business, financial and cultural centre.  As part of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, and being a place filled with history and modern development, Hong Kong is excited and privileged to welcome delegates from all over the world. Technology has today evolved into an agent which permeates nearly all aspects of our personal and professional lives.  From the gadgets we wear and use on a daily basis, to the constant operation and advancement of the Internet, technology increases the quality and standard of our lives.  Yet, while society benefits from modern technology, so too do criminals.

Criminals today are displaying an increased reliance on technology to commit conventional crimes, and recent years have seen a sharp increase in the number of crimes featuring a technological dimension.  With technology being in a constant state of evolvement, mutual sharing of knowledge and experience is essential for us to stay ahead of cybercriminals and enhance our ability to detect, prevent and investigate technology crimes. 

The theme of the conference, “Effective Prosecution Service in the Technological Age”, invites us to consider how we can work together to strengthen efforts in combatting technology crimes collectively on an international level.  At a time when the world is facing unprecedented challenges posed by technology crimes, the conference provides us with an opportunity to exchange views and best practices on a range of pertinent topics and issues, such as the challenges posed by decentralization in the technological age, the handling of digital evidence, and the impact of technological advancements on criminal evidence and procedure, to name but a few. 

Hong Kong is committed to combatting technology crimes under the common law legal system preserved by the "One Country, Two Systems" principle. I look forward to welcoming you all to Hong Kong in November 2024, and to our meaningful discussions on how we can join hands and create a united and determined front against technology crime. 

Paul TK Lam, SBS, SC, JP

Secretary for Justice of the HKSAR