30th Annual Conference and General Meeting of the International Association of Prosecutors - Opening Remarks by the Attorney-General Lucien Wong S.C.

President of the Republic of Singapore, Mr Tharman Shanmugaratnam;

President of the International Association of Prosecutors, Mr Juan Mahiques; 

Secretary-General of the International Association of Prosecutors, Mr Roel Dona;

Attorneys General;

Prosecutors General;

Distinguished guests, ladies, and gentlemen;

Good evening, and a warm welcome to the 30th Annual Conference and General Meeting of the International Association of Prosecutors (or “IAP” for short). I thank President Tharman for honouring us with his presence and for his insightful keynote address and valuable observations. I am really grateful that the President could make it this evening to welcome all of you.

Let me begin by bidding all of you a warm welcome to – I was going to say sunny Singapore, but it’s actually a wet Singapore today. It is indeed our privilege to host this year’s Annual Conference, and I thank the IAP for giving us this opportunity to do so.

This year marks a significant milestone – which is the 30th anniversary of the IAP. When the IAP was established as an independent non-governmental organisation in 1995, representatives of just 11 different countries were involved. In 1996, the first IAP conference drew participants from 49 countries. Since then, the IAP has grown to encompass members from more than 170 jurisdictions. And at this year’s Annual Conference, we have attendance from over 450 prosecutors from about 90 countries, and we have included among the participants 50 Heads of Prosecution Agencies (namely the Attorneys General and Prosecutors General). This growth is no surprise in light of the strong value proposition that the organisation brings to prosecutorial agencies around the world. This valued proposition had been touched on by the President in his speech earlier. I would like to now elaborate on it.

1. First, the IAP has been indispensable in establishing a foundation for common standards of prosecutorial practice. As noted in the IAP Standards of Professional Responsibility and Statement of the Essential Duties and Rights of Prosecutors, which is adopted in 1999, one of the most important objectives of the IAP is to promote and enhance standards and principles which are generally recognised internationally as necessary for the proper and independent prosecution of offences. The 1999 Standards themselves have since been adopted by the UN Commission on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice in 2008.

2. Second, the IAP continues to function as a connective tissue linking different bodies of national prosecutorial agencies. By providing a platform for regular regional and international forums, prosecutors are able to exchange insights, build relationships, and keep abreast of new developments in the legal, criminal, and prosecutorial space.

3. Third, the IAP serves as a resource of expertise for prosecutors working in specialised fields of regulatory and investigative work. IAP’s Specialist Networks allow representatives from prosecutorial agencies to seek advice from their international counterparts on niche issues such as counterterrorism, human trafficking, and military prosecution.  

The theme for this year’s Annual Conference is “The Versatile Prosecutor and the Administration of Criminal Justice”. This is a recognition that as criminals continue to make use of technology, innovation and efficient organisation to commit and conceal crimes, prosecutors need to be resourceful, versatile, and forward-thinking in order to bring them to justice. We prosecutors cannot just be reactive, we need to be proactive, in order to develop solutions for the crimes of the future.

The plenary sessions and workshops at this year’s Annual Conference aim to equip prosecutors to be just that. Our first plenary session tomorrow morning, titled "Turning the Tables on New Forms of Crime," addresses how criminal syndicates exploit new technologies and AI - from sophisticated malware to deepfakes. Our second plenary session focuses on strengthening effective international cooperation. This is a topic that resonates deeply with Singapore. As a small, globally-connected country, we understand that transnational crimes require transnational solutions. Our third plenary session, “Future-proofing Prosecutors”, foregrounds the training and equipping of the people behind prosecutorial processes. It emphasises the interdisciplinary nature of investigative work, and the need for prosecutors who are comfortable both analysing blockchain transactions and interviewing vulnerable witnesses. The workshops at this conference will delve deeper into practical aspects of the plenary topics, from technological advancements in evidence presentation to asset tracing and seizure.

The workshops on legal education and training, as well as mental wellness, reflect the importance of ensuring prosecutors are well supported in these areas.

Singapore last hosted the IAP’s Annual Conference in 2008, some 17 years ago. The theme for that year’s conference was “New Technologies in Crime and Prosecution: Challenges and Opportunities”. The plenaries for that Annual Conference looked at topics such as “Emerging Trends in Cyber Crime”, “Devising Effective Strategies against On-Line Fraud”, and “Protecting Property Rights in the Virtual World”. 17 years later, many of these topics are as relevant as ever, with online fraud and scams in particular becoming an increasingly prolific scourge on society. We could not foresee that in 2008, these topics are as relevant as they are today, and even more so.

Yet, even as technology inexorably marches on in new and improved forms each year, we should not overemphasise the “cool” and “exciting” work in the technology space to the exclusion of the human elements of our job. Both have an important function within the system. I am sure many of the agencies represented here today provide support to their prosecutors for them to deal with workplace stress and mental health. My Chambers, for example, has a Principal Psychologist who provides annual screenings and individual consultations for our prosecutors. I hope that this year’s Annual Conference will be a meaningful platform for all of us to learn from each other in both the “hard” and the “soft” skills of our job.

Finally, beyond the conference itself, I would implore all of you, especially those from abroad, to take some time off to enjoy the sights and sounds of Singapore. I encourage you to experience what makes Singapore unique: a city state where different cultures blend, where heritage is combined with innovation.

On behalf of the Attorney-General’s Chambers of Singapore and the Secretariat for this year’s Annual Conference, I thank you for attending the conference and I trust that your time in Singapore will not just be professionally enriching, but also personally memorable. I wish everyone a fruitful and productive time at the conference and an enjoyable stay in Singapore. Thank you.