CUHK LAW is pleased to partner with the World Bank’s Office of Suspension and Debarment, Sanctions Board Secretariat, Legal Vice Presidency, and Stolen Assets Recovery Initiative (StAR), together with other partners, on the third Symposium on Supranational Responses to Corruption: Turning Illicit Gains into Development Outcomes, taking place in Vienna, Austria on 9-10 November 2026.

Promoting good governance and tackling corruption are critical to achieving sustainable development and poverty reduction. Diversion of funds from development projects through corruption impairs the ability of governments, donors and the World Bank to achieve the goals of reducing poverty, attracting investment and encouraging good governance.

Scholars and practitioners from all relevant areas (development, law, finance, diplomacy, etc.) and sectors (non-profit, government, academia, international organizations, judiciary, private sector) are invited to submit proposals for contributions (i.e., essays, papers) to be presented at the symposium. Contributions may be conceptual, empirical, comparative, or practice-oriented, and may focus on one or more mechanisms. Interdisciplinary, cross-sectoral, and policy-relevant proposals are particularly encouraged.

Research themes include but are not limited to:

• Legal, Institutional, and Political Challenges
• Models for Return and Allocation
• Safeguards against Corruption and Misuse
• Management of Assets
• MDB Financial Remedies as Development Tools
• Innovations, Trends, and Research Gaps

Submission Guidelines

A proposal should be 300-500 words and indicate explicitly how the proposed contribution relates to the Symposium’s theme. The final essay/paper submission should be 2,500-7,500 words without annexes. Please submit the proposal along with a short biography (including name(s), affiliation(s), and contact details) to IntegritySymposium@worldbank.org. Please disclose and describe any use of generative artificial intelligence tools in the preparation of your submission. The paper/essay does not have to be new/unpublished material (i.e., previously presented/published materials are acceptable). For the unpublished materials, a publication opportunity may follow the symposium. For questions, please reach out to integritysymposium@worldbank.org.

Timeline

The deadline for submission of proposals is 6 July 2026. Successful applicants will be informed by 6 August 2026. The deadline for submitting the essay/paper is 30 September 2026.

For full details, please click here.