Code of Practice for Council Members

28 Code of Practice for Council Members 20 The Secretary of the Council shall be the custodian of the common seal of the University and, with the Registrar, the joint custodian of the records of the University. The Secretary of the Council shall perform such duties as specified in the University Ordinance and Statutes, and as may be determined from time to time by the Council. 4.8. Matters Concerning Council Members 4.8.1. Declaration of Council Members’ Interests The University is fully committed to the principles of honesty, integrity and fair play in the delivery of services. It is included in Schedule 1 to the Prevention of Bribery Ordinance (Cap. 201) as one of the “Public Bodies” governed by the Ordinance. Hence, all members of the University are “public servants” for the purpose of the Ordinance. Managing conflict of interest is important to good governance and maintaining trust in public bodies. Conflict of interest if improperly managed, give rise to criticism of favouritism, abuse of authority or even allegation of corruption and undermine the integrity of Council members, their decisions and eventually the University. A conflict of interest situation arises when the “private interests” of Council members compete or conflict with the interests of the University. “Private interests” means both the financial and personal interests of Council members or those of their connections including:  family and other relations;  personal friends;  the clubs and societies to which they belong; and  any person to whom they owe a favour or are obligated in any way. Use of official position, use of official information, private investment and outside employment are some common areas in which a conflict of interest may arise between a Council member’s official duties and private interests. To maintain public confidence in the integrity of Council members (including the chairman), as well as in the impartiality of their advice tendered to the committee, it is important that all Council members should disclose their general pecuniary interests on appointment to the Council, in addition to the report of conflicts of interests as and when they arise. To achieve greater transparency, such declarations should be kept by the Secretary of the Council and made available for inspection by other Council members.