Hong Kong Department of Justice's Prosecutions Division has been awarded the International Association of Prosecutors' Certificate of Merit.

According to a government press release on Monday, the division was awarded in recognition of its contribution to the work of the association, and its success in hosting the second Asia Pacific Regional Conference last November.

Director of Public Prosecutions Grenville Cross said on Monday that the award is a "great honor for the prosecutors of Hong Kong," adding it is "a welcome recognition of the status now enjoyed at the international level by our prosecution service".

Cross was presented with the certificate on Monday by association president Nicholas Cowdery at its 10th Annual Conference & General Meeting in Copenhagen.

The division joined the association in 2001, as its 75th organizational member. The association is the first and only world organization of prosecutors. It was established in 1995 at the United Nations Offices in Vienna.

It is committed to developing close co-operation among the world's prosecutors and promoting high standards of criminal justice.

It includes individual and organizational members from over 120countries and regions. The organizational members are drawn from every region of the world, and represent over 200,000 prosecutors.

(Xinhua News Agency August 30, 2005)