The significant loss of assets due to corruption severely undermines the achievement of Sustainable Development Goals threatens global economies, weakens democracies, and erodes the rule of law. A collaborative, multisectoral approach, as outlined by the United Nations Convention against Corruption (UNCAC), is essential for driving meaningful change and achieving lasting results over time.

The key to UNCAC implementation is the development and enforcement of national anti-corruption policies. North Macedonia is set to begin developing a new anti-corruption National Strategy in 2025. The previous strategy, formally known as the National Strategy for Prevention of Corruption and Conflict of Interests, with the Action Plan for its implementation, selected priority issues and identified measures to overcome them for the period 2021 to 2025. This strategy was adopted by the Assembly of the Republic of North Macedonia and provided specific commitments to be carried out by relevant institutions, alongside guidelines and themes pertinent to the fight against corruption.

To that end, a comprehensive and transparent consultation process was conducted, involving representatives from the public and private sectors, the media, NGOs, experts, and relevant international organizations. This inclusive approach should continue to guide the development of the new strategy.

Building on this, UNODC aims to convene the first national multi-stakeholder consultation to support the development of the new strategy and assess the implementation level of the current strategy, along with the identified challenges and success stories. The consultation will bring together anti-corruption experts from governmental institutions, NGOs, academia, and the private sector, with a particular focus on gathering input from non-state actors.

The event will be organized in partnership with the State Commission for Prevention of Corruption of North Macedonia and held under the framework of the Southeast Europe – Together Against Corruption II (SEE-TAC II) Regional Programme. This Programme is implemented in collaboration with the Regional Anti-Corruption Initiative (RAI) Secretariat and funded by the Austrian Development Agency.