Ljubljana, Slovenia: The 26th RAI Steering Group Meeting
2017-10-24 08:00 - 17:00 UTC
The 26th RAI Steering group meeting was held on October 24th 2017, in Ljubljana, Slovenia.

The meeting is the main forum of the Initiative, which will provide ground to the participants to take the decisions that will be implemented in the framework of RAI in the course of the following period. The Steering Group Meeting discussed, inter alia, RAI 2018-2020 Work Plan, Evaluation of the RAI 2016-2017 Work Plan, and RAI Budget for 2018.
Moreover, RAI is proud to announce that Slovenia has formalized its cooperation with RAI by sending the formal request for status of Observer. The formal request was presented at the today’s Steering Group meeting by Mr. Boris Stefanec, Chief Commissioner of the Commission for the Prevention of Corruption of Slovenia and duly granted by the present RAI member countries.
Steering Group also welcomed Ms. Jana Repanšek Director of Centre for Excellence in Finance (CEF). CEF is international organization with the mission to support capacity development for finance officials in South East Europe through learning. CEF serves as a knowledge hub for the region combining topical expertise and in-depth knowledge of countries in the region with a good comprehension of how reforms take place. Ms. Repanšek presented the work of CEF followed by the discussion. RAI Secretariat will continue to foster the partnership with CEF.
The Meeting was held back-to-back with the regional forum on “Preventing Corruption through Efficient Risk Identification”, which will take place on October 25th and 26th 2017, organized by the Regional Anti-corruption Initiative, Regional Cooperation Council, in cooperation with Slovenian Commission for Prevention of Corruption, and supported by the Austrian Development Agency.

Ljubljana, Slovenia: Regional Forum on Preventing Corruption Through Efficient Identification of Risks
2017-10-25 08:00 - 2017-10-26 17:00
Efficient identification of corruption risks and their assessment in public institutions was the main topic of a two-day Regional Forum which took place from 25 – 26 October 2017, in Ljubljana, Slovenia.

Opening the Forum, Boris Štefanec, the Chief Commissioner of the Slovenian Commission for the Prevention of Corruption, expressed his satisfaction with the fact that a day before Slovenia joined the Regional Anti-Corruption Initiative (RAI) as an observer.
“The Commission will be representing Slovenia in future work of RAI, which is valuable recognition of our work in the past 13 years, since its establishment. Working together, cooperating internationally and exchanging best practices are crucial in struggle to eliminate corruption, as this phenomenon knows no borders.”
During the next two days, the participants, relevant representatives of ministries of justice, anti-corruption bodies and non-governmental organisations from South East Europe (SEE) who worked together to implement the Regional Cooperation Council (RCC)/ Regional Anti-Corruption Initiative Methodologies on Anti-corruption Assessment of Laws and on Corruption Risk Assessment in Public Institutions, will be discussing universal patterns of corruption in any society and focus on specific corruption-related occurrences in SEE economies.
Radu Cotici, RCC Expert on Governance for Growth-Public Administration Reform and Anticorruption, reminded about the results of the recently published RCC’s public and business survey in the region, Balkan Barometer 2017, which says that corruption is one of the biggest concerns of people in the region as 32% of citizens say they worry about corruption, which is a rise of 5% compared to the previous year.
“We need to take the voice of people seriously, raise awareness on it, especially in public services and fight corruption mercilessly. There is no single model that fits all the environments equally efficiently and therefore it is of paramount importance that we set up mutual cooperation forums, such as this one, exchange experiences and identify ways in which corruption can be best fought, having in mind specificities of our economies.”
One of the key actions of the South East Europe 2020 Strategy is to introduce clear and transparent rules of access to public services, thus increasing public institutions’ integrity level. In this context, two preventive measures have been enhanced throughout the region in the recent years – corruption risk assessment and anti-corruption assessment of laws.
Davor Dubravica, Chairperson of the RAI, reiterated pleasure with Slovenia’s newly acquired observer status to RAI and benefits from knowledge and experience that Slovenian colleagues would bring.
“The Forum is a valuable tool for peer-to-peer learning, addressing the key issues regarding implementation, and discussing the future of the Corruption Risk Assessment and Corruption Proofing of Legislation in our region. Many of the results and achievements made so far have been implemented under the Southeast Europe Regional Programme that is being implemented in cooperation with UNODC. RAI remains committed to the national institutions working in this field and will continue its assistance under the auspice of the Regional Programme for the next two years.”
To capitalise on the momentum created by the institutions, this Forum will tackle the progress achieved and the challenges faced with introduction and implementation of these preventive measures, with particular focus on practical implementation and innovative approach.
Monika Tortschanoff, Programme Manager at Austrian Development Agency, reiterated Austrian Government’s dedication to supporting the South East Europe in its anti-corruption efforts. “Today and tomorrow we celebrate countries’ achievements in particular in the field of Corruption Proofing of Legislation and Corruption Risk Assessment. Let me also express my appreciation for the genuine efforts of governments and members of civil society to cooperate and share responsibility in this field.”
The event has been organised by the RCC and RAI, in cooperation with Slovenian Commission for Prevention of Corruption under the auspice of the Regional Programme on Strengthening the Capacity of Anti-corruption Authorities and Civil Society to Combat Corruption and Contribute to the UNCAC Review Process, funded by the Austrian Development Agency.
Agenda
List of Participants

Bosnia and Herzegovina: Trainings on Corruption Risk Assessment for development of integrity plans in institutions of Federation BiH
2017-11-13 08:00 - 2017-11-15 17:00
Regional Anti-corruption Initiative (RAI), in cooperation with the Anti-Corruption Team of Government of Federation BiH, organized trainings for focal points and coordinators of integrity plans in institutions of Federation BiH. The trainings took place in Mostar, on 13 November 2017, and in Sarajevo, on 14 – 15 November 2017.
The main objective of the training is that the institutions of Federation BiH get acquainted to the purpose and importance of the development and implementation of integrity plans on a comprehensive and participatory manner. The training also offered practical and methodological instructions devising the plans.
The training was organized within the Southeast Europe Regional Programme on Strengthening the Capacity of Anti-corruption Authorities and Civil Society to Combat Corruption and Contribute to the UNCAC Review Process implemented by Regional Anti-Corruption Initiative alongside with UNODC and funded by the Austrian Development Agency.
Agendas (in local languages):
Mostar, 13 November 2017, List of Participants
Sarajevo, 14 November 2017, List of Participants
Sarajevo, 15 November 2017, List of Participants
RAI Secretariat
30 October 2017

Tirana, Albania: Regional Conference: “Corruption-Free Cities of the Future”
2017-12-07 08:00 - 2017-12-08 17:00
Regional Anti-corruption Initiative (RAI), in cooperation with United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and Anti-Corruption Network of OECD, organized a regional conference on “Corruption-Free Cities of the Future”, on 7 – 8 December 2017, in Tirana, Albania, which was hosted by the Government of Albania. RAI was represented by Chairperson, Mr Davor Dubravica and Head of Secretariat, Mr Vladan Joksimović.

The regional conference provided an opportunity to exchange experiences about achievements and challenges in preventing corruption at the local level, including by cities, regions and other sub-national levels of public administration. The discussion enabled the identification of examples of successful tools and good practices, and will contribute to the development of regional recommendations on this subject. UNDP presented a draft Toolkit on Corruption-Free Cities, incorporating real time visualization of the conference discussions, to provide local administrations, as well as donors and civil society organizations a set of practical tools to design and implement integrity plans at the local level. The proceedings of the regional conference will be reflected in a Thematic Study that will be prepared by the OECD/ACN.
Specifically, the regional conference pursued the following objectives to:
● Create awareness on SDGs, specifically on SDG16 with the focus on the role of local governments and anti-corruption;
● Provide a forum for the key stakeholders responsible for the design and implementation of anti-corruption and integrity initiatives at the local level;
● Highlight the existing anti-corruption tools and methodologies available for municipalities and local governments to assess and measure sector specific corruption risks and vulnerabilities;
● Facilitate contacts and exchange between “Islands of Integrity” Network (cases of positive deviance at the local level), willing mayors and local practitioners able to facilitate anti-corruption work at the local level.
● Contribute to the development of the regional thematic study with recommendations on the integrity at the local level.
The regional conference brought together around 80 participants from selected country representatives from Eastern Europe and the OECD members that are in charge of prevention of corruption at the local level, including practitioners from the central government bodies and local level officials responsible for integrity and corruption prevention at the level of cities and regions, academics and civil society organizations engaged in promoting of integrity and prevention of corruption at the local level.
Final Agenda can be found here.

Prishtina, Kosovo*: Corruption Proofing of Legislation – Roundtable
2017-12-11 08:00 - 17:00
Regional Anti-corruption Initiative (RAI), in cooperation with the Anti-corruption Agency Kosovo* and UNDP in Kosovo* supported by the Austrian Development Agency held the Round Table on Anti-corruption Assessment of Laws (corruption proofing in legislation) in Kosovo*.

The roundtable was organized under the Southeast Europe Regional Programme on Strengthening the Capacity of Anti-corruption Authorities and Civil Society to Combat Corruption and Contribute to the UNCAC Review Process, which is implemented by RAI in partnership with the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC).
The objective of the roundtable was to discuss among stakeholders about the Corruption Proofing of Legislation and to produce a roadmap for its introduction into Kosovo* legal framework and practice.
Please see the Agenda of the Event and the List of Participants.
For more information about the Regional Programme or about Corruption Proofing of Legislation please contact the Secretariat or visit What We Do section of the website.

Pristina, Kosovo*: Training on Corruption Proofing of Legislation
2017-12-11 08:00 - 17:00
Regional Anti-corruption Initiative (RAI) held a Training on Corruption Proofing of Legislation in Pristina, Kosovo* on 11 December 2017.

The Training was organized in cooperation with the UNDP Kosovo* and the Kosovo* Anti-Corruption Agency (KACA) under the Regional Programme on Strengthening the Capacity of Anti-corruption Authorities and Civil Society to Combat Corruption and Contribute to the UNCAC Review Process, which is implemented by RAI Secretariat in partnership with the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), supported by the Austrian Development Agency (ADA).
The objective of the Training was to build and strengthen the capacity of the institutions and civil society in conducting corruption proofing of legislation, by learning how to review the form and substance of drafted or enacted legislation in order to detect and minimize the risks of corruption that the rules could facilitate.
Agenda
List of Participants
Photo Gallery

11 December 2017
RAI Secretariat
*This designation is without prejudice to positions on status, and is in line with UNSC 1244 and the ICJ Opinion on the Kosovo Declaration of Independence.

Bucharest, Romania: Regional Workshop on Integrity and Professional Standards in Law Enforcement
2017-12-13 08:00 - 2017-12-14 17:00
Regional Anti-corruption Initiative (RAI), in cooperation with the Anti-Corruption General Directorate within the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Romania, with support of the Geneva Centre for the Democratic Control of Armed Forces (DCAF) and the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) organized a Regional Workshop on Integrity and Professional Standards in Law Enforcement, held in Bucharest, Romania, on 13 – 14 December 2017.
The objective of the Workshop was to strengthen regional cooperation in the field of integrity and professional standards in law enforcement and enable participants to have better understanding of the modalities and mechanisms in the field of integrity and professional standards applied in the region, to increase awareness about available legal and practical solutions, but also to identify main challenges in this field..

Day 1:
In his opening remarks, Mr. Vladan Joksimovic, Head of RAI Secretariat stated that this workshop would bring an added value, through reviewing anti-corruption efforts, policies and mechanisms in law enforcement bodies, but also learning and dissemination of good practices from RAI’s member countries. Furthermore, he stated that the workshop will contribute to building relationships and cooperation among the institutions.
Mr. Ionita Alexandru Catalin, Director of Anti-Corruption General Directorate, stated that the workshop aims at enabling participants to exchange experience at regional level and discuss examples of best practice by being offered presentations and discussions with anti-corruption experts who have thorough knowledge in this field.
Participants were presented a regional overview of achieved results, current activities and key challenges by representatives of International Organizations and Networks.

Mr. Paulo Costa, Head of Police Programme, DCAF, first gave an overview of activities implemented by DCAF in this field, with special focus on Police Integrity Building Programme and Knowledge Products and Tools available and offered by DCAF. Mr. Costa continued his intervention by giving a special attention to Human Resources Management and Development as a key to Police Integrity, with focus on recruitment, training and workplace induction, career system, management and leadership, working conditions and support mechanisms, and gender dimension.
Mr. Dennis Cosgrove, Head of Border Security and management Unit, OSCE, gave a brief overview of the OSCE, and area of work of the Border Security and management Unit. A special focus was given to a Training Programme for Border Guards, Customs Services and Anti-Corruption Authorities of Moldova and Ukraine, implemented by OSCE. According to gained experiences from the Programme:

the training concept with real life case scenarios was experienced as a practical and motivating learning methodology;
By utilizing national experts as core trainers, the curriculum and training delivered was really tailored to the actual needs of both countries and brought local ownership.
third phase of the programme will be delivered independently by national authorities in their countries, and it is expected that the project will bring tangible results.

Ms. Anela Duman, Expert on integrity in public procurement, Centre for Integrity in Defense Sector (CIDS) presented the work and area of expertise of CIDS. Special attention was given to the advisory role of CIDS while working bilaterally with countries of the region. All activities are demand driven, locally owned, evidence-based and tend to use a participatory approach. Ms. Duman also presented some of the deliverables of the CIDS bilateral interventions, including Analytical basis publications and guides to good governance.
Mr. Michael Ocvirk, Risk Management Expert, Federal Bureau of Anti-corruption (BAK), Austria, gave an overview of the work of Bureau, with special focus on department for Prevention, Education and International Cooperation. He presented the Network of Integrity Officers (NIO), developed and managed by BAK on the basis of its legal mandate and years of expertise in the field. NIO, as a key element of National Anti-corruption Strategy proved to have many advantages, including synergic use of resources of all sectors involved, transfer of know-how, institutionalization of a nationwide integrity management system, etc. Mr. Ocvirk also presented education platforms developed for youth and implemented by BAK, including mobile application available in German and English whose target group is adolescents and young adults; and Anti-Corruption Training for Students of 14-19 years.
Mr. Tomislav Curic, Anti-corruption Expert, RAI Secretariat, presented the RAI Work Plan for 2018-2020, with special focus on activities related to building capacities of law enforcement agencies and improving their regional cooperation. Mr. Curic stressed out that the event in Bucharest would be used as a starting point to development of new activities and projects with other partners and donors. He reiterated the importance of sharing regional experiences and strengthening the cooperation in this field.
Second part of the day was dedicated to overview of achieved results, current activities and key challenges by the ministries of interior. Participants were given an opportunity to present the work of their respective institutions, with focus on successful cases and best practices related to corruption prevention (i.e. corruption risk identification and integrity plans, conflict of interest prevention, codes of ethics etc.) but also related to repressive measures and tools for addressing police corruption and misconduct.
Mr. Christophe Spechbacher from the GRECO Secretariat gave a presentation on prevention of corruption in law enforcement from the perspective of GRECO’s 5th Round of evaluation. After giving and overview of first four evaluation rounds, Mr. Spechbacher focused on framework and the questionnaire used for evaluations in the 5th round. He stated that the questionnaire includes: Organisation and accountability of law enforcement/police authorities; Anti-corruption and integrity policy, regulatory and institutional framework; Recruitment and career; Rules of conduct incl. specific restrictions, Conflicts of interest and declaratory obligations (assets, occupations, income etc.); Supervision, enforcement; and Awareness and training.
Day 2:
Second day of the workshop was dedicated to common challenges and priorities in building integrity in law enforcement. The participants had an opportunity to be part of interactive sessions and share their experiences, problems, challenges and priorities.
The Session on Integrity planning and Management was facilitated by Mr. Paulo Costa, while the final Session on identification of regional needs and priorities was facilitated by Mr. Dennis Cosgrove.
It has been concluded that the organizers will use all ideas shared during the workshop as a basis for development of new activities, and will take into consideration identified priorities and challenges that the law enforcement agencies are facing.
Final Agenda can be found here.
List of Participants can be found here.
Photo Gallery

Skopje, Macedonia: Training on Corruption Risk Assessment in Public Authorities of Republic of Macedonia
2017-12-21 08:00 - 2017-12-22 17:00
Regional Anti-Corruption Initiative (RAI) Secretariat, in cooperation with the Public Internal Financial Control Department (PIFCD) of Ministry of Finance of Republic of Macedonia, supported by the Austrian Development Agency, organized a Training on Corruption Risk Assessment in Public Authorities of Republic of Macedonia, which was held on 21 – 22 December 2017, in Skopje, Macedonia.

The Training was organized under the Southeast Europe Regional Programme on Strengthening the Capacity of Anti-corruption Authorities and Civil Society to Combat Corruption and Contribute to the UNCAC Review Process, which is implemented by RAI in partnership with the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC). The objective of the Training was to build and strengthen the capacity of governmental institutions in conducting corruption risk assessment on national level.
Please find the Agenda here.
Please find the List of Participants here.

Rome – Perugia, Italy: Winter School on Fighting Corruption with Administrative Measures and Supporting Development of New Anti-Corruption Policie
2018-01-22 08:00 - 2018-02-02 17:00
The Department of Political Science, University of Perugia, in collaboration with the Regional Anti-corruption Initiative (RAI), European Anti-Fraud Office (OLAF) and Italian National Anticorruption Authority (ANAC) organized an international Winter School on Fighting Corruption with Administrative Measures and Supporting Development of New Anti-Corruption Policies, which took place in Rome and the Province of Perugia (Umbria), Italy, from 22 January to 2 February, 2018.

The Winter School was an intensive programme designed for professionals looking to consolidate their experience and enlarge their competences on curbing corruption, with particular attention to the misuse of European funds. Interdisciplinary in nature, it addresses trends and practices on the international anti-corruption arena and promotes culture of prevention. The Winter School aims to provide training on the administrative enforcement actions, the sharing of good practices and the development of regional networks of experts and public officials.
By integrating theory and practice, the Winter School will equip participants with a deeper understanding of the intricacies of corruption, tools to assess best practices and cross-sectoral challenges, and frameworks to devise durable anti-corruption strategies. Participants will be exposed to the latest insights from Europe-leading experts and will have the opportunity to develop a strong network with peers in the same field. The Winter School consists of approximately 80 lecture hours, roundtable discussions, group work, teambuilding activities and social events.
Draft Agenda can be found here.
For more information please contact RAI Secretariat.

Rome – Perugia, Italy: Winter School on Fighting Corruption with Administrative Measures and Supporting Development of New Anti-Corruption Policies
2018-01-22 08:00 - 2018-02-02 17:00
The Department of Political Science, University of Perugia, in collaboration with the Regional Anti-corruption Initiative (RAI), European Anti-Fraud Office (OLAF) and Italian National Anticorruption Authority (ANAC) implemented an international Winter School on “Preventing Corruption through Administrative Measures” which took place in Rome and Città di Castello, Italy, from 22 January to 2 February, 2018.

The Winter School was an intensive programme designed for professionals looking to consolidate their experience and enlarge their competences on curbing corruption, with particular attention to the misuse of European funds. Interdisciplinary in nature, it addressed trends and practices on the international anti-corruption arena and promoted culture of prevention. The Winter School aimed to provide training on the administrative enforcement actions, the sharing of good practices and the development of regional networks of experts and public officials.
Mr Vladan Joksimovic, Head of RAI Secretariat, used this opportunity to share good practices for development of anti-corruption policies as well as the ongoing projects and objectives of RAI.
According to Mr Enrico Carloni, Director of the Winter School, this experience represented an useful training/debating path among experts and officers involved in managing anti-corruption policies – it also promoted positive network of professionals and competences. Furthermore, he stated that synergies with project partners RAI and ANAC were really positive and that they are determined to develop these partnerships in the future.
Prevention, public procurement, public ethics, transparency were some of the issues addressed by the speakers during the Course.

The Winter School ended with ceremony for the delivery of the certificates of attendance to the participants, with the participation of Mr Vladan Joksimovic, Head of RAI Secretariat, Mr Enrico Carloni, Director of the Winter School, and Ms Angela Lorella Di Gioia, General Secretary of ANAC.

By integrating theory and practice, the Winter School equipped participants with a deeper understanding of the intricacies of corruption, tools to assess best practices and cross-sectoral challenges, and frameworks to devise durable anti-corruption strategies. Participants were exposed to the latest insights from Europe-leading experts and had the opportunity to develop a strong network with peers in the same field. The Winter School consisted of approximately 80 lecture hours, roundtable discussions, group work, teambuilding activities and social events.
Agenda can be found here.

Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina: Regional Conference on Strengthening Cooperation in the Field of Asset Recovery
2018-03-28 08:00 - 17:00
28 March 2018, Sarajevo: Regional Anti-corruption Initiative (RAI) and the Advice on Individual Rights in Europe (AIRE) Centre in cooperation with the UK government and OSCE, organised a Regional Conference on Strengthening Cooperation in the Field of Asset Recovery, which gathered recovery experts, prosecutors and members of judiciaries from the Southeast Europe and beyond.
The aim of the conference was to present the findings of a comparative study prepared by AIRE Centre, London, and the RAI Secretariat regarding the seizure of illegally acquired property in the Western Balkans. The analysis specifically refers to the final court judgments in cases of corruption, with a particular focus on human rights standards.
“The Study on Asset Recovery in the Western Balkans, along with the Study in other RAI jurisdictions, were conducted with the clear objective to provide a snapshot of the current state of play, identify common challenges as well as the shortcomings at the local levels which can be affected regionally,” said Vladan Joksimovic, Head of the RAI Secretariat.
Key finding of the study, confirmed through the conference discussion, is that the international and European standards have been to a large extent transposed into the national legislation of the Western Balkans jurisdictions. However, implementation of these standards must be improved.
“The study validates the need to strengthen the ability of law enforcement agencies and prosecution services to systematically conduct financial investigations parallel to criminal investigations. It urges for more consistent implementation of European legal standards and important safeguards contained in them”, said Biljana Braithwaite, Program Manager for the Western Balkans AIRE Centre in London. Braithwaite also pointed to the finding which stressed a growing demand to use international co-operation mechanisms during the asset recovery processes, with countries engaging in asset recovery beyond its borders.
The participants of the conference also presented experiences from United Kingdom, Italy, Bulgaria, Croatia, Moldova and Romania, as well as key international instruments that regulate this area
The conference is part of the project “Combating corruption in the Western Balkans and Strengthening Regional Cooperation in the field of Asset Recovery”, which is being implemented with support from the UK Government and from the OSCE.
The project analyzes the effectiveness, efficiency and adherence to human rights in criminal justice systems of Southeast Europe in relation to seizure and confiscation of the proceeds of crime in order to propose joint action at regional level.
Please find attached the Conference Pack with Agenda, List of Participants and other relevant details.

Montenegro: Training on Corruption Proofing of Legislation
2018-04-24 08:00 - 2018-04-25 17:00
Regional Anti-corruption Initiative (RAI) Secretariat in cooperation with the Agency for Prevention of Corruption of Montenegro and the Regional Cooperation Council (RCC) organized Training on Corruption Proofing of Legislation in Montenegro, in Budva on 24 April and Podgorica on 25 April 2018.

The Trainings are part of the Regional Programme on Strengthening the Capacity of Anti-corruption Authorities and Civil Society to Combat Corruption and Contribute to the UNCAC Review Process, which is implemented by RAI Secretariat in partnership with the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), supported by the Austrian Development Agency (ADA).
The purpose of the Trainings was to build and strengthen the capacity of the institutions in conducting corruption proofing of legislation, by learning how to review the form and substance of drafted or enacted legislation in order to detect and minimize the risks of corruption that the rules could facilitate. The Trainings gathered representatives of the respective institutions in Montenegro, both on central and local level.
For more information please contact RAI Secretariat.

Podgorica, Montenegro: Regional Workshop – Integrity and Control Measures in Defence and Law Enforcement Institutions
2018-05-08 08:00 - 2018-05-09 17:00
The Regional Workshop “Integrity and Control Measures in Defence and Law Enforcement Institutions”, jointly organized by RACVIAC – Centre for Security Cooperation, Regional Anti-corruption Initiative (RAI) and the Ministry of Defence of Montenegro, took place on May 8 and 9 in Podgorica, Montenegro.
Being aware of the fact that integrity and fight against corruption in the defence and security areas presents one of the common challenges in the region, and considering that this specific topic needs to be treated multi-disciplinary, this Workshop is a continuation of the series of activities organized previously by RAI and is intended as a capacity building endeavour for a new generation of experts involved in the subject of building integrity and fighting corruption.
The objective of the 2018 Workshop was to increase the capacity of ministries of defence and ministries of internal affairs, particularly border police, in the field of integrity and corruption prevention.
The Workshop aimed at increasing awareness about innovative anti-corruption mechanisms and tools, but also the needed legal solutions and regulatory measures. It is anticipated that the participants will gain a better understanding of the specific elements related to institutional integrity measures, prevention and resolution of conflict of interest, declaration of assets, income, liabilities and interests, and identification and mitigation of corruption risks related to protection of classified data.
Greeting the participants on behalf of the RACVIAC Director, Ambassador Haydar Berk, Ms. Ana Ezhova Krzhaloska, Programme Manager for International and Regional Cooperation with focus on Euro Atlantic Integration Pillar, said that “due to their specificities the fields of defence and internal affairs have been identified as areas with high risks for misconducts and corruption. Public procurement, conflict of interest, financial control and data protection have been acknowledged as particularly vulnerable processes. In this respect, further actions and support to the respective authorities in South East Europe in strengthening their institutional integrity and resilience are needed”. She continued by saying that “the close regional and wider cooperation among the SEE countries through dialogue and various forms of coordination is a strong response to todays’ challenges to defence policy, leading to building of confidence and security among the countries and development of synergy.”
In his Opening remarks the Head of the International Cooperation Section in the Ministry of Defence of Montenegro, Mr. Andrej Lakić, said that the topic of Building Integrity and Fighting Corruption requires the attention of all of us who are focused on developing the global partnership and active exchange of information with the aim to properly implement integrity and control measures in defence and law enforcement institutions.
Speaking on behalf of the Regional Anticorruption Initiative, Mr. Davor Dubravica, Acting Chairperson of RAI greeted the participants and expressed gratitude to RACVIAC and the Ministry of Defence of Montenegro for a great collaboration in organizing the event. This event is continuation of a joint successful cooperation between RAI and RACVIAC, and follow up to the activities organized in past years. Mr. Dubravica emphasized importance of the topic of conflict of interest and asset declaration, especially in law enforcement institutions and ministries of defence. He stressed that preventing corruption and promoting integrity in law enforcement agencies is one of the themes covered by the Group of States against Corruption (GRECO) in fifth Evaluation Round, launched in 2017.
He expressed commitment of RAI in supporting national institutions in the SEE Region, both by strengthening their capacities but also enhancing regional cooperation in the field of conflict of interest and asset declaration. In this respect, the draft International Treaty on Data Exchange for the Verification of Asset Declaration was represented during the Workshop by Mr. Vladan Joksimović, Head of RAI Secretariat.
The Workshop gathered more than 30 participants, mid-level representatives of the ministries of interior and defence from the Republic of Albania, Bosnia and Hercegovina, Republic of Croatia, Montenegro, Moldova, Romania, Republic of Serbia, Republic of Turkey and Kosovo⃰.
For more details, please see List of Participants and event Agenda.

*This Designation is without prejudice to positions on status and is in line with UNSCR 1244 and the ICJ Opinion on the Kosovo Declaration of Independence.
Photo gallery

Zagreb: Corruption Proofing of Legislation Training for Kosovo* authorities
2018-05-22 08:00 - 2018-05-23 17:00
Regional Anti-corruption Initiative (RAI) Secretariat in partnership with UNDP Kosovo* and Kosovo* Anti-Corruption Agency (KACA) organized the 2nd Training on Corruption Proofing of Legislation for Kosovo* Authorities. The training took place in Zagreb on 22-23 May 2018.

The Training is part of the Regional Programme on Strengthening the Capacity of Anti-corruption Authorities and Civil Society to Combat Corruption and Contribute to the UNCAC Review Process, which is implemented by RAI Secretariat in partnership with the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), supported by the Austrian Development Agency (ADA).
The Training represents the continuation of Programme activities on corruption proofing of legislation in Kosovo* and its aim is to build and strengthen the capacity of institutions and civil society in the implementation of corruption proofing of legislation through active participation and exchange of practical experiences with experts and work through case studies.
23 May 2018
RAI Secretariat
*This designation is without prejudice to positions on status, and is in line with UNSC 1244 and the ICJ Opinion on the Kosovo Declaration of Independence.

27th RAI Steering Group Meeting in Zagreb on May 28th
2018-05-28 08:00 - 17:00
The 27th Steering Group Meeting of the Regional Anti-corruption Initiative (RAI) took place in Zagreb, Croatia on May 28, 2018. The meeting was organized by the RAI Secretariat and chaired by the Acting Chairperson Mr. Davor Dubravica.

Focus of the Steering Group Meeting was election of the Chairperson. Following the procedure, Mr. Todor Kolarov was elected as the new RAI Chairperson to commence his mandate as of September 1, 2018.
The meeting was an opportunity to exchange views with the Commission for the Resolution of Conflict of Interest of the Republic of Croatia. The newly appointed President Ms. Natasa Novakovic used the opportunity reconfirm Commission’s readiness to work and cooperate with RAI, and stressed the importance of the International Treaty on Exchange of Data for the Verification of Asset Declarations produced by RAI.
Mr. Vladan Joksimovic, Head of Secretariat informed the Steering Group about main activities of the Secretariat for past several months and announced activities to take place in the following period. The particular focus was given to the past and future activities related to International Treaty on Exchange of Data for the Verification of Asset Declarations and its adoption.
Steering Group took note of the Financial Report for 2017 and adopted proposed reallocation of 2018 RAI core budget.
Agenda
Summary, Conclusions and Decisions

Zagreb: Round table on Whistleblowers Protection
2018-05-29 08:00 - 17:00
The Regional Anti-Corruption Initiative (RAI), in cooperation with Ministry of Justice of Republic of Croatia, organized a Round table on Legislative Framework and Best Practices in Whistleblowers Protection, as a part of the discussion on Croatian Draft Law on Whistleblowers.

The Round table took place on May 29th in Zagreb. Representatives from Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Serbia and Slovenia shared their expertise and experiences in implementation of similar legislation in the region and their knowledge on practices related to protection of whistleblowers.
Please find attached the Agenda of the Event.
For more information on RAI Secretariat’s work in the field of protection of whistleblowers please write to us.

30 May 2018

Vilnius, Lithuania: Transparency International’s School on Integrity
2018-07-02 08:00 - 2018-07-08 17:00
Transparency International School on Integrity (TISI) is an annual state-of-the-art anti-corruption and accountability training for future leaders. The upcoming TISI 2018 took place during 2-8 July, 2018 in Vilnius, Lithuania. TISI exposes its participants to the latest developments in the field of anti-corruption and accountability and offers real opportunities to try and implement their ideas in practice.

Following a rigorous selection process, selected students spent 7 highly intensive days learning from leading anti-corruption and accountability professionals. TISI seeks to create a peer-to-peer learning and integrity-building environment that links theory with practice and helps young leaders to acquire better skills in bringing the anti-corruption message across.
School lectures, seminars, training and field trips provide TISI participants with a unique blend of international and local know-how, while also challenging students approached the subject from outside the box and offer novel, previously untested solutions. Since 2010, TISI has welcomed more than 900 youth leaders from around 110 countries worldwide.
More information can be found here.

Summer School for Junior Anti- Corruption Practitioners from South-East Europe
2018-07-09 08:00 - 2018-07-12 17:00
RAI Secretariat, in cooperation with the Ministry of Justice of the Republic of Serbia, and in partnership with the OSCE organized the 13th edition of the Summer School for Junior Anti-corruption Practitioners from South-East Europe. The event was hosted by the Judicial Academy of Republic of Serbia in the period 9-12 July 2018.
The topic of 13th Summer School was “Investigation of corruption and confiscation of proceeds of crime – effective tools and methods”.
Participants of the Summer School were junior practitioners from prosecution bodies and anti-corruption law enforcement bodies, dealing with corruption investigations, investigation of frauds related to EU funds and asset recovery. They passed a one week of intensive study, obtaining theoretical knowledge and practical skills from honorable experts on corruption cases investigation and recovering proceeds of crime. They also had a unique opportunity to learn from and exchange experience and knowledge with colleagues and peers from the region about the practices in the other countries.
Lectures were delivered by respected trainers, coming from institutions as the Customs Service of the Republic of Moldova, State Border Guard Service of Ukraine, Austrian Ministry of Interior, USKOK (Croatia), OLAF and Directorate for the Administration of seized assets of Republic of Serbia.
Upon an evaluation test, successful participants obtained RAI Summer School Certificates.
The RAI Secretariat expresses its gratitude to the trainers:
– Mr. Pedro Gomes Pereira,
– Ms. Lidia Gutu,
– Mr. Artiom Popenco,
– Mr. Stanislav Filippov,
– Mr. Günther Bechtloff,
– Ms. Marta Samota Galjer,
– Mr. Antonio Miceli,
– Mr. Todor Kolarov, and
– Mr. Vladimir Ceklic
for their invaluable contributions to the event.
Agenda of the 2018 Summer School
Full list of participants
Photo gallery

Regional Workshop on IT Tools in Prevention of Corruption
2018-09-12 08:00 - 2018-09-13 17:00
RAI Secretariat in cooperation with the National Anti-corruption Center of the Republic of Moldova held a Regional Workshop on IT Tools in Preventing Corruption. The Regional Workshop took place in Chisinau, Moldova on September 12-13. 2018.

The Workshop brought together relevant representatives of anti-corruption bodies from Southeast Europe, responsible for corruption risk assessment and/or corruption proofing of legislation as well as the representatives of IT departments. The objective of the Workshop was to exchange best practices and models of existing IT solutions in the field of corruption risk assessment and corruption proofing of legislation, as well as to define and agree on the final IT models, which will be developed by RAI and delivered to respective national institutions in the forthcoming period. The event was also an opportunity for participants to engage in peer to peer exchange and increase their knowledge on the subject and, at the same time, establish informal professional links between themselves.
The Regional Workshop is an action delivered under the Southeast Europe Regional Programme on Strengthening the Capacity of Anti-corruption Authorities and Civil Society to Combat Corruption and Contribute to the UNCAC Review Process (Programme) implemented by Regional Anti-corruption Initiative (RAI) in cooperation with the United Nations Office and Drugs and Crime (UNODC), and funded by the Austrian Development Agency.
Agenda of the Workshop
List of Participants
For more information please reach out to us on info@rai-see.org
RAI Secretariat
23 August 2018

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Mostar, B&H: Training on Corruption Risk Assessment for representatives of health care institutions
2018-09-18 08:00 - 17:00
Regional Anti-Corruption Initiative (RAI) Secretariat, in cooperation with the Regional Cooperation Council (RCC) and the Agency for Prevention of Corruption and Coordination of the Fight Against Corruption (APIK), supported by the Austrian Development Agency, organized a Training on Corruption Risk Assessment for representatives of health care institutions within the public sector in Herzegovina-Neretva Canton, which was held on 18 September 2018, in Mostar.
The Training was organized under the Southeast Europe Regional Programme on Strengthening the Capacity of Anti-corruption Authorities and Civil Society to Combat Corruption and Contribute to the UNCAC Review Process, which is implemented by RAI in partnership with the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC). The objective of the Training was to build and strengthen the capacity of health care institutions in conducting corruption risk assessment through support in development integrity plans on the institutional level.

Multi-Stakeholder Workshop on the United Nations Convention against Corruption
2018-09-24 08:00 - 2018-09-27 17:00
We are pleased to inform you that the application process for the participation in the Multi-Stakeholder Workshop on the United Nations Convention against Corruption (UNCAC) and its Review Mechanism is now open! Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) based in Southeast Europe are invited to apply.

The Multi-stakeholder Workshop is a part of the Regional Programme on Strengthening the Capacity of Anti-corruption Authorities and Civil Society to Combat Corruption and Contribute to the UNCAC Review Process, which is implemented by RAI Secretariat in partnership with the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), supported by the Austrian Development Agency (ADA).
The Multi-stakeholder Workshop will take place from 24 to 27 September 2018 in Belgrade, Serbia and will bring together representatives from civil society, governments and the private sector. The overall objective of the four-day workshop is: to train participants on the UNCAC provisions; to inform them on the methodology for country reviews; to build their capacity to work with the private sector and to reproduce the training at the local, national and regional level; and to initiate dialogue with government focal points.
Should you be interested in participating, please apply as soon as possible and by no later than Friday, 20 July 2018. For more information, please visit the following link.
To submit a complete application, you are required to complete the application form and send it along with the most recent CV of the representative who would be attending the workshop to the following email: unodc-ngounit@un.org . Only one representative per organization will be invited to attend, and his/her participation will be sponsored by the UNODC.
Priority will be given to CSOs from: Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo (under UNSC 1244), Moldova, the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Montenegro, and Serbia.
For more information please contact unodc-ngounit@un.org.

Negotiations Meeting on International Treaty on Exchange of Data for the Verification of Asset Declarations
2018-10-03 08:00 - 2018-10-04 17:00
RAI Secretariat is pleased to inform that the Negotiation Meeting on International Treaty on Exchange of Data for the Verification of Asset Declarations took place in Laxenburg – Vienna, Austria on 3-4 October, 2018.
It was hosted by the Ministry for Europe, Integration, and Foreign Affairs of Austria and organized by RAI Secretariat. The Meeting lasted for two days and attending delegations demonstrated commitment to the Treaty and were actively engaged in the discussions over the Treaty text. The atmosphere was very positive with excellent exchanges, resulting in an improved text of the Treaty.
RAI Secretariat is fully aware that there is a long road ahead, but successful completion of the 1st round of negotiations represents a major milestone in the process of enabling exchange of data for verification purposes in Southeast Europe. Bulgaria and Montenegro nominated their countries as potential hosts for the second negotiation meeting. Delegation of Serbia nominated Serbia as a potential depository of the Treaty.
Please see the Conclusions of the Meeting, as well as the final List of Participants.

The purpose of the International Treaty on Exchange of Data for the Verification of Asset Declarations is to prevent and to combat corruption by providing for direct administrative exchange of information concerning asset declarations between the Parties of the Treaty. The Treaty will enable and streamline communication, and will simplify the present time-consuming processes in verification of public officials’ asset declaration. Respective anti-corruption bodies will be able to communicate formally to each other in an effective and efficient manner compared to the current state of affairs.
The basis of the Treaty is the United Nations Convention against Corruption (UNCAC) and its Resolution 6/4, which encourages Member States to consider the possibility of concluding multilateral agreements on civil and administrative matters relating to corruption, including international cooperation.
The Treaty has been developed under the Southeast Europe Regional Programme on Strengthening the Capacity of Anti-corruption Authorities and Civil Society to Combat Corruption and Contribute to the UNCAC Review Process, implemented by the Regional Anti-Corruption Initiative (RAI) in partnership with the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) and funded by Austrian Development Agency (ADA).
The Treaty has been prepared following three regional expert meetings, attended by the integrity/anti-corruption authorities and ministries of justice from the South East Europe held in Zagreb in 2015, Tirana in 2016 and Sofia in 2016 organized by Regional Anti-corruption Initiative (RAI) and hosted by respective national institutions. Significant contribution in developing the Treaty has been provided by the European Commission, UNODC, World Bank, United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), Basel Institute on Governance, Regional Cooperation Council (RCC) and the Regional School of Public Administration (ReSPA).
The Treaty has been endorsed by the Heads of Governments at the Western Balkans Summit, held in July 2017 in Trieste. The European Commission in its 2018 Communication on EU Enlargement Policy from April 17th, 2018, reaffirmed importance of the Treaty, as a mechanism which could contribute to improving the countries’ track record of dealing with corruption cases in the Western Balkans region.

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Mostar, B&H: 2nd Training on Corruption Risk Assessment
2018-10-19 08:00 - 17:00
Agency for Prevention of Corruption and Coordination of the Fight Against Corruption (APIK), in cooperation with Regional anti-corruption Initiative (RAI) Secretariat and Regional Cooperation Council (RCC) organized a 2nd Training on Corruption Risk Assessment for health care institutions in Herzegovina-Neretva Canton on 19 October 2018 in Mostar. The aim of the 2nd Training was to strengthening the capacities of health care institutions to identify healthcare-related corruption risks in order to carry out self-assessment effectively and develop their integrity plans. The training shall be further replicated by APIK in other administrative areas in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

The Training is organized under the Southeast Europe Regional Programme on Strengthening the Capacity of Anti-corruption Authorities and Civil Society to Combat Corruption and Contribute to the UNCAC Review Process, which is implemented by RAI in partnership with the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) and supported by the Austrian Development Agency (ADA).
For the Training Agenda please go here.
For the List of Participants please go here.
Photo Gallery

RAI Secretariat

Tirana Albania: 28th RAI Steering Group Meeting
2018-11-19 08:00 - 17:00
The 28th Steering Group Meeting of the Regional Anti-corruption Initiative (RAI) took place in Tirana, Albania on November 19, 2018. The meeting was organized by the RAI Secretariat and chaired by the Chairperson Mr. Todor Kolarov.

Focus of the Steering Group Meeting was presentation and discussion about the amandmants to RAI Secretariat internal documents and procedures.
The meeting was an opportunity to exchange views with the Ministry of Justice of Albania. The Minister of Justice Ms. Etilda Gjonaj stressed that Albania has shown courage and commitment to policy development related to prevention of corruption, as well as in repression side, elaborating on the key elements of this process.
Mr. Vladan Joksimovic, Head of Secretariat informed the Steering Group about main activities of the Secretariat for past several months and announced activities to take place in the following period. The particular focus was given to the past and future activities related to International Treaty on Exchange of Data for the Verification of Asset Declarations and its adoption.
Steering Group adopted the proposed 2019 RAI core budget.
Summary, Conclusions and Decisions

Sofia, Bulgaria: Regional Forum of the Ministries of Interior/Security on Counteraction to Internal Corruption
2018-11-26 08:00 - 2018-11-27 17:00
Following one of the main priorities of the recent Bulgarian Presidency of the Council of the European Union – the European perspective of the Western Balkans, the Ministry of Interior of Bulgaria was pleased to announce a Regional forum of the Ministries of Interior/Security on Counteraction to Internal Corruption. The event took place on 26-27 November 2018 in Sofia and included a ministerial meeting in the afternoon of 26 November, followed by professional discussions on 27 November. The main aim of the political discussion was to support to the operational cooperation in the counteraction to internal corruption, as well as to discuss the opportunities to enhance further our common activities in the counteraction to corruption at regional level.

Strengthening the fight against corruption forms an integral part of the commitments for achieving European standards of cooperation in the area of home affairs, stated during the meeting of the Ministers of Interior/Security of the Western Balkans on 12 April 2018 in Sofia. At the initiative of Bulgaria, a Network for Enhanced Regional Cooperation of Internal Security Units (NERCISU) was established in 2016, with the participation of the relevant units of the Ministries of Interior/Police of Bulgaria, Romania, Greece, Serbia and Macedonia. The Network functions as a platform for active operational regional cooperation with 24/7 hotline for coordination and exchange of information and intelligence.
For more information, please contact Bulgarian Ministry of Interior, EU and International Cooperation Directorate at: eu2018bg@mvr.bg.

Bucharest, Romania: Peer-to-Peer Visit to Romanian Authorities
2018-12-04 08:00 - 2018-12-06 17:00
AIRE Centre (Advice on Individual Rights in Europe) and RAI Secretariat (Regional Anti-corruption Initiative) partnered up to implement a 2-year Regional Project on asset recovery titled “Strengthening the anti-corruption in the Western Balkans through improving asset seizure measures”. The Project is financed by the UK Government and supported by Konrad Adenauer Foundation.

The Regional Project is designed on the basis of comprehensive review and analysis of search, seizure and confiscation of illegally obtained assets conducted by AIRE Centre and RAI Secretariat. The review served as a scoping exercise and provided the baseline for development of the Regional Project. The outcomes of the comprehensive review have been endorsed by the key stakeholders from the Region at the Regional Conference on Strengthening Cooperation in the Field of Asset Recovery in Sarajevo, BiH on 28 March 2018.
The first activity within the Regional Project was a Peer-to-Peer Visit that took place in Romania from 4-6 December 2018. The purpose of the Peer-to-Peer Visit was to learn first-hand about the best practices and experiences of Romanian Authorities, and to share different perspectives on implementation of asset recovery measures among the participants from the Southeast Europe Region. The Peer-to-Peer Visit enabled participants to gain better understanding of the modalities and mechanisms in the field of asset recovery and increase awareness about available legal and practical solutions, but also identify main challenges. The Visit was attended by representatives of prosecution services and asset recovery/management institutions from the region.
During the visit, the participants had an opportunity to visit the following institutions in Romania: National Agency for the Management of Seized Assets – ANABI, Directorate for the Investigation of Organized Crime and Terrorism – DIICOT, National Anti-Corruption Directorate – DNA, and the General Prosecutor’s office. Representatives of the above mentioned national institutions shared their invaluable experiences and know-how with the participants.
Additional Documents:
List of Participants
Peer-to-Peer Visit Programme
Photo Gallery:

BiH – International Anti-Corruption Day
2018-12-07 08:00 - 17:00
Marking the International Anti-Corruption Day – 9 December, the Agency for the Prevention of Corruption and Coordination of the Fight against Corruption of Bosnia and Herzegovina organized the conference in Sarajevo, on 7 December.
One of the speakers on the panel Prevention of Corruption and Bosnia and Herzegovina – challenges and achievements, was Mr. Vladan Joksimovic, Head of RAI Secretariat.
The conference gathered representatives of national institutions, diplomatic community, international organizations, colleagues from the region, civil society and academia focused on prevention of corruption in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Event Agenda (in local language)

Belgrade, Serbia, Conference “Implementation of Corruption Prevention Mechanisms”
2018-12-13 08:00 - 2018-12-14 17:00
Recognizing the vital importance of international and regional co-operation among national anticorruption bodies in addressing corruption preventing mechanisms, the Anti-Corruption Agency of Serbia, with support of the OSCE Mission to Serbia and the Embassy of Italy in Serbia organized this Conference to facilitate the exchange of best practices and knowledge among anti-corruption practitioners, and to provide a forum for further discussion of development of preventive measures in the key areas of fight against corruption.

Mr. Vladan Joksimović, Head of the Regional Anti-Corruption Initiative Secretariat spoke on the Panel dedicated to Assets and Income Declaration in the Regional Context – Next Steps on the Way Forward.
Agenda of the Conference

One-day follow-up meeting for around 30 Civil Society and Private Sector representatives from the region
2019-02-01 08:00 - 17:00
In order to further the momentum generated by Multi-Stakeholder Workshop on the United Nations Convention against Corruption, UNODC togehter with RAI Secretariat held a one-day follow-up meeting for around 30 civil society and private sector representatives from the region on Friday 1 February 2019 in Belgrade, Serbia. The Meeting is supported by the Austrian Development Agency as part of the South East Europe Regional Programme on Strengthening the Capacity of Anti-corruption Authorities and Civil Society to Combat Corruption and Contribute to the UNCAC Review Process.

The participants affirmed the fundamental importance of promoting the active participation of individuals and groups outside the public sector in the prevention of and the fight against corruption and raising public awareness regarding the existence, causes and gravity of and the threat posed by corruption, as stipulated by Article 12 and 13 of the United Nations Convention against Corruption (UNCAC).

Agenda of the meeting
UNODC and RAI teams used the opportunity to to hold a coordination/planning session regarding our current and next Regional Programme. The meeting resulted in seting targets and actions for the coming period as well as long term milestones.

29th RAI Steering Group Meeting – 12 March Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina
2019-03-12 08:00 - 17:00
The 29th Steering Group Meeting of the Regional Anti-corruption Initiative (RAI) took place in Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina on March 12th, 2019. The meeting was organized by the RAI Secretariat and chaired by the Head of Secretariat Mr. Vladan Joksimovic.

Focus of the Steering Group Meeting was selection of the new Anti-corruption Expert, as well as presentation and discussion about the amendments to RAI Secretariat internal documents. Please find the following documents for more information.
Agenda of the Meeting
Summary, Conclusions and Decisions

RAI Secretariat
