Tbilisi Georgia: International Conference “Assessing the Implementation and Effectiveness of Systems for Disclosing Interests and Assets by Public Officials”
2017-06-06 08:00 - 2017-06-07 17:00 UTC
The International Conference on “Assessing the Implementation and Effectiveness of Systems for Disclosing Interests and Assets by Public Officials”, which took place on 6th and 7th June 2017 in Tbilisi, Georgia.

The Conference was co-organised by the Regional Anti-Corruption Initiative (RAI), Anti-Corruption Network of OECD, UNDP and the Regional Hub of Civil Service in Astana, and hosted by the Civil Service Bureau of Georgia.
The Conference provided a forum for national stakeholders responsible for the design, management, implementation, enforcement, evaluation and impact assessment of interests and asset disclosures by public officials. The overall goal was to advance the future OECD/ACN study on this topic and to allow for the identification of national and regional good practices. More specifically, the conference reviewed the deliverables of the existing systems for interests and asset disclosures by public officials and compare them against the objectives set for those system initially, namely: 1) to prevent and sanction conflicts of interest; 2) monitor wealth variations of public officials and uncover illicit enrichment; and 3) promote transparency. The participants were invited to share their practical experience and exchange innovative solutions.
RAI Secretariat was represented by RAI Chairperson Davor Dubravica, Head of RAI Secretariat Vladan Joksimovic and Anti-Corruption Expert Tomislav Curic.
RAI Member Countries were represented by one representative from a relevant national institution.
Working languages of the conference were English and Russian.

25th RAI Steering Group Meeting
2017-06-12 08:00 - 17:00
The 25th Steering Group Meeting of the Regional Anti-corruption Initiative (RAI) took place in Sofia, Bulgaria on June 12, 2017. The meeting was organized by the RAI Secretariat and hosted by Ministry of Interior of Bulgaria.
The Meeting is the main forum of the Regional Anti-Corruption Initiative, which provides ground to the participants to take the decisions that will be implemented in the framework of RAI in the course of the following period.

Steering group members used the opportunity to exchange of views with the national anti-corruption authority of Bulgaria Commission for Prevention and Ascertainment of Conflict of Interest on potentials for continuation of joint cooperation in the field of corruption prevention, as well as on other topics of mutual interest.
Mr. Krasimir Cipov, Deputy Minister of Interior of Bulgaria welcomed all participants and emphasize the importance of cooperation between the Ministry and RAI.
Mr. Nikolay Nikolov, President of the Commission for Prevention and Ascertainment of Conflict of Interest presented the work and mandate of the Commission, followed by the discussion with Steering Group members.
Focus of the Steering Group Meeting was discussion about RAI Work Plan for 2018-2019/20.
Main decisions of the Steering Group were renewal of mandate of Mr. Tomislav Curic, Anti-corruption Expert and acceptance of the Financial Report for 2016.

Agenda
Summary, Conclusions and Decisions
RAI Secretariat
8 June 2017

Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina: Trainings on Corruption Proofing of Legislation
2017-06-22 08:00 - 2017-06-23 17:00
Regional Anti-corruption Initiative (RAI), organized two one-day Trainings on Corruption Proofing of Legislation in Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina.
The training scheduled for 22nd June 2017 was organized in cooperation with Civil Service Agency of Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina and gathered public servants from the Federation of B&H whereas the training planned for 23rd June 2017 brought together the representatives of B&H governmental institutions and civil sector and was organized in cooperation with the Agency for the Prevention of Corruption and Coordination of the Fight against Corruption of Bosnia and Herzegovina (APIK).

The objective of the trainings was to build and strengthen the capacity of governmental institutions and civil sector in conducting corruption proofing of legislation, by learning how to review the form and substance of drafted or enacted legal rules in order to detect and minimize the risk of corruption that the rules could facilitate.
The trainings wereorganized 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, which is implemented by Regional Anti-Corruption Initiative in partnership with the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC).
19 June 2017
RAI Secretariat

Legionowo – Warsaw, Poland: Summer School for Junior Anti- Corruption Practitioners from South-East Europe
2017-07-03 08:00 - 2017-07-07 17:00
Regional Anti-Corruption Initiative (RAI), in cooperation with Central Anti-Corruption Bureau (CBA) of Poland, supported by OSCE ODIHR, hosted by the Police Training Centre (CSP), Poland organized the Summer School for Junior Anti-corruption Practitioners from South Eastern Europe in Legionowo and Warsaw, Poland.

The 12th edition of Summer School was dedicated to „Cross-border cooperation in asset recovery and investigations of corruption cases – Innovative mechanisms and tools” and aimed to strengthen investigative capacities of criminal justice institutions by fostering interagency cooperation and joint investigations.

The Summer School gathered junior professionals from judiciary, prosecution bodies, and anti-corruption law enforcement bodies, who had an opportunity to obtain additional knowledge and practical skills from honorable experts on financial investigations and recovering proceeds of crime. They had an opportunity to learn about regional practices and innovative modalities in investigation of organized crime and corruption, including joint investigation teams and open source intelligence. The event was also used as a platform for developing and fostering relationships among anti-corruption practitioners, since the cross-border cooperation in the field of asset recovery and investigation of complex corruption-related offences proved to be significantly important.
Lectures were delivered by respected trainers, coming from institutions as the Police Cooperation Convention for Southeast Europe (PCC SEE) Secretariat; AML Consulting Global; National Police headquarter of Poland, Central Anti-corruption Bureau of Poland, and OSCE ODIHR.
The main outcome of the event, besides obtaining theoretical knowledge and practical skills from highly esteemed trainers, was creating links and networks among the participants and trainers that will serve to all participants in their future work and endeavors.
Opening remarks were delivered by Mr. Tomislav Curic – Anti-corruption Expert, RAI Secretariat; Ms. Iwona Czerniec – Director of Cabinet, Central Anti-corruption Bureau of Poland, and col. Anna Rosol – Commander of the Police Training Centre who briefly presented institutions they represent and wished all participants a successful and productive week.
Upon an evaluation test, successful participants obtained RAI Summer School Certificates.
Certificates award ceremony and closure keynotes were delivered by Mr. Vladan Joksimovic, Head of RAI Secretariat and Mr. Bogdan Sakowicz, Deputy Head of Central Anti-Corruption Bureau.
The RAI Secretariat expresses its gratitude to:
– Ottavio Bottecchia
– Pedro Gomes Pereira
– Lawrence Day
– Mark Cameron
– Dagna Wierzchon
– Pawel Rutkowski
– Ghenadie Barba
for their invaluable contributions to the event.
Agenda
List of Participants

Trieste, Italy: Summit on the Western Balkans
2017-07-12 08:00 - 17:00
The annual summit of the Western Balkans was held in Trieste on July 12 and was organized by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation of Italy. The summit included the participation of representatives from six Balkan governments – Bosnia-Herzegovina, Serbia, Montenegro, Kosovo*, Macedona, Albania – and the EU member states, including Italy, the EU High Representative for Foreign policy and common Security, Federica Mogherini, and major international financial institutions such as the EBRD and the EIB.

Among the central themes of the summit, early announced, there were growth, security and rule of law, the strengthening of small and medium-sized enterprises and cooperation in the fight against corruption.
10 July 2017
RAI Secretariat

Podgorica, Montenegro: Workshop on Corruption Risk Assessment
2017-07-19 08:00 - 17:00
Regional Anti-Corruption Initiative (RAI), in cooperation with Agency for Prevention of Corruption in Montenegro organized a workshop on Corruption Risk Assessment, which took place in Podgorica, Montenegro on 19 July 2017 at the Agency.

The main objective of the workshop was to review the 1st Montenegrin monitoring report on Integrity Plans developed and published by the Agency in Montenegro. Further on, the workshop was focused on developing a questionnaire for evaluation of Integrity Plans, since the Montenegrin authorities are obliged to adopt the Integrity Plans every two year.
The workshop was led by RAI’s expert on Corruption Risk Assessment and gathered Agency’s representatives from the Department for Prevention of Corruption, Integrity, Lobbying and Implementation of international standards.
The workshop 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 RAI and UNODC and funded by the Austrian Development Agency.

12 July 2017
RAI Secretariat

Podgorica, Montenegro: Workshop on Corruption Proofing of Legislation
2017-07-20 08:00 - 2017-07-21 17:00
Regional Anti-Corruption Initiative (RAI) Secretariat hold a Workshop on Corruption Proofing of Legislation in Podgorica, Montenegro on 20-21 July 2017.

The Workshop was organized for the representatives of the Agency for Prevention of Corruption in Montenegro 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, funded by the Austrian Development Agency.
The purpose of the Workshop was to discuss the 1st outline of the Methodology on Corruption Proofing of Legislation for Montenegro in order to finalize the Methodology. Additionally, the Workshop was focused on reviewing the Opinions on Laws drafted by the Agency, as well as on practical exercises provided by RAI’s expert on Corruption Proofing.
Please see the Agenda.

Slovenia: RAI Secretariat Visits Slovenia
2017-09-07 08:00 - 2017-09-08 17:00
During the period of 07 – 08 September 2017, RAI Secretariat, represented by Head of Secretariat, Mr Vladan Joksimovic, Anti-Corruption Expert, Mr Tomislav Curic and Program and Outreach Officer, Ms Jasna Panjeta, participated at two outstanding interlinked regional events that were held in Brdo, Slovenia:

17th PCC SEE Committee of Ministers Meeting on September 7th and
Brdo Process Ministerial Meeting – IISG Kick-Off Conference, organised by the Ministry of the Interior of the Republic of Slovenia on September 8th.

RAI Secretariat with the Commission for the Prevention of Corruption – Mr Boris Štefanec, President, and Mr Igor Lamberger, Deputy Chief Commissioner
During the visit, RAI Secretariat team also used the opportunity to meet with the Slovenian Commission for the Prevention of Corruption and Centre for Excellence in Finance CEF. The scope of these meetings is to strengthen working relationships with key stakeholders.
RAI Secretariat with Center of Excellence in Finance (CEF) – Mr Robert Bauchmuller, Chief Program Officer, Ms Dijana Mitrovic, Program Specialist, Mr Nihad Nakas, Senior Program Officer and Ms Aleksandra Tekijaski, Senior Program OfficerAmong the main objectives of the visit, RAI also used the opportunity to:

Present the International Instrument on data exchange on Asset Disclosure and Conflict of Interest promoted at Trieste Western Balkan Summit on 12.07.2017;
Promote upcoming RAI Regional Event on Integrity in Law Enforcement;
Ensure RAI Secretariat continued involvement in IISG Structure;
Reaffirm intentions to involve Slovenia as a Partner in RAI activities.

17th PCC SEE Committee of Ministers Meeting
Considering that RAI is committed to engaging in the reform and accession processes in the field of anti-corruption both at the regional level (South East Europe) and at the sub-regional level, the participation at the events and meetings presents grounds to confirm the active role taken in the regional processes, as well the occasion to be recognized as a stakeholder.

Chisinau, Moldova: Workshop on Corruption Proofing of Legislation
2017-09-22 08:00 - 17:00
Regional Anti-corruption Initiative (RAI) Secretariat will hold a Workshop on Corruption Proofing of Legislation in Chisinau, Moldova on 22 September 2017.

The Workshop is organized for and in cooperation with National Anticorruption Center (NAC) 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.
The purpose of the Workshop is to discuss the recent developments in corruption proofing of legislation in Moldova as well as the Review of the Methodology on Corruption Proofing of Legislation which was developed by RAI Expert on corruption proofing Dr Tilmann Hoppe. Additionally, the Workshop will include the review of the IT Software on corruption proofing of legislation, which was developed by the NAC and which serves as a model for the Region.
RAI will also use this opportunity to meet with national counterparts and partners in Moldova.
Please see the Agenda.
For more information please contact RAI Secretariat.
19 September 2017
RAI Secretariat

Sarajevo, B&H: UNODC Multi-stakeholder Workshop on Strengthening Civil Society Capacity on the United Nations Convention against Corruption (UNCAC) and its Review Mechanism
2017-09-25 08:00 - 2017-09-29 17:00
Regional Anti-corruption Initiative (RAI) represented by Head of Secretariat, Mr Vladan Joksimovic, Anti-corruption Expert, Mr Tomislav Curic, Programme Officer, Ms Iva Komsic, and Intern, Ms Cristina Mardari, is taking part in multi-stakeholder Workshop on Strengthening Civil Society Capacity on the United Nations Convention against Corruption (UNCAC) and its Review Mechanism.

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) aims at building and strengthening the capacity of governments and Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) from SEE to prevent and fight corruption. To achieve its objective, the Programme has six outcomes distributed between RAI and UNODC and their respective expertise. Regional Programme is funded by Austrian Development Agency – ADA.

The Programme targets Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo*, Moldova, Montenegro, Republic of Macedonia, Serbia, which have been identified as priority countries in the Southeast European region.

Programme activates implemented by UNODC are focused on Civil Society. These are: training sessions on the UNCAC and its review mechanism, the facilitation of multi-stakeholder consultations, the provision of advocacy materials and the creation of a virtual regional knowledge management hub.

The overall objective is to equip participants with the substantive expertise in UNCAC provisions, inform them about the methodology for country reviews, build capacity to work with the private sector, to reproduce the training at local, national and regional level, and to initiate dialogue with government focal point.
More information can be found here.
Agenda

Banja Luka, BiH: Round table on Exchange of experiences between BiH Anti-Corruption institutions and regional counterparts on protection of whistle-blowers
2017-10-04 08:00 - 17:00
The OSCE Mission to Bosnia and Herzegovina and the Regional Anti-Corruption Initiative (RAI) organized a roundtable on Exchange of experiences between BiH Anti-Corruption institutions and regional counterparts on protection of whistle-blowers, on 4 October 2017 in Banja Luka.

The roundtable is part of the support that the Mission and RAI Secretariat are providing to the Republika Srpska (RS) Ministry of Justice in the development and implementation of the RS Law on Protection of Persons Reporting Corruption, adopted in June 2017. Esteemed roundtable participants from Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia, Montenegro, and Croatia were invited to share their expertise and experiences in implementation of similar legislation in the region, their knowledge on practices related to protection of whistle-blowers, and to discuss ways ahead. Invitees also included representatives of relevant anti-corruption bodies from the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina and Brčko District of Bosnia and Herzegovina who are currently in the process of developing respective laws on protection of whistleblowers.
4 October 2017
RAI Secretariat

Brussels, Belgium: Balkan Barometer 2017 – a perception survey of citizens and business communities on the situation in the region
2017-10-09 08:00 - 17:00
Regional Anti-corruption Initiative (RAI), represented by Chairperson, Mr Davor Dubravica took an active part at 3rd edition of the public and business opinion survey – Balkan Barometer 2017 in Brussels, Belgium, on 9 October 2017.

The Regional Cooperation Council’s (RCC) presented in Brussels the 2017 edition of the Balkan Barometer (BB), an annual survey of citizens and business communities’ opinion on the situation in the region.
“While there is further evidence of economic recovery across a number of the region’s larger economies, unemployment remains the chief concern. Worryingly, the Barometer highlights ever growing anxiety over corruption; in BB 2015, 15% rated corruption as one of the key problems for the region. The number was up to 27% in 2016 and is now at 32%,” said RCC Secretary General, Goran Svilanovic.
“An upturn in economic performance by the region’s economies has brought about an increasingly optimistic outlook for the future that needs to be solidified through decisive government action. While it’s hardly news that the region has much work to do, our hope is that the Barometer’s findings will help set the agenda that will ultimately spur further growth in the region, especially having in mind the implementation of the RCC-prepared Regional Economic Area Multiannual Action Plan which region’s leaders endorsed in Trieste this summer” added Svilanovic.
Despite notional support for European integration there continues to be widespread scepticism about the region’s short to medium term accession prospects, with 23% of respondents saying they believe EU membership will never happen, the Barometer shows.

Maciej Popowski, Deputy Director-General for European Neighbourhood Policy and Enlargement (DG NEAR) reiterated the European Union’s readiness to continue supporting the Union’s enlargement, as expressed in EC President Junker’s vocal messages to Western Balkans’ economies.
“It is always good to touch-base with the mind of citizens and business community in the region. Now we see that positive developments provided environment for optimism. The Trieste Summit was another booster as it enabled the joint work of the EU and the region and it resulted in the Regional Economic Area, Transport Treaty etc.”
Presenting the key findings of attitudes, experiences, aspirations, perceptions and expectations across the Western Balkan economies, Vladimir Gligorov, GfK Expert Consultant and Researcher at the Vienna Institute for International Economic Studies, stressed that business people continue to struggle with what they see as complex taxation and an unfriendly business environment with an unpredictable legal system.
“62% of business people in the region perceive very hard or hard to start a private business in their place of living. More than half of them (51%) believe that upgrading roads would have the most positive effect on their business. While 56% of respondents agree that the government takes note of their needs, but only to a limited extent, it is positive to record the decline in the number of respondents who feel ignored by the authorities (down to 30% from 38% in 2015),” said Gligorov.
The BB 2017 launch, has been organised by the RCC in cooperation with European Policy Centre (EPC) – an independent think-thank. Participants of the BB 2017 panel discussion included also Vedran Dzihic, Co-Director of Center for Advanced Studies, South East Europe and Senior Lecturer at the Institute for Political Sciences, University of Vienna; Nikica Mojsoska Blazhevski, Dean, School of Business Economics and Management in Skopje; Jesper Johnson, OECD SIGMA; Mark Vasic, Senior Manager for International Regulatory Affairs, Deutsche Telekom AG; and Orhan Usein, Team Leader of the RCC’s Roma Integration 2020 project; and Corina Stratulat, of the EPC, moderator of the panel.
Balkan Barometer (BB) is an annual opinion survey commissioned by the RCC and conducted by GfK, collecting and analysing data from region’s citizens and businesses across a variety of thematic areas such as employment, trade, investments, corruption, etc. Its 3rd edition included 8000 citizens and 1600 companies.
The Balkan Barometer, its database and publications are available at:
http://www.rcc.int/seeds
Photo Gallery: RCC/Jerome Hubert
Programme

Montenegro: Trainings on Corruption Risk Assessment for coordinators of integrity plans in institutions of Montenegro
2017-10-17 08:00 - 2017-10-19 17:00
Regional Anti-corruption Initiative (RAI), in cooperation with the Agency for Prevention of Corruption of Montenegro, is organizing one-day trainings for coordinators of integrity plans in institutions of Montenegro. The trainings will take place in three cities of Montenegro: Kolašin, Budva and Podgorica on 17-19 October 2017. It is anticipated that each training will gather about 70 public officials.

The main objective of the planned trainings is that the coordinators of integrity plans get acquainted to the purpose and importance of the development and implementation of integrity plans on a comprehensive and participatory manner. The trainings will also offer practical and methodological instructions devising the plans. In addition, it is essential that all institutions timely approach the process of drafting integrity plans to unified ways to ensure a high level of successful implementation of these activities.
The trainings are 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 and funded by Austrian Development Agency.
Agendas: Kolašin, Budva and Podgorica.
List of Participants: Kolašin, Budva and Podgorica
RAI Secretariat
11 October 2017

Ljubljana, Slovenia: The 26th RAI Steering Group Meeting
2017-10-24 08:00 - 17:00
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.
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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.
