- July 8, 2021
- Posted by: Aida Zukic
- Category: RAI News
The Head of RAI Secretariat, Ms. Desislava Gotskova, participated in the High-Level Conference on “Challenges and opportunities in fighting corruption and fostering integrity”, which was organized by the Minister of Justice of Albania/National Coordinator Against Corruption in Tirana, July 5, 2021.
As one of the keynote speakers at the second panel on challenges and opportunities in preventing corruption and fostering integrity, Ms. Gotskova first spoke about the commitment of RAI in strengthening the regional cooperation in asset disclosure and conflict of interest.
On the occasion, Ms. Gotskova also noted the involvement of RAI in the development of the International Treaty on Exchange of Data for the Verification of Asset Declarations, which was signed by Republic of North Macedonia, Montenegro and Serbia in March 2021.
“We do believe that the Treaty would further strengthen the efficiency and the reliability of the national asset disclosure systems for in-depth scrutiny of the financial interests of the public officials. And therefore, we hope that Albania would consider the possibility to join the Treaty soon”, said Mrs. Gotskova.
Ms. Gotskova emphasized the cooperation between the RAI and anti-corruption public institutions regarding whistleblowing implemented in the framework of the EU-funded “Breaking the Silence: Enhancing the whistleblowing policies and culture in Western Balkans and Moldova”, funded by EU Commission.
“RAI Secretariat cooperates very well with the institutions in Albania. A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the High Inspectorate of Declaration and Audit of Assets and Conflicts of Interest of Albania has been signed and I hope that soon we would sign a MoU with the Ministry of Education, Science and Youth as well, so that all project activities could be implemented in full in Albania”, noted Ms. Gotskova.
Among the other interventions provided by RAI across the region, Ms. Gotskova mentioned the “Summer School for Junior Anti-corruption Practitioners from South East Europe”, which RAI organizes each year for junior anti-corruption experts to learn more about recent developments in selected areas of corruption theory and anti-corruption practice.
RAI Secretariat will continue to support and provide specialized training for judges, prosecutors and investigators in the field of asset recovery. Within the framework of the Regional Asset Recovery Project (2018-2021), in Albania RAI has established excellent cooperation with the School of Magistrates and the SPAK (Special Prosecution against Corruption and Organized Crime).
In her concluding remarks, Ms. Gotskova reconfirmed the commitment of the RAI Secretariat to support the RAI members in their anti-corruption efforts by providing them with a unique platform for sharing knowledge and good practices, networking and peer support.