prijava
SARAJEVO, January 27 (FENA) - The Regional Anti-Corruption Initiative (RAI) and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) are launching an anti-corruption program in Southeast Europe called 'Southeast Europe - Together Against Corruption (SEE-TAC)'. The implementation of the regional program began in November last year and will last until October 2023. The program is funded by the Austrian Development Cooperation (ADC), through the Austrian Development Agency (ADA), the Regional Anti-Corruption Initiative said.
Southeast Europeans rank corruption as the biggest problem in their countries, right after unemployment and poverty, recognizing how corruption obstructs economic and social development, as well as progress in European integration. The overall goal of the Program is to strengthen the resilience of Southeast European societies to corruption. This is to be achieved by strengthening the capacity of state institutions, civil society organizations and the private sector, as well as the media to prevent and fight corruption.
The program focuses on Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Kosovo, Moldova, North Macedonia and Serbia, with the participation of Romania, Bulgaria and Croatia. The three-year program has a total budget of 1,400,000 euros.
Under the auspices of the SEE-TAC program, 25 public institutions, 40 business representatives and 175 civil society representatives, together with the UNCAC Coalition and the Western Balkans Chamber of Commerce Investment Forum as special partners, will work together to implement a wide range of activities.
The essence of the program is based on the UN Convention against Corruption (UNCAC), the only legally binding anti-corruption instrument, with a special focus on its Articles 12 and 13, which recognize the importance of the role of the private sector and civil society in fighting corruption.
The innovative regional approach is also reflected in the agreement on the content of the International Agreement on Data Exchange for the purpose of verifying the content of property records of public officials during the previous regional program also funded by the ADC, with strong support from the Austrian Federal Ministry for European and International Affairs.
The Regional Anti-Corruption Initiative (RAI) is an intergovernmental, regional organization, established with the aim of supporting cooperation and coordination in the fight against corruption of member states and beneficiaries. RAI is an organization that supports regional cooperation as a prerequisite for promoting stability, security, as well as social and economic development in Southeast Europe, including cooperation through cross-border anti-corruption activities. Also, RAI supports the investment of national and regional efforts in the field of anti-corruption by all interested countries in the process of joining the European Union. The seat of the RAI Secretariat is in Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina.
(FENA) A. B.
