Questions and answers
What is the coordination of the fight against corruption?
Coordination of the fight against corruption implies the coordinated implementation of legal and by-law regulations, as well as strategic documents in the field of the fight against corruption in BiH. Also, the coordination of the fight against corruption is the harmonized action of all actors of the fight against corruption in accordance with the normative and strategic framework of the fight against corruption, which produces effective results. In order for the coordination of the fight against corruption to function in an organizational sense, the existence of a central coordinating body that will direct and direct the action of actors in the fight against corruption is inevitable.
What is the Strategy for the fight against corruption?
The State Strategy for the Fight against Corruption represents a general framework for the fight against corruption, which treats the main causes of the occurrence of corruption as well as ways to fight against this phenomenon. This document has a systemic approach to the fight against corruption, it is created for a certain period of time based on the analysis and assessment of the forms of corruption (phenomenological aspect) and the degree of representation of this phenomenon.
What is the Action Plan for implementing the Strategy?
The action plan for the implementation of the Strategy is a supporting operational document of the Strategy for the fight against corruption, which consists of a certain number of activities that have a precisely defined deadline for implementation, indicators of success and the bearers of the implementation of the activities.
Why do we need international cooperation in the fight against corruption?
International cooperation in the fight against corruption is necessary considering that the international conventions in the field of the fight against corruption have been ratified, and it is necessary to fully ensure their implementation.
Why do we need regional cooperation in the fight against corruption?
Regional cooperation is a basic element of European integration. For the countries of the stabilization process, it is one of the key conditions for integration into the European Union. In accordance with the conclusions of the European Council from Santa Maria de Feire (2000), the countries of the Western Balkans were asked to conclude mutual agreements or conventions on regional cooperation. Cooperation agreements include: mutual political dialogue, creation of a free trade zone, close cooperation in the field of justice and internal affairs, joint suppression of organized crime, corruption and all other illegal acts and illegal cross-border trade. The countries of the stabilization and association process assume the obligation of regional cooperation by establishing bilateral relations with the European Union.
What is the Stabilization and Association Process?
The Stabilization and Association Process (PSP) represents a special type of regional approach of the European Union to the countries of the Western Balkans. Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Macedonia, Serbia and Montenegro and Croatia for the first time got the opportunity to become members of the Union based on an approach adapted to them. The essence of the PSP is: signing and implementing the Stabilization and Association Agreement (SAA), in order to strengthen cooperation with the countries of the region by establishing a special type of contractual relations. SAAs are tailored to each country, taking into account its specificities, and the deadlines for starting negotiations on concluding an SAA and for its implementation differ from case to case. The stabilization and association process, in addition to containing incentives in the form of various aid programs, also sets certain economic and political conditions, i.e. the fulfillment of the Copenhagen criteria.
What does the Stabilization and Association Agreement mean for Bosnia and Herzegovina?
With the entry into force of the Stabilization and Association Agreement on June 1, 2015, the Interim Agreement on trade and trade issues ceased to be valid. The Stabilization and Association Agreement (SAA) confirms Bosnia and Herzegovina's status as an associate member and potential candidate for EU membership, and BiH's relations with the EU are raised to a higher level because the obligations arising from political dialogue and regional cooperation are now part of the contractual relationship. Certain political, institutional and economic implications arise from the Agreement, and it is expected that the application of its provisions will bring direct and indirect benefits for the citizens of Bosnia and Herzegovina. The provisions of the SAA, among other things, mandate the gradual harmonization of BiH legislation with EU regulations in the field of working conditions, especially health and safety at work, and equal opportunities. Bosnia and Herzegovina should take the necessary measures to gradually achieve compliance with EU technical regulations and European procedures for standardization, methodology, accreditation and conformity assessment, which should increase the quality and safety of products on the Bosnia and Herzegovina market, as well as the competitiveness of Bosnia and Herzegovina products on the Union market. Application of the Agreement should lead to increased consumer protection, protection of personal data, better cooperation between contracting parties in the field of asylum, migration, border management, fight against drug abuse, terrorism, organized crime and money laundering, which ultimately means better protection of the security of BiH citizens.
What is GRECO?
GRECO was established as a monitoring mechanism in accordance with the Partial and Extended Agreement on the Establishment of the "Group of States Against Corruption - GRECO", which was adopted by the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe on May 5, 1998. Its goal is to use the process of mutual evaluation and mutual pressure to monitor the signatory states in their actions in the fight against corruption. Finding flaws in the anti-corruption policies of the mentioned countries is useful, because it encourages the necessary legislative, institutional and practical reforms. Any country that signs the Criminal Law or Civil Law Convention of the Council of Europe on Corruption automatically becomes a member of GRECO and its evaluation systems.
Bosnia and Herzegovina became a member of GRECO in 2000. Currently, BiH is in the Fourth Round of the GRECO evaluation, entitled: "Prevention of corruption among members of Parliament, judges and prosecutors". This topic is simultaneously connected with the previous work of GRECO, first of all, the First Round of Evaluation, in which the independence of the judiciary was strongly emphasized, the Second Round of Evaluation, in which the executive level of public administration was specifically examined, and the Third Round of Evaluation, whose focus was on the incrimination of corruption and the prevention of corruption in the context of political financing.
What is UNCAC?
The United Nations Convention against Corruption - UNCAC is the first legally binding international anti-corruption instrument. In its 8 chapters and 71 articles, the Convention obliges the signatory states to prescribe criminal and other acts that will cover a wide spectrum of corruption acts, if they do not already constitute criminal acts in accordance with domestic legislation. The Convention goes further than previous instruments of this type, incriminating not only the basic forms of corruption, such as bribery and embezzlement of public funds, but also trading in influence, concealing and laundering funds obtained through corruption, as well as obstruction of court proceedings. UNCAC covers all actions against corruption, from preventive measures (establishment of a preventive anti-corruption body, protection of corruption whistleblowers, etc.), investigation and criminal prosecution to freezing, confiscation, confiscation and restitution of property acquired through criminal acts, as well as international cooperation. Criminal acts in the Convention also refer to problematic areas of corruption in the private sector.
BiH completed the supervision process from the first review round on the implementation of the UN Convention against Corruption in BiH in 2015 over Chapters III (Incrimination and Law Enforcement) and IV (International Cooperation). After the completion of the UNCAC supervision process in BiH, the Council of Ministers of BiH adopted the Information regarding the revision of the implementation of the UN Convention against Corruption in BiH. Competent institutions in BiH are tasked with taking action to fulfill the recommendations from the Executive Summary of the Report, with the aim of fully implementing the United Nations Convention against Corruption in BiH.
What is the Plan for the fight against corruption?
The plan for the fight against corruption represents the operationalization of strategic programs and activities from the Strategy for the fight against corruption 2015-2019. and the Action Plan for implementation with precisely defined activities, deadlines, institutions responsible for implementation, performance indicators and necessary resources.
What are the Guidelines for creating plans to fight corruption at the level of BiH institutions?
The Agency created and adopted the Guidelines for the preparation of plans for the fight against corruption at the level of BiH institutions. The guidelines for the preparation of plans for the fight against corruption are a document that fully describes the elements that should be included in the plans for the fight against corruption in the institutions of BiH.
What are the elements of the Anti-corruption Plan?
The anti-corruption plan contains the following elements:
Introduction (jurisdictions, definition of corruption, clarification of terms integrity, ethics, coordination, prevention, etc., general goal of the Strategy, time frame, obligations and responsibilities in terms of implementation, financial projection, possible risks in implementation).
Laws in BiH that directly or indirectly regulate the area of the fight against corruption.
The strategic framework in the fight against corruption in BiH is represented by the Strategy for the fight against corruption in BiH 2015-2019. , while the plan implies the consistent application of legal regulations, prevention in order to prevent corruption, reporting cases of corruption, as well as raising the awareness of employees about the risks of corruption.
The international documents represent the most significant documents in the field of the fight against corruption, which were signed and ratified by Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Monitoring the implementation of the plan implies continuous activities of monitoring the realization of activities.
The tabular overview of activities for the implementation of the plan consists of two categories of activities:
activities foreseen in the Action Plan for the implementation of the Strategy (standard and specific) i
Activities from the domain of corruption prevention in a wider context (in accordance with the mission and vision of the institution, certain activities are included in the plan).
How do we protect corruption whistleblowers?
Protection of corruption whistleblowers is a mechanism by which this Agency protects corruption whistleblowers who report corruption in the institutions of Bosnia and Herzegovina in good faith.
How to report corruption?
Citizens can report corruption via the free phone number: 080054321, via mail to the address: Dabrobosanska 26-28, Istočno Sarajevo, via e-mail: privajnakorupcije@apik.ba and by personally coming to the Agency at the mentioned address.
What can the Agency do after your report of corruption?
In accordance with the Law on the Agency for the Prevention of Corruption and Coordination of the Fight Against Corruption ("Official Gazette of BiH", number: 103/09 and 58/13), the Agency will analyze your application and forward it to the competent institution for action.
Why do we need the non-governmental sector in the fight against corruption?
The cooperation between institutions and civil society provides a framework that will help guide the joint relationship at all levels of government in BiH, from local communities (municipalities) to the state level of BiH. This cooperation confirms the determination of the institutions in BiH and civil society to strengthen their obligations and responsibilities in fulfilling the assumed roles in the development and provision of public policies, as well as for the institutions in BiH to undertake and strengthen their role in promoting voluntary and social activities in all areas of social life.
What are the Guidelines for the cooperation of the Agency for the Prevention of Corruption and the Coordination of the Fight Against Corruption with Civil Society Organizations (CSOs)?
The Agency created and adopted the Guidelines for Cooperation with Civil Society Organizations (CSOs), which systematically define the forms of cooperation and coordination regarding the implementation of specific projects in the field of anti-corruption.
What is corruption prevention?
Corruption prevention refers to a broader context of activities aimed primarily at identifying and eliminating the causes of corruption, deterring individuals from committing criminal offenses related to corruption, ensuring and improving the legal framework for the prevention of corruption, encouraging the participation of civil society in the prevention of corruption, raising public awareness and creating an attitude of intolerance towards corruption, educating and better informing society about the causes and consequences of the impact of corruption, and actively participating in the prevention and promotion of transparent and accountable work of bodies and institutions in BiH.
What are the tasks of the Corruption Prevention Sector?
The Department for the Prevention of Corruption carries out the following tasks: collecting and analyzing statistical and other data, informing all relevant entities in BiH about the results of research, analyzing the submitted data with the aim of determining the occurrence of corrupt activities, creating a Strategy for the fight against corruption and an Action Plan for its implementation, monitoring conflicts of interest, analyzing final decisions of the competent authorities for processing conflicts of interest with the aim of analyzing the occurrences of corrupt activities and informing the relevant institutions about the situation, making recommendations for the conflict management strategy interests in individual cases, and issuing guidelines for the policy of conflict of interest management in government institutions, prescribing a unique methodology for collecting data on the property status of public officials, in coordination with the competent authorities, prescribing a unique methodology and guidelines for creating integrity plans and providing assistance to public institutions at all levels in their implementation, monitoring the effects of the application of laws and by-laws aimed at preventing corruption and giving opinions and instructions on their application, initiating activities related to amendments and supplements to existing legal solutions and their issue harmonization, cooperation with domestic scientific and professional organizations, media and non-governmental organizations regarding the prevention of corruption, the development of educational programs related to the prevention of corruption and the fight against corruption, as well as the supervision of their implementation and other similar tasks.
What is integrity?
Integrity comes from the Latin word "Integritas" which means integrity, wholeness, conformity, indivisibility, constancy, sincerity and unity. It is a term that indicates that a person, or an institution as a whole, bases its work on the principles of honesty, conscientiousness, impartiality, and transparency. By the integrity of the institution, we mean the ability of the institution to respect the norms and rules governing the area of its activity.
How many types of integrity do we distinguish?
When we talk about integrity, it is necessary to distinguish between three types of integrity: personal integrity, institutional integrity (institutional integrity) and social integrity. By personal integrity we mean acting in accordance with moral obligations and principles, that is the behavior that each individual "brings from home". By institutional integrity we mean the way the institution and its employees work, who work and act in accordance with the principle of independence, impartiality, transparency and honesty. We cannot talk about the integrity of the institution unless there is a built-in integrity of the individual, who is aware that the interest of the institution must be above his private interest. An individual with built integrity will contribute to strengthening the integrity of the institution, and strong personal integrity as well as the integrity of the institution should contribute to the building of social integrity.
What is an integrity plan?
The integrity plan is an internal anti-corruption document of a preventive nature, which contains a set of measures of a legal and practical nature that prevent and eliminate the possibilities for the emergence and development of various forms of corruption, corruptive effects as well as other forms of irregularities in the work of the institution.
Why should an institution have an integrity plan? What is the purpose (goal) of creating an integrity plan?
The purpose of creating and adopting the above document is to draw attention within the institution both to existing irregularities and to potential irregularities, and to define risk areas, workplaces subject to various forms of irregularities and corrupt activities, and to act preventively in this way, i.e. to draw attention to possible risks of irregularities in the work of the institution. It is characteristic of the integrity plan that it has the ability to adapt to the specifics of various institutions and activities, and as such contributes to increasing efficiency in achieving the goals of the anti-corruption policy.
What are the visible effects of introducing the principle of integrity in the work of institutions?
The effects of introducing the principles of institutions are: increasing the efficiency and transparency of the institution's work, improving the quality of the institution's work, consistent application of regulations and internal acts, standardization of the work process, and strengthening of trust in the work of the institution by citizens and the entire public.
Which institutions are obliged to create an integrity plan?
Public institutions, at all levels in Bosnia and Herzegovina, are required to self-assess how susceptible they are to corruption, corrupt practices and other forms of irregularities in their work, to assess which are the risky areas as well as the risky workplaces and, based on the assessment, approach the creation and adoption of an integrity plan. The integrity plan of a public institution that has more than one organizational unit, i.e. a public institution that is organized and operates in the entire territory of Bosnia and Herzegovina, constitutes a unique integrity plan for the said institution. The organizational unit of a public institution is obliged to create and adopt a single integrity plan for all its organizational units, if the organizational unit employs: a) more than ten civil servants and b) if it performs its duties based on territorial principles (branches, police stations, etc.) and employs more than five civil servants.