Fourth Technical Dialogue addresses the whistleblower protection in Brazil and its impacts on the health sector 

Brasília, April 4, 2022 - The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) held last Thursday (31), the fourth event of the series of six Technical Dialogues, entitled "The Whistleblower Protection in Brazil and its impacts on the health sector".

The series of Technical Dialogues is an initiative of the global project, launched by UNODC HQ "ensuring effective responses to COVID-19 and future emerging crises through transnational programmes on transparency and integrity in public procurement, whistleblower protection, and oversight mechanisms in Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Indonesia, Paraguay, Philippines, South Africa and Timor-Leste", with funding from the Bureau of International Law Enforcement and Narcotics of the U.S. Department of State (INL/USA).

The project assists countries in their pursuit of better response and recovery from COVID-19 and future emergency crises, with a focus on promoting transparency and integrity in public procurement, especially in the area of health, and strengthening whistleblower protection. The initiative takes place in the framework of the United Nations Convention against Corruption (UNCAC) of which UNODC is the guardian.

The fourth edition of the series of Technical Dialogues was attended by Marcos Gerhardt (General Ombudsman of the Union - CGU), Carlos Eduardo Gouvêa (Instituto Ética Saúde), Guilherme France (senior researcher - FGV Ethics), Chantal Castro (project officer) and Eduardo Pazinato (Integrity Area coordinator), both from UNODC Brazil.

Marcos Gerhardt commented on the relationship between the incentives granted to whistleblower in Brazil and the expansion of his/her protection, highlighting the role of the press and civil society in this process.

Commenting on the safeguard mechanisms of the Instituto Ética Saúde, Carlos Eduardo Gouvêa highlighted the role of cooperation with authorities to allow the correct investigation of denunciations, guaranteeing their anonymity.

Guilherme France highlighted the need, in the private sector, to guide companies on what measures should be adopted to protect the whistlebower.

France mentioned some CGU initiatives in which the whistleblower protection is mentioned, such as the "Practical Manual for the Evaluation of Integrity Programme in PAR" and the "Pro-ethics seal".

At the end of the meeting, Chantal Castro presented the "Resource Guide on Good Practices in the Protection of Reporting Persons", developed by the UNODC Department of Corruption and Economic Crimes. The document analyses data from several countries, bringing case studies and international best practices. "The guide focuses on the importance of encouraging and protecting reporters to fight corruption, seeking to contribute with the UNCAC Member States in identifying legal and institutional forms that are necessary to meet their requirements, identifying available resources, and highlighting the challenges to be faced," she explained.

The fifth edition of the Technical Dialogues will be held on 28 April. Registration at https://integridadeposcovid.com.br/

For more information: www.unodc.org/unodc/en/corruption/index.html

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To learn more: http://www.agenda2030.com.br/  

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