United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime

South Eastern Europe

Towards a joint approach in tackling corruption and illicit financial flows in South-Eastern Europe

10-13 October 2022, Dubrovnik, Croatia: Corruption remains one of the key challenges in today’s globalized world. It weakens the capacity of the state to provide services to citizens and undermines security. Concerted action and a joint response by the Governments and international stakeholders are critical in effectively addressing this shared threat.

UNODC, in cooperation with the Regional Anti-Corruption Initiative (RAI), gathered anti-corruption practitioners from Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Serbia and Kosovo[1] to discuss the implementation of the regional Anti-Corruption and Illicit Finance (ACIF) Roadmap. The event aimed to explore the achievements under the three goals of the Roadmap, assess current local and regional needs and priorities, and identify future priorities.

In his opening statement, the Head of the ACIF Roadmap Secretariat, Mr. Koen Marquering, underlined the importance of the event in the context of the Berlin Process.

The Head of International Serious and Organized Crime – Bilateral Deputy Director across United Kingdom Home and Foreign Offices, Ms. Suzie Daykin, joined the event online. She commended the diversity of experts gathered across the region to deepen cooperation and find a solution to an ever-evolving threat. Ms. Daykin outlined the common objectives in the fight against corruption.

In her opening remarks, the Head of the RAI Secretariat, Ms. Desislava Gotskova, mentioned the importance of the ACIF Roadmap for the Western Balkan jurisdictions and the role of RAI as a regional intergovernmental organization with a clear anti-corruption mandate, active in the WB region for more than 20 years. Following the introductory remarks, the delegations provided an overview of the recent efforts to strengthen public procurement, including e-procurement; manage conflict of interest; monitor asset declarations of public officials, and establish a regional network of prosecutors, law enforcement and financial intelligence units.

Participants underlined the importance of effective international cooperation in investigating corruption and promoting effective asset recovery. They pointed at the Global Operational Network of Anti-Corruption Law Enforcement Authorities (GlobE Network) as a platform for information exchange between frontline anti-corruption law enforcement practitioners in all countries across the globe. GLOBE is a one-stop hub that provides the knowledge, resources and tools needed to track, investigate and prosecute cross-border corruption cases, including a decision tree and secure communications channels.

For more information:

Regional Anti-Corruption and Illicit Finance Roadmap

Regional Programme for South-Eastern Europe