The National Agency on Corruption Prevention (NACP) has launched an online version of the platform ‘Building Integrity in the Security and Defence Sector: BI Defence Community’, designed to facilitate the systematic exchange of experience, training, and methodological materials among organisations within the security and defence sector and with international partners.
The presentation took place during a meeting of the working group on unifying approaches to building integrity in the security and defence sector (BI Defence Community), which was attended by representatives of Ukraine’s security and defence sector authorities, NATO Headquarters, the NATO Representation in Ukraine, the Centre for Integrity in the Defence Sector (CIDS) under the Norwegian Ministry of Defence, and other international partners.
The platform is intended to serve as an information hub for the exchange of best practices in the field of integrity-building within the security and defence sector. It will bring together materials from the National Agency on Corruption Prevention (NACP) and agencies within the security and defence sector, as well as from international partners: training courses, guidance materials, practical tools, international experience and other useful resources. The platform already contains its initial content and will continue to expand.
“It is of fundamental importance to us that cooperation between state institutions, international partners and civil society in building integrity within the security and defence sector yields tangible results. This involves strengthening institutional capacity, effectively implementing anti-corruption policies and international standards, and, most importantly, genuinely reducing corruption risks and eradicating corrupt practices. Today, we have a wide range of partners and best practices. Our task is to bring them together and turn them into concrete solutions and changes,” said Serhiy Hupiak, Deputy Head of the NACP.
Joakim Frendin, a representative of NATO Headquarters, emphasised that joint efforts in the field of integrity are important not only for the security and defence sector, but also for the broader Euro-Atlantic and European integration processes. According to him, the exchange of experience and best practices between Ukrainian institutions, NATO countries and international partners is a key prerequisite for finding solutions tailored to the Ukrainian context. In particular, this is important for ensuring interoperability with NATO, European integration and future membership of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD).
Terje Haaverstad, a representative of the Centre for Integrity in the Defence Sector (CIDS) at the Norwegian Ministry of Defence, highlighted the importance of a long-term approach to this work and the development of a sustainable culture of integrity. He also emphasised that the BI Defence Community has the potential to become not only a coordination platform but also a professional and expert environment for the development of integrity.
“Each component of the security and defence sector has its own experience, strengths and best practices, which it is important to share. That is why, on the sector’s initiative, the NACP has taken forward the idea of creating the ‘BI Defence Community’ page, which is currently being filled with content. As the coordinator for Ukraine’s cooperation with NATO on integrity-building, the NACP aims to strengthen communication between the sector’s components and create a single platform for exchanging information and practical solutions,” said Marta Ivashkiv, Head of the Department for Integrity Policy Development in the Security and Defence Sector.
In addition to the electronic platform, during the meeting the NACP presented an interactive task tracking chart for NATO Initial Interoperability Requirement 0204 ‘Integrity Building’, developed in collaboration with the Corruption Prevention Department of the National Police of Ukraine. The chart will show the status of implementation of the relevant tasks and will be published on the NACP’s official website.
Representatives of the Ministry of Defence of Ukraine, the Research Centre for Integrity Education and Corruption Prevention in the Security and Defence Sector (BITEC) at the National Defence University of Ukraine, the National Guard of Ukraine, the State Border Guard Service of Ukraine and the National Police of Ukraine also presented their own initiatives in the field of integrity and corruption prevention.
For information. By Presidential Decree No. 344/2023 of 20 June 2023, the NACP has been designated as the National Coordinator for Ukraine’s cooperation with NATO in the field of integrity building.
The NACP has also been designated as the body responsible for the overall coordination of the work of state bodies in fulfilling the tasks set out in NATO Interoperability Initial Requirement 0204 ‘Integrity Building’ of the NATO Interoperability Initial Requirements for Ukraine.
