The National Agency on Corruption Prevention (NACP) hosted a kick-off meeting to launch the process of assessing the implementation of NATO recommendations provided in the NATO Building Integrity (BI) Program Self-Assessment Report.
The NACP presented the assessment methodology developed by the NACP and discussed synchronization of approaches to the goals and objectives of the assessment of the implementation of these recommendations.
The Building Integrity (BI) Program is a NATO-led program that provides partner countries with practical tools to build integrity, transparency and accountability and helps reduce the risk of corruption in the security and defense sector.
Ukraine has already undergone Self-Assessments in 2007, 2010, 2013 and 2019 (the largest number of Self-Assessments among the Program's participating countries) and is the only country that has initiated and started to apply a sectoral approach that covers not only the Ministry of Defense and the Armed Forces, but also all security and defense institutions.
Based on the results of the latest Self-Assessment, NATO experts provided a number of recommendations aimed at building integrity, transparency and accountability in Ukraine's security and defense sector. With the aim of determining the real state of affairs in implementing these recommendations, it is necessary to collect, analyze and summarize information from all bodies to which such recommendations are addressed. The 2019 Report does not contain any requirements regarding the timeframe for implementing the recommendations, monitoring their implementation, or the body responsible for this.
Due to the introduction of quarantine and restrictive anti-epidemic measures in 2020 to prevent the spread of the acute respiratory disease COVID caused by the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus in Ukraine and the large-scale armed aggression of the Russian Federation against Ukraine, the implementation of the recommendations of international experts was not monitored.
According to the Deputy Head of the NACP, Iaroslav Liubchenko, who was appointed National Coordinator for NATO-Ukraine Cooperation in Building Integrity by the Presidential Decree, the National Agency is currently actively involved in flagship projects under the NATO Comprehensive Assistance Package for Ukraine.
"This package is designed to support the institutional capacity of the national security and defense sector and strengthen Ukraine's defense capabilities in the long term. Earlier, the NACP's proposals were taken into account in the development of the Comprehensive Assistance Package Roadmap for Ukraine. The National Agency has also been designated responsible for coordinating the implementation of Objective IO 0204 "Integrity Development", which, among other things, provides for the implementation of comprehensive integrity building plans by early 2025 and the implementation of recommendations provided by the NATO Integrity Building Program Self-Assessment in the 2019 Report. With this in mind, the NACP initiated the process of assessing the implementation of the recommendations and took on the role of coordinator," said Iaroslav Liubchenko.
In order to develop common approaches, form a common understanding and agree on the requirements for providing the requested information, the inaugural meeting was attended by representatives of the assessment subjects - public authorities, as well as public and international organizations involved in the process:
- National Agency on Corruption Prevention
- NATO Representation to Ukraine
- Committee of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine on National Security, Defense and Intelligence
- Committee of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine on Anti-Corruption Policy
- Committee of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine on Law Enforcement
- Government Office for Coordination of European and Euro-Atlantic Integration
- Ministry of Defense of Ukraine
- State Special Transport Service
- Security Service of Ukraine
- Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine
- National Police of Ukraine
- National Guard of Ukraine
- Administration of the State Border Guard Service of Ukraine
- State Emergency Service of Ukraine
- National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine
- NGO "State Watch"
- NAKO (Independent Anti-Corruption Commission)
- Geneva Center for Security Sector Governance (DCAF)
The assessment aims to provide reliable, complete, fact-based information that will allow the public authorities to prepare for the next Self-Assessment. That is why the NACP has developed a methodology for assessing the status of implementation of the 2019 Report recommendations.
