NACP unites communities to build integrity in the regions

Representatives of communities have declared their common desire to build a culture of integrity on the ground with the National Agency on Corruption Prevention (NACP).

The NACP will strengthen cooperation with the regions to prevent corruption. Mayors, community leaders, other regional representatives and experts discussed the importance of such cooperation as well as challenges and problems during the war at the Forum of Integrity Communities held on July 20 at the National Agency.

"The NACP's work is aimed at preventing corruption violations so that law enforcement agencies have less work to do with crimes that have already been committed. But we will not cope with this task without systematic work and strong local governments, civil society, and journalists. We have to move the country together towards integrity, and thus towards security and prosperity. Then the state will spend money on economic and social projects, not on punitive bodies," said Mr. Novikov.  According to Mr. Novikov, the basis for the sustainability of European countries is strong local self-government, which helps to build an effective state. 

"We initiated the signing of a joint Declaration on Building Integrity of Local Governments to launch a quality dialogue and take into account the principles of local self-government at the level of the Working Group of States Against Corruption (GRECO), which includes the NACP," said Mr. Novikov.

He noted that information about the NACP's protocols on conflicts of interest of mayors of Ukrainian cities, including Chernihiv and Rivne, has gained a lot of traction. However, the agency's powers are exhausted at the stage of transferring the protocol to the court. Only the court makes the final decision, exempting a person from liability or imposing a certain punishment. The NACP has initiated legislative changes to ensure that citizens do not have any questions about the legality of court decisions based on protocols. In particular, the Code of Ukraine on Administrative Offenses should be amended to provide for the transfer of consideration of NACP protocols to the High Anti-Corruption Court instead of local courts. It is also planned to introduce a provision according to which the National Agency should be granted the status of a party to the proceedings in cases based on its protocols. These rules will contribute to the development of a well-established judicial practice on the application of the requirements of the Law "On Prevention of Corruption". 

Sören Herbst, Head of Multi-Level Governance Unit of U-LEAD, emphasized the importance of completing the local government reform and ensuring integrity as a cornerstone of culture in communities. In his opinion, this is the path to Ukraine's membership in the EU.

"The war has demonstrated the resilience of Ukrainian communities, they have gained new powers and ensured that responsible decisions were made at the beginning of the war. This is evidence of positive changes. The fight against corruption at the local level will help to consolidate them. Integrity means avoiding double standards, prioritizing the interests of the community over private interests, and completely rejecting tolerance for corruption. Integrity is the foundation for trust and cooperation. It is crucial for winning the war and the key to effective recovery and reconstruction. Therefore, today's Forum of Integrity Communities is an additional brick in this foundation. The U-LEAD with Europe Program is proud to stand hand in hand with Ukraine for its victory and recovery," said Sören Herbst. 

The cross-cutting topic of the Forum was the discussion of challenges in the regions during martial law. Roman Mrochko, Head of the Kherson City Military Administration, noted that the fight against corruption will help to make quick and correct decisions. "Kherson community is among those where not a single day goes by without shelling and destruction. Given the allocation of significant funds for reconstruction, we strive to be as open as possible, ready for internal and external audits. We inform the public about the spending of funds as much as possible, in particular, we have created an effective system of accounting and distribution of humanitarian aid," said Roman Mrochko. 

Dnipro Mayor Borys Filatov noted that the city is currently ranked first in the Transparency International Ukraine transparency ranking, although a few years ago it had one of the lowest scores. "We remain an open territorial community that does not use the pretext of war to close information, including procurement," said Mr. Filatov. 

During the discussions, Lviv Mayor Andriy Sadovyi emphasized that victory has two components: de-occupation and transparent restoration in line with international standards, as well as restructuring of institutions. "Corruption is a rust that eats away at the state.  During the war, it was looted. That is why it is important to restore the declaration system so that we can be understood by the world. Since 2018, the Lviv City Council has had an integrity sector, which makes it impossible to commit corruption," said the Lviv Mayor. 

In his turn, Serhii Chernov, Chairman of the Ukrainian Association of Rayon and Oblast Councils, Representative of Ukraine in the Chamber of Regions of the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe, emphasized the importance of integrity obligations for officials to improve the efficiency of local self-government. 

Following the discussion, mayors, representatives of cities, the Ukrainian Association of Oblast and Rayon Councils, and the All-Ukrainian Association of Amalgamated Territorial Communities signed the Declaration on Building Integrity in Local Self-Government.

"The signed declaration is a framework that will help build trust in the NACP, local governments, and authorities at all levels and foster a culture of integrity in the regions. The document is open for signing," summarized Novikov.  The mayors urged their colleagues to join the signing of the Declaration. 

Video of the Forum

Organized by the NACP with the support of the U-LEAD with Europe Program.

U-LEAD with Europe: Ukraine - Local Empowerment, Accountability and Development Program is a multi-donor action of the European Union and its member states Germany, Poland, Sweden, Denmark, Estonia and Slovenia to support Ukraine on its path to strengthening local governance. U-LEAD with Europe promotes transparent, sustainable and accountable multi-level governance in Ukraine that is responsive to the needs of citizens and empowers communities.