During a working trip to the Zhytomyr region, the team of the National Agency on Corruption Prevention (NACP) held a series of meetings with civic activists and heads of the region and the city.
The NACP initiated a direct dialogue with the regions to shift the focus of anti-corruption activities from punishment to the formation of virtuous behavior, preventing violations, and addressing corruption risks in cities and communities. This will enhance the effectiveness and transparency of government agencies, increase citizens' trust in them, and contribute to national unity in the face of security challenges.
During the meetings with the heads of the Zhytomyr Regional Military Administration (RMA), Vitalii Bunechko, Head of Zhytomyr City Council, Serhii Sukhomlyn, and the Head of the NACP, Oleksandr Novikov, emphasized the need to implement the measures outlined in the Anti-Corruption Strategy and the State Anti-Corruption Program for 2023-2025 (SACP) for local self-government bodies and regional administrations. The effectiveness and productivity of all preventive anti-corruption mechanisms depend primarily on the awareness of local leadership.
During the meetings with the leadership of the Zhytomyr Regional Military Administration (RMA), discussions revolved around the implementation of modern practices to build a culture of integrity, the effective integration of anti-corruption tools in the work of local authorities, the specifics of electronic asset declarations in conditions of martial law, and the prevention of conflicts of interest in the performance of official duties. In particular, Oleksandr Novikov noted that the Zhytomyr RMA is among the leaders in implementing the provisions of the State Anti-Corruption Program for 2023- 2025 (SACP) and emphasized the need to connect to the Unified Whistleblower Reporting Portal.
"The Whistleblower Portal is one of the effective anti-corruption tools launched by the NACP at the beginning of autumn. Thanks to it, citizens have the opportunity to report facts of corruption known to them. The creation of this special resource, to which all state institutions and local self-government bodies must connect, will significantly contribute to the formation of a civilized whistleblowing institution. We strive for citizens to realize that the whistleblowing institution is a mechanism for building integrity in the state, based on international standards and the best global practices," stated Oleksandr Novikov.
According to the head of the region, the RMA recognizes the need to pursue a policy of maximum transparency. Therefore, in October of this year, in response to public demand, the "Transparency and Accountability" group was created, allowing the region to save over UAH 15 million on state procurements.
"All purchases are now open. We constantly communicate where we can save state funds or funds from local budgets. I will note that even before the start of the full-scale invasion, the Zhytomyr region was recognized as the region with the most favorable conditions for doing business, according to the data of international experts in the Doing Business rating. In addition, systematic professional training on anti-corruption topics is carried out for public servants. Currently, 1329 public servants and 96 officials of local self-government bodies in the region have undergone training under the short-term program for preventing corruption and ensuring integrity in public authorities, approved by the NACP," stated Vitalii Bunechko, the head of the Zhytomyr Regional Military Administration.
During the meeting with the city leadership, the head of the NACP noted that Zhytomyr is currently one of the five cities of integrity that has worked and continues to work with the European Anti-Corruption Initiative. However, unfortunately, for more than half a year, it has not had an anti-corruption ombudsperson for the prevention and detection of corruption.
"The NACP actively collaborates with anti-corruption ombudspersons, who are the primary link in the anti-corruption infrastructure. They do not perform punitive functions but assist leaders and other employees of state bodies and local self-government bodies in preventing violations of legal requirements. Anti-corruption ombudspersons contribute to the effective functioning of the anti-corruption infrastructure, and as a result, the organization functions efficiently," emphasized Oleksandr Novikov, who called on the mayor of the city to join the signing of a joint Declaration for the development of integrity in local self-government bodies.
Head of Zhytomyr City Council, Serhii Sukhomlyn, assured that the anti-corruption ombudsperson would soon start performing their functions in the city council and expressed readiness to join the signing of the Declaration of Integrity.
During the meetings, the head of the NACP urged regional leaders to implement modern management practices built on values. He also presented copies of the "Leadership Guide," developed by the NACP. The guide is based on the best global management practices and provides leaders of public and private organizations with a wide range of tools for the systematic development of honest and efficient organizations.
It is worth noting that this year, the leadership and representatives of the NACP made working trips to Lviv, Kharkiv, Dnipro, and Chernivtsi. The purpose of these trips is to strengthen cooperation between the NACP and the regions, involve communities in building integrity, facilitate the minimization of corruption risks, and enhance collaboration with institutions of general and higher education, journalists, and civil society organizations.
