In 2025, the development of whistleblowing in Ukraine reached a new level of systematicity and international recognition. The priorities of the National Agency on Corruption Prevention (NACP) remained the real protection of the rights and guarantees of whistleblowers, the improvement of the regulatory framework, and the scaling up of information and awareness-raising activities.
«The agency issued nine orders to eliminate violations of the law and immediately restore labour rights. Seven of them were based on the results of scheduled and unscheduled inspections, and two were based on reports from whistleblowers about violations of their rights regarding inadequate conditions for reporting,» said Serhii Hupiak, Deputy Chairman of the NACP.
Along with law enforcement activities, the Agency has been working systematically to improve the legislative regulation of whistleblowing. In particular, it has prepared a draft law of Ukraine ‘On Amendments to the Criminal Procedure Code of Ukraine and the Law of Ukraine ’On Prevention of Corruption‘ regarding the regulation of the issue of remuneration for whistleblowers’ and a concept for a draft law of Ukraine on the creation of secure internal channels for reports containing state secrets or official information collected in the course of operational-investigative or defence activities.
These initiatives became an important part of Ukraine's negotiating position in the official screening of legislation for compliance with EU law and confirmed Ukraine's progress in fulfilling its European integration commitments.
In 2025, Ukraine's progress in the field of whistleblower protection was rated at 90.2 points out of a possible 100, based on the results of Ukraine's assessment in the fifth round of monitoring of the Istanbul Anti-Corruption Action Plan of the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) Anti-Corruption Network for Eastern Europe and Central Asia. OECD experts noted that Ukraine has established a comprehensive regulatory framework for whistleblower protection and built an effective system for reporting corruption.
The key tool of this infrastructure remains the Unified Whistleblower Portal. Over the course of the year, more than 3,000 organisations connected to it, and the total number of connected organisations exceeded 11,000.
According to the results of a survey of authorised persons conducted by the NACP, authorised users rated the convenience and effectiveness of the Portal at 8.1 out of 10. At the same time, analysis of the respondents' answers to this survey made it possible to identify specific areas for further optimisation, in particular regarding the expansion of the Portal's functionality, the automation of certain processes and the improvement of user-friendliness. The survey was conducted as part of the annual Analytical Study in the field of whistleblower protection.
The analytical work of the NACP in 2025 was supplemented by the study ‘Protection of whistleblowers and employer liability for violations of their rights and guarantees’, based on which recommendations were developed to strengthen employer liability for violations of whistleblowers' rights.
Educational and training activities remained an important component of the development of the whistleblowing institution. Throughout the year, the NACP held a series of seminars and training sessions for employees of the National Police, prosecutors, lawyers, representatives of local self-government bodies, etc.
The educational vector was reinforced by the presentation of a comic book guide entitled ‘Heroes Are Nearby,’ which explains in an accessible way who can be a whistleblower, what actions constitute corruption offences, how to file a report correctly, and what guarantees of protection for whistleblowers are provided by law.
Public events and communication with the public and the media played a significant role in shaping the professional discussion. In November 2025, the 5th Annual Conference ‘Whistleblowers in Ukraine: Successes and Challenges’ was held, which became a platform for discussing systemic problems and further directions for the development of the whistleblowing institution. The topic of whistleblowing was also presented at the national forum JustConf2025, where special attention was paid to the barriers that hinder the full functioning of this institution.
«The results for 2025 demonstrate that whistleblowing has established itself as an effective element of Ukraine's anti-corruption system. At the same time, we recognise that this institution is still relatively young and that there are still many myths surrounding it, both regarding the role of the whistleblower and the powers and place of the NACP in the system for protecting them. Misconceptions sometimes occur even among experts. That is why we need to combine law enforcement work with consistent explanatory and informational activities, forming a correct understanding of the essence and value of the whistleblowing institution,» said Serhii Hupiak, Deputy Chairman of the NACP.
He emphasised that in 2026, the NACP will focus on further eliminating identified gaps in legislation and law enforcement practice. In particular, the priorities will remain strengthening accountability for violations of whistleblowers' rights, improving mechanisms for their protection, and implementing EU Directive 2019/1937. Other areas of work in this field include modernising the Unified Whistleblower Reporting Portal, scaling up the connection of organisations, and developing a regulatory framework for its optimisation. A number of strategic studies are also planned, in particular on bodies with exclusive competence in the field of whistleblower protection, as well as national and international standards in the field of protecting military personnel as whistleblowers.
