Sofia, 9th December 2008

Inter-Regional Conference on "Anti-Corruption Policies and Practices in South Eastern Europe" took place at Boyana Conference Center, Sofia.

The conference has been dedicated to the International day against corruption.

The international forum was under the Patronage of the President of the Republic of Bulgaria. The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime Regional Programme Office for South Eastern Europe (UNODC RPOSEE), based in Sofia is organizing the conference. Partners and co-organizers are the Regional Cooperation Council, the Regional Anti-Corruption Initiative, and the Bulgarian Center for the Study of Democracy.

Members of parliament, representatives of the government and NGOs, diplomatic bodies and representatives of international organizations took part in the conference. The event was arranged with the intention to share the results achieved so far in the area of anti-corruption measures taken by the relevant institutions of South Eastern Europe in order to prevent, investigate and prosecute corruption acts, to promote inter-regional cooperation, to ensure technical assistance and information exchange among these countries, where the United Nations Convention Against Corruption, which entered into force on 14 of Dec 2005, has been signed and ratified by all countries of this region.

The agenda provided an itinerary able to make a mapping exercise through the experiences that all relevant institutions have made in the area of anti-corruption measures. In particular, discussion about policies and infrastructure established during these years as matter of implementation of principles stipulated by the convention, discussion on the regional cooperation as an important tool in the fight against corruption.
From the forum during the day, several summary conclusions are considered:
- All countries in the region have developed and introduced a consistent legislative frame work able (in principles) to be used as effective tool for countering corruption acts.
- All countries have established several different Commissions and/or bodies at different level and in different institutions (either with MoI or with MoF or under the supervision of their respective government ) in order to " ensure " a coordinative "independent" function in preventing, investigating, prosecuting and sentencing corruption crimes. Most of them have drafted and approved a National anti corruption strategy.
- Despite all concrete actions taken, still there are not significant results in prosecuting and sentencing crimes related to corruption acts.
- During the very accurate presentations proposed by RAI National Focal Points it has been pointed and described with a lot of details, all significant work done during the last years in order to be in compliance with EU accession requirements .
- There is in general a good level of knowledge on anti corruptions matters all over the region, but not satisfactory result in concrete.

"We would like to show the problems in a constructive manner and to outline ways for solving them", said Ms Ciavarella, Regional Programme Coordinator of UNODC RPOSEE. "I think that more and more people in South Eastern Europe feel the corruption as a sophisticated economic, social and political phenomenon, which concerns all parties, compromise the democratic institutions, slows down the economic development and causes political instability."

UNODC RPOSEE objective was to draw the public attention and vigilance to the problem CORRUPTION in all its forms. Media partners in the initiative of UNODC RPOSEE are the Bulgarian National Television and BTV broadcasting free of charge promotional video "Decision"against corruption.

On the conference were invited almost all media representatives in Bulgaria, most of them came at Boyana Center and many publications appeared afterwards as on the newspapers, on-line medias, radios and TV news.

Training in Slovakia

UNODC project office in Bratislava has trained 11 future trainers from the Slovak police and prosecution on trafficking in human beings. The train the trainers' course took place in Bratislava UNDP Regional Centre between 22-26 September 2008 in the realm of UNODC SLOR19 project. It was historically a first time training course for future trainers from the police and prosecution on human trafficking in the country. Follow up training courses for wider individuals from this target group organized in cooperation with the Slovak Ministry of Interior and the Justice academy will take place between 13-21 October 2008. This time it would be trainers which UNODC trained last week to pass on the knowledge to their colleagues. UNODC supervises the events.

26 June - Sofia, Bulgaria

Report on June 26 Activities in Albania (2008)

26 June - Belgrade, Serbia

A nation-wide Drug Free Month campaign in Serbia ended with the marking of 26 June, International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking.

The one month campaign was led by a local recipient of the DAPC grant, NGO "Kula", assisted and supported throughout by the UNODC Project Office in Belgrade, while the marking of the Anti-Drug Day, under the UNODC slogan "Do Drugs Control Your Life?" was a joint effort on national scale of the following partners: Ministry of Health, City of Belgrade, Belgrade Institute for Addictions, Public Health Institute "Batut", Red Cross of Serbia, Youth Peer Network, NGO "Kula", national network of NGOs fighting drug abuse, UNICEF, WHO and UNODC.

Administered by NGO "Kula", a national campaign website was launched with the internet address: do-drugs-control-your-life (in the local language) with links to websites of all partners, including UNODC, and featuring on the front page the UN Secretary General's 26 June message as well as interview with the Serbian Health Minister.

http://www.da-li-droga-upravlja-tvojim-zivotom.org.rs

In the capital, Belgrade, events and activities organized for 26 June included a joint press conference, festivities in the Belgrade Youth Park and a discussion evening followed by a cocktail. The discussion among main stakeholders and invitees focused on prevention, treatment and rehabilitation with a first-hand story from an ex-addict.

UNODC Project Office in Belgrade provided translation of the SG's message which was distributed to all news agencies. Also, T-shirts with logos, baseball caps, "Drugs under international control" brochures in Serbian and factsheets for distribution at the main manifestation in the Belgrade Youth Park. As a way of promoting healthy lifestyles, UNODC also provided a gift voucher for a one day use of the prestigious Fitness and Spa Center at the Belgrade 5 star hotel Hyatt Regency, which was awarded as lottery at the evening cocktail, also in the organization of UNODC.

Marking of 26 June in Serbia received extensive media coverage nation-wide as seen as from samples below:

a) Campaign video

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rAzbnA6nhzw

b) SG message and announcement of the World Drug Report

http://www.b92.net/info/vesti/index.php?yyyy=2008&mm=06&dd=26&nav_category=12&nav_id=305621

c) Belgrade Youth Park event on TV B92

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TmHS2S7Kvsc

d) South Serbia (town of Leskovac - with link to UNODC)

http://www.zzjzle.org.yu/vesti/vest23.htm

e) North Serbia (Vojvodina province TV station) quoting Secretary General

http://www.vesti.rs/izvor/Medjunarodni-dan-borbe-protiv-droge-2.html

f) Sports Festival leading up to 26 June (article no. 2)

http://www.belgradesportfest.com/active/sr-latin/home/omladinske_kampanje.html

g) Students website

http://www.studentskisvet.com/info/20080627/svetski-dan-borbe-protiv-zloupotrebe-droga-prevencija-narkomanije

h) Website for youth living abroad

http://www.serbiancafe.com/lat/vesti/29/49791/medjunarodni_dan_borbe_protiv_droge_26_jun

i) Launch of World Drug Report, quoting Mr. Costa (article no. 4)

http://www.danas.co.yu/20080627/globus1.html

The overall aim of the one month campaign and events on 26 June was awareness raising on the dangers of drug abuse and the need for primary prevention, with focus on demand reduction and the importance of treatment. The campaign also called for action reminding of the fact that 2008 is the year of evaluation and reporting on activities carried out in the last 10 years as pledged at the 1998 UNGASS on illicit drugs.

Through joint efforts of all local partners, the extent of this year's outreach to the public on 26 June noticeably and by far outweighs that of the previous year.