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Strengthening integrity in Ukraine’s natural resources, energy and defence sectors with Norway’s support
We are delighted to announce a new grant that will enable the Basel Institute on Governance to continue and expand its support to Ukraine on integrity and accountability. Through the Government of Norway's Nansen Support Programme for Ukraine, the Basel Institute will work from 2025 to 2028 to promote transparency and accountability in three strategically vital sectors: Natural resources: Tackling corruption risks in forestry and the critical minerals sector, building on our long-standing work to combat corruption in Ukraine’s forestry industry and the expertise of our wider Green Corruption programme. Energy: Supporting transparency and accountability in energy-related enterprises. In the first year, this will begin with our collaboration with the Gas Transmission System Operator of Ukraine Gas TSO , a vital state-owned enterprise with which we recently signed a Memorandum of Understanding to establish a comprehensive anti-corruption compliance system. Defence industries: Strengthening compliance and integrity systems in defence manufacturers as they produce vital materiel for Ukraine’s defence and integrate with Europe’s broader security architecture. This builds on our ongoing partnership with Ukraine Defense Industries UkrOboronProm or UOP . Strengthening integrity where it matters most This programme is significant because natural resources, energy and defence are at the heart of Ukraine’s resilience and recovery. They are essential for the country’s security, economic stability and EU integration – yet also among the most vulnerable to corruption. Weak governance in these sectors risks undermining resilience, slowing reconstruction and eroding donor confidence. The Government of Norway recognises that “combating corruption and building strong institutions are central” to achieving the goals of its comprehensive Nansen Support Programme, which aims to “help secure a safe, free and independent Ukraine, strengthen vital state functions and reduce human suffering”. Like the Basel Institute, our partners in Norway acknowledge Ukraine’s progress in tackling corruption and the strong commitment of Ukrainian civil society and the public to building robust anti-corruption institutions. Sustaining Ukraine’s path to resilience Jorun Nossum, Director of Norad’s Department for the Nansen Support Programme, said: We are very pleased to be able to continue our partnership with Basel Institute on Governance in working to prevent corruption in sectors central to Ukraine’s resistance and reforms. Juhani Grossmann, who leads the Basel Institute’s work in Ukraine and the opening of our new office in Kyiv, commented: The support of Norway allows us to boost our integrity-building partnerships in Ukraine for the long term at a time when reliability is especially crucial. The three priority areas have been carefully selected to reflect both Ukraine's immediate needs and the desire for a sustainable recovery. Our natural resource partnerships will seek to ensure Ukraine’s people derive the maximum benefit from its environment and natural resources. Our energy partnerships will help build trustworthy energy partners as Ukraine integrates into European energy markets. Our defence partnerships are designed to enable Ukraine’s manufacturers to reap the full benefits for Ukraine’s security from their technical prowess. Enhanced and more compliant corporate structures will unlock Ukraine’s full potential to contribute to Europe’s emerging security infrastructure. A decade of partnership with Ukraine As featured in the Basel Institute’s Annual Report 2024, we have been engaged in Ukraine for over a decade, supporting both corruption prevention and enforcement. On the prevention side, our work since 2013 has included Collective Action and compliance initiatives in government permitting and corporate governance. We have also advised on the establishment of the Business Ombudsman, provided guidance to the Ukrainian Road Authority and supported independent commissions tasked with recruiting leaders of Ukraine’s anti-corruption institutions. Following the full-scale invasion in 2022, we significantly expanded our anti-corruption support, recognising it as both a contribution to Ukraine’s long-term European integration and to its short-term wartime resilience. With significant funding from Switzerland and contributions from the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development and NEFCO, we have helped Ukrainian authorities and state-owned enterprises ensure the integrity of the wartime economy and reconstruction efforts. Priority areas have included restoration, transport and natural resources.
Norad becomes core donor to ICAR
We are delighted to welcome the Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation Norad as a core donor to the Basel Institute’s International Centre for Asset Recovery ICAR . With the three-year grant, Norway joins the UK, Switzerland, Liechtenstein and Jersey in supporting ICAR’s Operational Strategy 2017–20. This illustrates Norway’s strong commitment to the global fight against corruption. It will greatly assist in offering ICAR’s expertise and support to more countries that are suffering from the effect of significant assets having been stolen. Embedded within the Basel Institute since 2006, ICAR’s international team of experts work closely with authorities in developing and transition countries around the world to strengthen their capacities to trace, recover and return stolen public assets. ICAR provides hands-on support to the authorities on actual case work, including financial investigations and international cooperation. This is supported by structured training courses, e-learning modules and IT tools supporting investigators in tracing assets. Lise Stensrud, Policy Director on Anti-Corruption at Norad, says: “We are very happy to enter into a cooperation with ICAR and to support the valuable work ICAR provides. We take note that the request from countries for this type of technical assistance today is on a sharp increase, and we should be able to provide support to countries which shows the will to pursue corruption.
Africa-Europe asset recovery cooperation: high-level meeting in Berlin
Practitioners and policy makers from Africa and Europe met last week in Berlin, Germany, to discuss ways to further accelerate the success rate in recovering stolen assets. The event was organised by the German Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development BMZ with support from the Basel Institute's International Centre for Asset Recovery ICAR and GIZ, and brought together representatives from Ethiopia, France, Germany, Jersey, Kenya, Norway, Switzerland, Tanzania, Tunisia, Uganda and the United Kingdom. In brief, key priorities are to shed light on financial transactions, modernise legislation and provide guidance for the return of stolen assets. The opening remarks by Norbert Barthle, Parliamentary State Secretary, BMZ, and a high-level panel with Prof Mark Pieth President of the Basel Institute on Governance and Mr Akere Muna Member of the High Level Panel on Illicit Financial Flows from Africa inspired the discussion centred around the fact that asset recovery is a responsibility shared between countries from which assets are stolen and countries through which stolen assets are laundered. Success in recovering stolen assets depends on frank and open dialogue between concerned jurisdictions throughout the asset recovery process. The two-day event sought to facilitate this dialogue with participants by identifying numerous avenues through which they can collaborate further in this work. These included shedding more light on financial transactions, including through beneficial ownership registries, the use of illicit enrichment offences in the criminal context and the use of non-conviction based forfeiture predicated on unexplained wealth within the civil courts. It was highlighted that where these laws are applied, together with the use of deferred prosecution agreements and plea bargains, there should be provision for the restitution of funds to states from which assets have been stolen. Effective tracing, freezing and recovery of assets located overseas requires international co-operation through law enforcement and formal evidence gathering under mutual legal assistance. Increasing the effectiveness of this process through regional networks and the development of informal contacts is key, as is the understanding of different states’ capacities to follow financial transactions through bank registers and beneficial ownership of company registers. Finally, there was wide agreement on the need for guidelines to assist in discussions about the return and end use of stolen assets.