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.