This document takes stock of recent progress in strengthening Ukraine's anti-corruption ecosystem with a view to safeguarding reconstruction projects. It covers:
It is a joint publication of Transparency International Ukraine and the Basel Institute on Governance, published and distributed at the Ukraine Recovery Conference 2023 in London.
A four-day training course on the fundamentals of cryptocurrencies, financial crime and anti-money laundering (AML) compliance.
Delivered virtually over four 3-hour sessions, the course aims to help practitioners from a wide range of law enforcement, financial and business sectors prevent, detect and investigate the use of cryptocurrencies for illicit activities.
A four-day training course on the fundamentals of cryptocurrencies, financial crime and anti-money laundering (AML) compliance.
Delivered virtually over four 3-hour sessions, the course aims to help practitioners from a wide range of law enforcement, financial and business sectors prevent, detect and investigate the use of cryptocurrencies for illicit activities.
Bulgaria has been undergoing a period of political instability, with five electoral cycles in the last two years. During this period, corruption has become a highly politicised topic. Efforts to curb it are now one of the most important campaign issues.
In addition, Bulgaria has the second highest levels of perceived corruption among EU member states according to Transparency International's 2022 Corruption Perceptions Index.
The Working Paper presents the results of a nationwide survey of 1,209 individuals in Bulgaria, conducted in February to early March 2023.
The survey examined how corruption is perceived in Bulgaria by different types of respondent, and what kind of behaviour is considered acceptable.
It also looked at respondents’ perceptions of anti-corruption efforts and under which circumstances they would be more likely to report corruption to the authorities.
From 15–19 May 2023, our International Centre for Asset Recovery (ICAR) training team was at the National Institute of Justice in Sofia, Bulgaria to deliver our flagship training on Financial Investigations and Asset Recovery. The training is a crucial element of our collaboration with the Bulgarian government to assist in combatting corruption and recovering stolen public funds.
The 7th Global Conference on Criminal Finances and Cryptocurrencies (#7CrC) took place on 26–27 October 2023 at the Europol headquarters in The Hague, Netherlands.
It was held in a hybrid format, with 140 spaces available for in-person attendance on each day.
The annual conference is an initiative of Europol and the Basel Institute on Governance through the joint Working Group on Criminal Finances and Cryptocurrencies formally established in 2016.
It has taken nearly 20 years, but a decision by the Swiss Federal Supreme Court has cleared the way for the return of around USD 8.5 million in corruptly obtained assets to Peru. The money to be returned is part of a complex of cases linked to Vladimiro Montesinos, Head of Intelligence under former President Alberto Fujimori.
Phyllis Atkinson has led the training team of our International Centre for Asset Recovery (ICAR) since 2010, having joined ICAR in 2009. The team’s work is essential to ICAR’s mission to support partner countries in developing their capabilities to investigate corruption and recover stolen assets.
The passing of a Whistleblower Protection Act in Bulgaria on 27 January 2023 was a major step forward for the country’s anti-corruption efforts. The law, which will take full effect on 17 December 2023, finally brings Bulgaria into line with the EU’s 2019 Whistleblowing Protection Directive. Now come the bigger steps: implementing it effectively and informing the public of both its provisions and its importance as an anti-corruption tool.