When Bulgaria joined the European Union in 2007, many believed it would lead to more secure, transparent and less corrupt borders. New regulations, infrastructure modernisation and digitalised customs procedures all followed. European standards and money arrived together.
Yet corruption did not disappear at the Kapitan Andreevo border checkpoint, the main land crossing between Bulgaria and Türkiye and one of the busiest gateways between Europe and Asia. Instead, it evolved.
Europe’s defence sector is changing fast. More money, political attention and international partnerships are flowing into the industry. At the same time, defence companies face growing pressure to show not just what they produce, but how they operate.
Teresa Paonessa talks with Anna Peyre about what "safeguarding" means in practice and why it is fundamental to credible, trusted and effective anti-corruption work. Teresa is Team Lead for Human Resources and the Basel Institute’s Safeguarding Officer; Anna Peyre is Human Resources Specialist and is helping to advance efforts around gender, equality, diversity and inclusion at the Institute.
In this article, Celia Lourens examines the role of cross-sectoral trust for a functional business environment. Collective Action, she argues, can be an approach to overcoming trust deficits between relevant stakeholders. Celia Lourens supports the organisation of our 6th International Collective Action Conference.
Criminal assets can cross borders in hours, while international asset recovery often struggles to keep pace. The INTERPOL Silver Notice is designed to close this gap by enabling earlier identification and tracing of criminal assets across jurisdictions. Can this new instrument fundamentally change how law enforcement responds to the rapid flight of illicit wealth?
To mark International Women’s Day 2026, the Basel Institute on Governance and the International Academy of Financial Crime Litigators hosted an online discussion on women’s leadership in the fight against corruption and financial crime.
Moderated by Elizabeth Andersen, Executive Director of the Basel Institute, the event brought together practitioners, academics and students to reflect on career journeys, challenges and opportunities in this complex and evolving field.
Reflections by Francesca Grandi, PhD (Transparency International Defence & Security), Elizabeth Andersen and Juhani Grossmann (Basel Institute on Governance) from the Munich Security Conference 2026.
The diversity of activities to prevent and combat corruption that harms the environment is laudable. But it is far from the scale needed to tackle today's corruption and environmental challenges.
Adopted in 2019, UNCAC Resolution 8/12 – Preventing and combating corruption as it relates to crimes that have an impact on the environment – urges States Parties to the UN Convention Against Corruption (UNCAC) to prevent, investigate and prosecute corruption offences where they may be linked to crimes that have an impact on the environment.
Professor Anne Peters, a renowned scholar of international law and governance, stepped down from her role as Vice President of the Basel Institute on Governance at the end of 2025. In this Q&A she looks back at her involvement with the Basel Institute since its inception more than 23 years ago.
Our colleague Límberg Chero has played an important role in establishing the Basel Institute’s strong presence in Peru. From the early years – even before a formal office existed in Lima – to his current work with the Subnational Public Finance Management Programme (Programa GFP Subnacional), his journey reflects a great passion for fighting corruption.