OSCE-supported workshop focuses on integrity plans in Bosnia and Herzegovina’s security sector to counter corruption

SARAJEVO, 28 November 2014 – A two-day educational workshop aimed at assisting security sector institutions in Bosnia and Herzegovina to create and implement integrity plans ended in Sarajevo today. It was co-organised by the Centre for Security Studies BiH, the Agency for Prevention of Corruption and Coordination of the Fight Against Corruption, and the OSCE Mission to BiH.

“Maintaining trust between the military, police and government, and those they protect is critical. This involves fighting corruption at both higher and lower levels of authority”, said Nina Suomalainen, Deputy Head of OSCE Mission to BiH. “The development of an integrity plan is an essential part of building efficient and transparent security institutions. It is an internal tool to design and implement specific measures to correct identified risks of corruption and other shortcomings”.

The workshop gathered representatives of ministries and agencies on state, entity and cantonal levels and Brčko District, as well as members of civil society.

Denis Hadzovic, Secretary General of the Centre for Security Studies BiH, said: “The workshop focuses on preventive measures that aim at strengthening capacities of security institutions for fighting corruption. Integrity plans are mechanisms that reduce the risk of corruption and are an obligation for all public institutions.”

Assistant Director of the Agency for Prevention and Coordination of the Fight Against Corruption Vladica Babic said that the aim of the Agency, apart from making integrity plans for state level institutions, is to help all institutions on all levels to also make their plans in order to establish a comprehensive system of prevention of corruption.