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NGOs Fight Corruption and Promote Transparency in Kosovo Public Sector and NGO Sector
Fighting corruption is one of the biggest challenges facing the newly independent country of Kosovo following its declaration of independence on February 17, 2008. Corrupt practices such as bribery, extortion, and nepotism are undermining public confidence in Kosovo’s nascent government and NGO sectors at a time when Kosovar institutions must establish their legitimacy and competence after decades of control by the international community.
A coalition of 15 local NGOs led by the Organization for Democracy and Dignity (COHU) is tackling the problem of corruption in Kosovo with financial and technical support provided by IREX through the USAID-funded Kosovo Civil Society Project (KCSP).
COHU has focused its activities on two areas. First, COHU has highlighted the poor performance of the government’s anti-corruption agency due to lack of funding and staff. COHU used the media and public forums to criticize the agency’s lack of activities and encourage the government to make the agency functional. As a result, the government appointed an executive director and hired additional staff for the agency. Recently the agency conducted its first activity – registering the property and assets of senior government officials and other public employees.
In addition to fighting corruption in the public sector, COHU has actively promoted transparency and accountability among both local and international NGOs. COHU organized a public forum entitled “Corruption in Civil Society” at which local NGO representatives discussed issues of transparency, the role of the civil society in combating corruption, public perceptions of corruption in civil society, and the role of donors in ensuring civil society transparency.
Finally, COHU has established a working group (of which IREX is a member) to draft an NGO Code of Ethics, including soliciting NGO and public feedback on draft versions, gaining broad consensus on a final version, publicizing and promulgating the Code, and monitoring NGO compliance. The Code of Ethics is designed to build trust in civil society through establishing standards of NGO internal governance and operations. The working group is currently finalizing the Code after incorporating feedback solicited from NGOs throughout Kosovo. Public forums held to discuss the draft Code also led the NGO community to establish an NGO Assembly to help ensure compliance with the Code. COHU conducted trainings for other NGOs as part of its anti-corruption program to encourage the citizens to protest against corruption.
