Coalition Building and Monitoring for Anti-Corruption in Southeast Europe
The Coalition Building and Monitoring for Anti-Corruption in Southeast Europe project was successfully launched in September 2000 as part of the Southeast European Legal Development Initiative.
Purpose
and premise
The
overall objective of the SELDI anti-corruption project/component is to
introduce a region-wide
institutional framework for public-private cooperation in countering corruption
in the countries of Southeast Europe. The main premise of the project
approach is that the institutionalization of corruption in the
SEE countries cannot be explained by the national circumstances alone.
A number of region-wide
causes need to be taken into account if we are to comprehend
the depth of the problem.
The gravity of the problem calls for bold and radical measures if corruption is to be stemmed. For this to happen, broad public coalitions need to be formed both within countries, and region-wide. Traditional bureaucracies – be they national or international – cannot muster the type of public support needed if these reforms are to be successful.
Thus
a partnership between public and private institutions is the most appropriate
anti-corruption model for the region. This approach has three main pillars
– encouraging coalition building on a regional basis, enhancing public
awareness and regular monitoring of corruption dynamics. In all three
areas, the process is intended to be NGO-driven.
The
importance of the latter is premised on the fact that support coming from
a cross section of society, involving major public and private actors
could only be enlisted in this process if society has a clear view of
the severity of the problem. This warrants the introduction of a new kind
of corruption assessment which goes beyond traditional law enforcement
methods. This new kind could only be successful if it is based on cooperation
between the public institutions, involved in designing and implementing
anti-corruption policies, and civil society institutions which are expected
to generate civic support for these policies. For this to happen, the
assessment on which these policies are based, needs to be carried out
in a public-private partnership.
The project is supported through a grant from USAID.
Regional
corruption assessment
Regional
corruption monitoring system
Preparation
of phase two