Conference "Together for Integrity - Synergies between Business Sector and Public Administration in the Fight against Corruption"

The conference was held in Zagreb on 6 December, organised by the Ministry of Justice, Public Administration and Digital Transformation, in partnership with the National Contact Point (NCP) for Responsible Business Conduct and the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC Croatia)

The conference was opened by the Minister of Justice, Public Administration and Digital Transformation Damir Habijan with an important message that the fight against corruption is not possible without the synergy of all segments of society. 

“It requires a comprehensive approach that includes cooperation between state bodies, the private sector, scientific and educational institutions, the media, civil society organisations, but also citizens, whose active participation can help create an environment in which integrity, transparency and accountability prevail”, said Minister Habijan.

The Minister then presented the national campaign aimed at raising citizens' awareness of the harmfulness of corruption and the need to prevent and combat it, and reminded the participants of the steps taken so far in the legislative framework to prevent and combat corruption.

Presenting the campaign, he also mentioned the activities that were part of the campaign, especially highlighting the implemented trainings on corruption prevention in high schools, attended by more than 600 students, roundtables held in Zagreb, Varaždin, Split, Rijeka and Osijek, which encouraged additional education of guests and the general public on the available tools for fighting corruption, and a large-scale public survey on the perception of corruption, conducted at the beginning of 2023.

"Reinforcing the principles of good governance, strengthening accountability and raising awareness of the importance of ethics in the fight against corruption can be a major step forward. Fight against corruption at all levels which does not recognise any ‘untouchables’ is a priority for this government. The activities we are presenting today are part of those efforts", concluded Minister Habijan.

State Secretary Goran Romek addressed the guests on behalf of the Ministry of Economy, also emphasizing the necessity of joint action of the public and private sectors in the fight against all forms of corruption. 

The Secretary General of the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC Croatia) Marina Rožić pointed out that the Croatian Chamber of Economy and the ICC represented the voice of the business community, i.e. of the real economy, and that the ICC Croatia was making continuous efforts to raise awareness in all layers of the public and corporate sector about the strengthening of the culture of integrity by preventing corruption, transparency and ethics in business.

The conference consisted of three panels discussing the role of the OECD in strengthening anti-corruption policies in the private sector, the transparency of lobbying activities and the impact of the business community on public policies, and the Act on the Protection of Reporters of Irregularities as a key tool for preventing corruption. All these topics are very important for the functioning of a society without corruption, which is the aim of the project under which this conference was organised.

The first panel was attended by Ameet Kabrawala, representative of the US Embassy; Mladen Bručić Matic, Director-General for European Affairs, International and Judicial Cooperation and Prevention of Corruption at the Ministry of Justice, Public Administration and Digital Transformation; Ana Čulo, Head of Investments Sector, Internationalisation Directorate, Ministry of Economy; and Nataša Novaković, Director for ESG, Croatian Employers' Association. 

The second panel was dedicated to the topic of transparency of lobbying activities, and the participants included Aleksandra Jozić-Ileković, President of the Conflict of Interest Commission; Emanuel Kovačić, Principal Advisor for External Entities, INA-Industrija nafte d.d.; Assoc. Prof. Sunčana Roksandić, Department of Criminal Law, Faculty of Law, University of Zagreb, Member of the Council for the Implementation of the Code of Conduct for State Officials in Executive Bodies; Lucia Ana Tomić, Director of Human Resources and Regulatory Affairs Sector, Wiener osiguranje Vienna Insurance Group d.d., Vice President of the ICC Croatia Commission on Anti-Corruption and Corporate Responsibility; and Tomislav Lacović, Partner and Head of Strategic Communications, Vlahović grupa d.o.o.

Experiences of the implementation of the Act on the Protection of Reporters of Irregularities in practice, with special reference to its potential in the prevention of bribery and corruption in general, and the experience of the business community in the application of that Act were discussed by the panelists of the third panel: Dijana Kesonja, Deputy Ombudswoman; Vinko Berković, Compliance Officer, Hrvatski telekom d.d.; Ivan Gazić, President of the Croatian Business Compliance Association; and Martina Refi Homolak, Head of the Justice and Human Rights Programme at the Human Rights House.

The conference "Together for Integrity - Synergies between the Business Sector and Public Administration in the Fight against Corruption” marked the final part of the national anti-corruption campaign under the National Recovery and Resilience Plan 2021-2026. The project is implemented by the Ministry of Justice, Public Administration and Digital Transformation, and is funded by the European Union.


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