International Anti-Corruption Day

Since 2003, when the UN General Assembly adopted the Convention against Corruption, particular attention has been paid to the problem of corruption and the strong fight against it.

The International Anti-Corruption Day is celebrated on 9 December, when the United Nations Convention against Corruption was adopted in the Mexican city of Merida.

This year marks the 20th anniversary of this important document by which the states parties expressed their position on the harmfulness of corruption and committed to a constant effort to adequately prevent and sanction corruption.

The Republic of Croatia stood out as one of the first signatories to the Convention and the first countries to ratify it.

“Over the past twenty years, Croatia has implemented significant reforms aimed at building solid foundations for an effective and systematic fight against corruption. By joining the European Union, we continued to strengthen the anti-corruption system and independent institutions, and by joining the OECD Working Group on Bribery in International Business Transactions, we achieved another significant strategic goal in tackling corruption. Through the implementation of all measures from the Anti-Corruption Strategy until 2030, we will continue on this track by raising awareness of the harmful effects of corruption on society”, said Minister Malenica.

The Ministry of Justice and Public Administration cooperates with numerous public authorities at the national, regional and local level, civil society organisations, the private sector, academia, media and citizens in order to clearly and strongly integrate anti-corruption policies into all pores of our society and prevent the emergence of corruption at the very root.

Over the past period, a number of important activities have been carried out related to the prevention and legislative framework for the suppression of corruption. Taking into account the strategic framework adopted by the Croatian Parliament, the Ministry of Justice and Public Administration has embarked on drafting extremely important legislation in this area.
 
Whistleblower protection
 
One of the most important laws is the Act on the Protection of Persons Who Report Irregularities, which strengthened the whistleblower protection system. Another aim of this law is to raise citizens’ awareness of the necessity of reporting corruption. Whistleblowers play a key role in protecting fundamental human rights and safeguarding the public interest. They are therefore guaranteed the right to protection including judicial redress, damages, protection of identity and confidentiality, emotional support and free primary legal aid. The Act additionally provides protection not only to persons in permanent employment, but also to volunteers, students, persons engaged under a service contract, persons participating in public procurement procedures or persons participating in the activities of employers.

Strengthening preventive action through the Code of Conduct for State Officials in Executive Authorities

In order to strengthen preventive action in terms of preventing unlawful behaviour, protecting the public interest and strengthening accountability in the exercise of government offices, a Code of Conduct for State Officials in Executive Authorities was adopted, which entered into force on 19 May 2022.

The Code adds value to the already existing legal framework in the areas of prevention of conflict of interest, right of access to information, fiscal responsibility and anti-corruption, as it strengthens the integrity of high-level officials.

The Code establishes clear rules of conduct for state officials with regard to declaration of interests and assets, ban on the receipt of gifts, contacts with third parties, rewards and recognitions, etc.

First legislative framework for lobbying

Another important stride in the creation of anti-corruption policies and preventive action is the Lobbying Act. For the first time, Croatian legislation regulates lobbying as a legal and legitimate activity with clear principles, rights, obligations and sanctions in line with international standards, guidelines and recommendations of GRECO and the OECD. 

The legislative proposal, which is currently in the parliamentary procedure, introduces inter alia a register of lobbyists that will be made public and will be kept by the Commission for the Resolution of Conflicts of Interest, which further strengthens the role of the Commission as an independent anti-corruption body.

Accession to the OECD Working Group on Bribery in International Business Transactions

In its efforts to fight corruption, the Republic of Croatia achieved a significant strategic goal by joining the OECD Working Group on Bribery in International Business Transactions on 30 October 2023. This was preceded by numerous steps, the first of which was the accession to the Convention on Combating Bribery of Foreign Public Officials in International Business Transactions, to which the Republic of Croatia became a party on 22 November 2022. The Convention enters into force for Croatia on 21 January 2024.

Membership of the Working Group and accession to the Convention constitute extremely important preconditions for the accession of Croatia to the OECD. 

By participating in the creation and implementation of strong and effective strategic and legislative acts, the Ministry of Justice and Public Administration will strive in the coming period to achieve progress in combating this social phenomenon. With the tools enabled by digitalisation and new technologies, as well as through international cooperation, new possibilities have been opening up in combating corruption. 

The fight against corruption requires a comprehensive approach involving all state institutions, civil society as well as citizens, whose awareness needs to be raised about the consequences of corruption and active participation in the fight against corruption encouraged, to create an environment of integrity, transparency and accountability.

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