On September 12-13, 2023, with the aim of exchanging international experiences on mechanisms for preventing and fighting corruption, informing and educating the public, as well as for the protection of whistleblowers, the delegation of Agency for Prevention of Corruption (APC) headed by the director, Yll Buleshkaj, stayed for a two-day study visit in Austria. The delegation was hosted at the Office of the Co-ordinator of Economic and Environmental Activities of the OSCE (OCEEA) and the Federal Anti-Corruption Bureau of Austria (BAK). This activity was organized and supported by the OSCE Mission in Kosovo.
BAK, a counterpart institution specialized in preventing and fighting corruption, including the protection of whistleblowers hosted the APC delegation. Dr. Ernst Schmid, Director within the BAK, accompanied by four other specialists, presented the legal and institutional framework for the prevention and fight against corruption, the case management processes as well as inter-institutional cooperation. At the meeting were presented successful projects for awareness raising of the public, especially among youngters, such as 'Correct or Corrupt' and 'Fit4Compliance'. Both institutions agreed that this meeting will be considered as the first which will be followed by cooperation from which APC is expected to benefit especially from the Austrian experience in the development of investigations and from ideas for awareness raising of the public.
During the meeting at OCEEA, APC was informed about important projects that this Office is developing in many countries. APC showed great interest getting information about virtual assets and the increased awareness of the risks that accompany them, the possible corruptive crimes related to cryptocurrencies, the tracking software of virtual assets, the possibility of registration as an institution for preventing corruption in platforms for online exchange or online trading of cryptocurrencies. For APC, the methodological model for school teachers developed in the Kyrgyz Republic was also very interesting. This methodology targets students of grades 5 to 11, in the appropriate language, to learn about the prevention of corruption as well as ethical and legal behavior.
The visit was a special opportunity for APC to be informed about some of the modern trends in the prevention and investigation of corruption and was accompanied by mutual interest in continuing Exchange of experiences in the future.
