On December 11, 2024, the Forum 'Whistleblowing: Joint Steps Towards Integrity' took place at Lviv Oblast Military Administration. The event brought together government officials, local authorities, businesses, NGOs, and international organization. Forum was organized by Lviv oblast military administration, NGO Foundation for Institutional Development and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) with the financial support by the Siemens Integrity Initiative.
The forum provided a platform to discuss challenges and strategies in promoting a culture of whistleblowing in public and private institutions. Key topics included effective whistleblowing mechanisms, legal protection, and addressing societal perceptions.
Participants addressed the importance of building trust and effective mechanisms to protect whistleblowers. The forum emphasized practical steps, such as developing whistleblowing policies, ensuring confidential reporting channels, and integrating anti-corruption practices into organizational culture.
Speakers, including representatives of the National Agency on Corruption Prevention (NACP), the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU), Free Legal Aid Center and the State Border Guard Service, highlighted the need for cooperation and leadership in fostering transparency.
The event underscored that whistleblower protection goes beyond legal obligations; it reflects society’s maturity and shared commitment to integrity.
As Oksana Bronevytska, Chair of the Institutional Development Foundation, noted: “Whistleblower protection is not just a legal norm but an indicator of societal progress. Reporting corruption is a contribution to the common good.”
One of the forum’s highlights was the participation of secret guest - Oleh Polishchuk, a whistleblower who shared his personal journey of exposing corruption and overcoming the retaliation for this. His story powerfully illustrated the values and sacrifices associated with whistleblowing.
As emphasized by the Head of the Secretariat of Lviv Oblast Military Administration, Taras Gren: “Our goal is to make corruption inconvenient and difficult for those involved. This forum is the first step toward building a professional platform for real change.”
The event concluded with a panel discussion and plans to deepen the dialogue on protecting whistleblowers and fostering a culture of integrity.
This forum was made possible thanks to the financial support of the Siemens Integrity Initiative.
The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) serves as the custodian of the United Nations Convention against Corruption and as the secretariat of its Conference of the States Parties. The Convention covers five main areas: preventive measures, criminalization and law enforcement, international cooperation, asset recovery, and technical assistance and information exchange.
The United Nations Convention against Corruption (UNCAC) was adopted by the UN General Assembly in October 2003 and entered into force in December 2005 with 140 signatories and 190 parties as of July 2024.
The Conference of the States Parties to the United Nations Convention against Corruption, also known as CoSP, is the main decision-making body of the Convention. It supports parties and signatories in their implementation of the Convention and provides policy guidance to UNODC to develop and implement anti-corruption activities.