UNODC and APIK of Bosnia and Herzegovina discuss future steps in fighting corruption

31 August 2022, Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina: UNODC met with the Agency for the Prevention of Corruption and the Coordination of the Fight Against Corruption of Bosnia and Herzegovina (APIK) to discuss joint future steps in tackling corruption in the region. The meeting was attended by Mr. Rade Ristović, Deputy Director, Mrs. Damirka Mioč, Deputy Director, Mr. Vladica Babić, Assistant Director in the Sector for Prevention of Corruption, Mr. Mevludin Džindo, Assistant Director in the Sector for Coordination of the Fight Against Corruption, and Mrs. Jasmina Kulenović, Head of the Support Department. The UNODC delegation consisted of Mr. Constantine Palicarsky, Regional Adviser (Anti-corruption) and Head of Program Office in Serbia, Mr. Bill Wood, Head of Program Office in Skopje and Regional Serious and Organized Crime Advisor, and Mrs. Jasna Pekić, National Program Officer in UNODC Program Office in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

During the meeting, UNODC  presented the achievements to date under two projects, "From Illicit Financial Flows to Asset Recovery" and "Regional Anti-Corruption and Illicit Finance (ACIF) Roadmap", currently implemented in the Western Balkans with the generous support of the UK Government. APIK representatives informed the UNODC delegation about the current state and activities of the agency, and outlined the identified needs for the future joint work. The focus of  cooperation between the two offices will be on the implementation of UN Convention Against Corruption and the implementation of the ACIF Roadmap adopted by the Governments of the region during a high-level conference on 25 June 2021 in Ohrid, North Macedonia. APIK also plans to further strengthen their engagement with the Global Operational Network of Anti-Corruption Law Enforcement Authorities (GlobE Network), which is a platform for information exchange between frontline anti-corruption law enforcement practitioners in all countries across the globe.

The two delegations expressed satisfaction with the continuous cooperation and joint achievements thus far, and agreed to partake in the development of a national action plan for the implementation of the ACIF Roadmap.

This activity contributes to SDG Target 16.5 on substantially reducing corruption and bribery in all their forms.

https://sdg-tracker.org/peace-justice#targets