ROUND TABLE: “STANDARDS OF INTEGRITY IN THE PUBLIC SECTOR ACCORDING TO THE UNITED NATIONS CONVENTION AGAINST CORRUPTION (ARTICLES 7, 8, and 10)”

Representatives of the Agency for the Protection of the Right to Free Access to Public Information today took an active part in the round table on the topic: “Integrity standards in the public sector according to the United Nations Convention against Corruption (Articles 7, 8 and 10)”.

The Ministry of Justice organized the round table with the support of UNDP. The event was attended by representatives of domestic institutions and foreign experts in the field of corruption prevention, and representatives of foreign and domestic delegations and organizations. The round table was dedicated to increasing awareness and obligations arising from articles 7, 8 and 10 of the United Nations Convention against corruption, legislation compliance, as well as good practices and challenges in implementing integrity standards in the public sector.

The director of the Agency, Plamenka Bojcheva, addressed the participants and emphasised that: “From the Agency for the Protection of the Right to Free Access to Public Information’s aspect, integrity is achieved through the building of transparent, accountable and responsible institutions and the establishment of a set of values ​​and norms at the institutional level, i.e. raising and establishing the national or public integrity. Public integrity leads to consistent compliance and adherence to common ethical values, principles and norms of support as well as priority to the public over private interest.” 

Bojcheva also emphasized: “The public pressure and citizen participation are extremely powerful mechanisms that work only if the citizen is adequately and continuously informed about the society in which he lives, about the manner and circumstances under which public policies are created, adopted and conducted, and how the spending of public funds is conducted”.

Petar Gajdov, deputy head of the Department for Legal, General Affairs, and Administrative Procedures, gave a presentation on the following topics: “Experiences in the implementation of measures to prevent corruption related to Articles 7, 8 and 10 of the UNCAC (UN Convention Against Corruption” and “Measures that have been undertaken to advance implementation”. On this occasion, Gajdov presented the activities undertaken concerning the promotion of the implementation of the integrity policy by the Agency.