On 31 October, SELDI marks the anniversary of the adoption of the United Nations Convention against Corruption (UNCAC), which laid the foundations of the international framework for preventing and combating corruption. UNCAC remains the cornerstone of global anti-corruption efforts, promoting sustainable development, peace, and the rule of law.
In the Western Balkan, SELDI continues to advance this mission by supporting systemic reforms, strengthening institutions, and fostering citizen engagement. Building on over a decade of regional cooperation, SELDI and its partners have been at the forefront of efforts to reduce state capture, enhance integrity in public administration, and promote transparent and accountable governance in line with UNCAC principles.
Through its cooperation with civil society organisations, grassroots initiatives, and youth groups, SELDI empowers communities to take an active role in promoting integrity and accountability. These partnerships have helped raise public awareness, amplify civic voices, and ensure that anti-corruption efforts are inclusive and responsive to local needs.
Drawing on SELDI’s research work across the region, the network underscores that tackling corruption in the Western Balkans requires coordinated and sustained efforts at national, regional, and EU levels. The findings highlight persistent risks of political patronage, policy capture, and weak enforcement, but also point to emerging opportunities for reform and civic engagement.
SELDI recommends the following actions to accelerate progress:
- Strengthen institutional accountability and political integrity: Ensure that anticorruption bodies operate independently and that public office holders are subject to effective conflict-of-interest and asset disclosure systems.
- Integrate anticorruption objectives into EU and national reform agendas: Mainstream transparency and integrity measures into public administration, energy transition, and green economy policies to reduce corruption risks in emerging sectors.
- Empower citizens and the media to demand integrity: Support investigative journalism, civic monitoring, and open data initiatives that enhance public oversight and encourage collective action against corruption.
- Reinforce evidence-based policymaking: Improve data collection, monitoring, and evaluation mechanisms to measure the real impact of anticorruption policies and enable better-informed decisions.
- Advance regional cooperation and peer learning: Encourage exchange of experience among Western Balkan countries and promote the implementation of shared anticorruption benchmarks across the region.
Through joint action with public institutions, businesses, civil society organisations, and citizens, SELDI remains dedicated to building transparent, resilient, and accountable societies in Southeast Europe, in line with the goals and spirit of the UNCAC.
