Representatives of the Agency for Prevention of Corruption (APC) met with representatives of the UNCAC Coalition, Yonatan Yakir and Danella Newman, on the sidelines of the 15th session of the Group for the Review of the Implementation of the United Nations Convention against Corruption (UNCAC), which takes place from 4 to 8th November in Vienna.

The Agency's delegation included the president of the APC's Council Pavle Ćupić, Deputy President Mladen Tomović and Head of the Integrity Department Marko Škerović.

In accordance with the mandate of the UNCAC Coalition to encourage the participation of civil society in decision-making and monitoring the implementation of the Convention, the meeting discussed methods for strengthening the cooperation of the APC with representatives of the civil sector through an open and transparent process. Representatives of the APC's Council informed the interlocutors about organizational changes within the Agency, as well as about recent and upcoming changes to the legislative framework. The steps taken by the Agency so far towards fulfilling the recommendations from the Report on the implementation of UNCAC in Montenegro were also presented, with special emphasis on the need to include the civil sector in the II cycle of the implementation of the Convention.

Representatives of the UNCAC Coalition gave concrete recommendations for improving the efficiency of UNCAC implementation, as well as for the implementation of the "Transparency Pledge" initiative, which Montenegro signed in 2022. This initiative ensures the openness of the process and improves the cooperation of state institutions with the civil sector. The representatives of the Agency emphasized that in the coming period, APC will work dedicatedly to strengthen transparency and partnership with non-governmental organizations, whereby the recommendations of the UNCAC Coalition will represent key guidelines for this goal.

In accordance with the obligations of the signatory countries from the "Transparency Promise," the Agency published a brief overview of the final Report on the implementation of UNCAC in Montenegro.

About the UNCAC Coalition:

The UNCAC Coalition is a global network of almost 400 civil society organizations from more than 120 countries, founded in 2006, with the aim of promoting the ratification, implementation and monitoring of the UN Convention against Corruption.

Montenegro has been a signatory to the United Nations Convention against Corruption, the first global legally binding instrument for the fight against corruption, since 2003, and joined as an independent country in 2006. The APC on behalf of Montenegro coordinates the implementation of this instrument, which directly contributes to the reform of the legislative and institutional framework in our country.