On January 25, an online course for anti-corruption officers developed by the Online Education Studio EdEra and the National Agency on Corruption Prevention (NACP) was announced. The course was “developed with support from the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Ukraine and financial support from the European Union (EU),” the webpage states.
According to the webpage, the new course “comprises nine thematic modules, interactive simulation games and tests.” The page emphasizes the importance of “close cooperation between anti-corruption officers and whistleblowers” in anti-corruption measures.
“[S]tudents will learn how anti-corruption officers interact with whistleblowers, how to submit and consider corruption reports, the rights and guarantees whistleblowers have, how to conduct a procedural interview and much more.” Additionally, after an individual completes the course, they will “receive a certificate, and officials will also obtain 1 European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System (ECTS) credit.”
The course was created “in the framework of the United Nations Recovery and Peacebuilding Programme (UN RPP) with financial support from the EU,” the page states. “Eleven international partners support the Programme: the European Union (EU), the European Investment Bank (EIB), the U.S. Embassy in Ukraine, and the governments of Canada, Denmark, Germany, Japan, the Netherlands, Poland, Sweden and Switzerland.”
“Despite Russia’s brutal and illegal war of aggression, Ukraine continues on its reform path. We are convinced that fostering a culture of whistleblowing will further strengthen the anti-corruption infrastructure,” Frederik Coene, Head of Cooperation at the EU Delegation to Ukraine, said.
Jaco Cilliers, interim UNDP Resident Representative in Ukraine, said: “This is already the second course for anti-corruption officers that we have developed together with EU and NACP…The systematic approach in working with anti-corruption officers and whistleblowers will make it possible to protect and encourage those who help to expose cases of corruption more effectively.”
Vasyl Lutsyk, interim Head of the Corruption Prevention and Detection Department at the NACP, pointed to the fact that everyone can have a role in preventing corruption in Ukraine. “The NACP – the body that creates state policy on whistleblowing – is popularizing the role of whistleblowers. After all, exposing corruption is correct, conscious and moral,” he said. “Thanks to the partnership with UNDP and the EU, we can provide people who want to fight corruption with high-quality educational products.”