Support for the establishment of a whistle-blowing system in Latvia

Description

The main objective of the project is to develop an effective whistle-blowing system in Latvia and to improve combating and prevention of corruption and other economic crimes.

The main activities in the project include:

• developing and implementing an online whistle-blowing platform;
• organizing two targeted public awareness campaigns aiming at informing the society about signs of corruption, available channels for whistle blowing as well as reducing tolerance towards corruption;
• training and peer exchange visits on processing whistle-blower reports and managing whistle-blowers for officials working on prevention and law enforcement personnel.

Summary of project results

The project aimed to address the following key issues and challenges:

• lack of an attractive whistle-blowing platform:
  • Latvia lacked a robust, attractive and accessible platform for individuals to report instances of corruption and other economic crimes.
• low public awareness of corruption and whistle-blowing:
  • the public lacked sufficient awareness of the signs of corruption and the available channels for reporting it.
  • there was also a need to reduce public tolerance towards corruption.
• need for improved handling of whistle-blower reports:
  • officials and law enforcement personnel required training and guidance on how to effectively process whistle-blower reports and manage whistle-blowers.

The project focused on creating a functional and accessible whistle-blowing mechanism. Here''s a breakdown of the activities and outputs:

• development and implementation of an online whistle-blowing platform:
  • the project created a digital platform to provide a secure and confidential channel for individuals to report suspected corruption.
• public awareness campaigns:
  • two targeted public awareness campaigns were organized. These campaigns aimed to:
    • educate the public about the signs of corruption.
    • inform individuals about the available whistle-blowing channels.
    • reduce public tolerance towards corruption.
• training and peer exchange visits:
  • training sessions and peer exchange visits were conducted for:
    • officials involved in corruption prevention.
    • Law enforcement personnel.
  • these activities focused on:
    • properly processing whistle-blower reports.
    • effectively managing and protecting whistle-blowers.

The project achieved several important results, benefiting various stakeholders. The following were outcomes and impacts: 

• established a functional whistle-blowing platform :
  • the development and implementation of the online platform provided a secure and accessible channel for reporting corruption.
• increased public awareness:
  • the public awareness campaigns successfully educated citizens about the signs of corruption and the importance of whistle-blowing.
  • these campaigns contributed to a shift in public perception, reducing tolerance towards corrupt practices.
• enhanced capacity of officials and law enforcement:
  • training and peer exchange visits improved the ability of officials and law enforcement personnel to:
    • effectively process whistle-blower reports.
    • protect whistle-blowers from retaliation.
• improved corruption prevention and combating:
  • the establishment of a whistle-blowing platform contributed to the overall effort to prevent and combat corruption in Latvia.

Beneficiaries:

• The Corruption Prevention and Combating Bureau of Latvia:
  • The Bureau gained a new tool and enhanced capacity to combat corruption.
• Latvian citizens:
  • citizens benefited from a more transparent and accountable government.
  • citizens gained a safe way to report corruption.
• law enforcement personnel:
  • they gained improved skills and resources to investigate corruption cases.
• officials involved in corruption prevention:
  • they gained improved skills and resources to prevent corruption.
• the Latvian legal system:
  • the project contributed to a more just and ethical society.