10 December 2024, Prishtina – To mark the International Anti-Corruption Day, the CorrWatch initiative, established by the consortium composed of Group for Legal and Political Studies (GLPS), GAP Institute, and Institute for Development Policy (INDEP), with the support of the British Embassy Pristina, organized a conference on the topic: “Whistleblowing: A Pillar for Transparency and Accountability.”

The conference was opened by H.E. Mr. Jonathan Hargreaves, Ambassador of the United Kingdom to Kosovo, and Dr. Arbëresha Loxha Stublla, Executive Director of GLPS.

At the beginning of the conference, CorrWatch launched the Mobile Application “CorrAlert” – an app enabling public officials to report cases to the Agency for Prevention of Corruption in Kosovo. CorrAlert is a novelty brought by CorrWatch and an important step in strengthening transparency and accountability mechanisms in public institutions. It provides public officials with a simple and secure platform to report abuses and potential violations, enabling a quicker and more effective response from the authorities.

Afterward, the conference continued with a thematic panel discussion on the topic: “Whistleblowing: A pillar for transparency and accountability”. The panel included: Mr. Yll Buleshkaj, Director of the Agency for Prevention of Corruption; Mr. Murat Mehmeti, Head of the Tax Investigation Division at the Tax Administration of Kosovo (TAK); and Mr. Naser Shamolli, Senior Policy Researcher at GLPS, under the moderation of Ms. Njomza Arifi, Programme Manager at GLPS.

CorrWatch, with the support of the British Embassy in Kosovo, is implementing a three-year project titled: “Support for Civil Society to Enhance Public Oversight and Accountability of Kosovo’s Public Institutions.” This project focuses on regular monitoring in five key areas: 1. recruitment processes in the public sector, 2. public procurement practices and contract management, 3. distribution of grants and subsidies, 4. issuance of permits, licenses, and fees, and 5. performance and management of public enterprises.

Venue: Hotel Swiss Diamond (Sqr. Mother Theresa, 10000 Prishtina, Kosovo)