Euro-Atlantic Partnership Council launches Phase II of Building Integrity Initiative
On 28 May 2010, the Political and Partnerships Committee in Euro-Atlantic Partnership Council (EAPC) format endorsed a proposal for Phase II of the Building Integrity (BI) Initiative that aims to reduce corruption in the defence sector.
The proposal, launched by Norway, Poland, Switzerland and the United Kingdom, aims to transform Ministries and the people who work in them – strengthening transparency accountability and integrity. The programme of work, open to EAPC nations as well as Afghanistan, is supported by voluntary contributions to the BI Trust Fund.
Providing practical tools
The BI Initiative was established by the EAPC in November 2007 to raise awareness, promote good practice and provide practical tools to help nations build integrity and reduce risks of corruption in the security sector. Phase I, completed in April 2010, focused on raising awareness and developing a basic BI Tool Kit, including a Building Integrity Self Assessment to help nations map current practice and a Compendium of Best Practice that includes case studies on integrity building and anti-corruption measures. The first phase also developed BI courses conducted in the EAPC region and Afghanistan.
A report presented by NATO’s International Staff and Transparency International highlighted the crucial support of nations in developing and testing the BI Tool Kit. More than 280 civilian and military personnel from 22 nations took part in BI courses, conducted by mobile teams led by the UK Defence Academy.
Enhancing the tool kit
Phase II, with an estimated budget of €2.9 million, will focus on developing an enhanced BI Tool Kit, to include:
- More tailored education packages, including e-based tools
- An expanded pool of subject matter experts to support implementation
- A Risk Assessment Tool
- An Integrity Index to supplement the current Integrity Self Assessment Survey
- An Integrity Pact for procurement
- Practical tools to support NATO led operations
Furthermore, the enhanced Tool Kit will promote good practice in areas such as ethics and business codes of conduct, including principles for relations with suppliers.
The Defence and Security Economics Directorate of NATO’s Political and Security Policy Division serves as project manager for the BI Initiative. The initiative is supported by a network of implementing partners drawn from NATO, Allied countries and civil society.
Partners include Allied Command Transformation, the NATO School, the Geneva Centre for Security Policy, the Geneva Centre for Democratic Control of the Armed Forces, Integrity Watch Afghanistan, the Peace Dividend Trust, Transparency International, the UK Defence Academy, the Swedish National Defence College, the Ministries of Defence of Bulgaria and Norway, as well as Partnership for Peace Education and Training Centres in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Turkey and the United States.