Combating corruption in Kosovo


The purpose of this project is to address key challenges in the policy and legislative frameworks, strengthen capacities of anticorruption institutions and foster public demand for accountability through civic engagement. This will be done through concluding the framework for preventive and suppressive anti-corruption processes that lead to asset confiscation.

Country/region Topic Period Budget
Kosovo
Governance
Anti-corruption organisations
01.07.2020 - 31.12.2024
CHF  2’587’500
Background Corruption in Kosovo remains endemic, with high levels of acquittals and those prosecutions and adjudications that are successful almost exclusively result in short sentences for which the perpetrator retains his/her position and is allowed to enjoy the illicit proceeds obtained through corruption. There is a culture of alleged impunity of high officials, countenanced nepotism from the top to the bottom, and low expectations for the delivery of public services. Measures to implement legislation and improve capabilities to adequately combat corruption, as well as to identify and return stolen assets should be undertaken, in order to improve the current state of Kosovo.
Objectives Reduce corruption in targeted Kosovo public institutions, set up a functioning assets recovery system to identify and repatriate stolen assets, and more efficiently process and adjudicate corruption cases.
Target groups The target group of the project are prosecution, judiciary and law enforcement institutions as well as the total population in Kosovo.
Medium-term outcomes

Outcome 1: Policy, regulatory and monitoring framework on the prevention and suppression of corruption enhanced.

Outcome 2: Anti-corruption institutions detect, repatriate hidden stolen assets and process corruption cases effectively.

Outcome 3: Strengthened civic engagement mechanisms to hold public institutions accountable.

Results

Expected results:  

Output 1.1: Policy and legal anti-corruption  framework implemented in gender sensitive manner

Output 1.2: Anti-corruption Strategy 2020-2024 effectively implemented in gender sensitive manner

Output 1.3: Anti-corruption Strategy 2024-2028 developed in gender sensitive manner

Output 2.1: Anti-corruption institutions have improved tools and capacities to issue charges

Output 2.2: Successful adjudication of corruption cases

Output 3.1: Public institutions are more responsive and effective in resolving cases of corruption brought forth by the public through CSO


Results from previous phases:  

  • Improved legislative and policy frameworks through drafting of the Anti-Corruption Strategy 2020-2024, amendments to the Laws on the Anti-Corruption Agency, on Public Officials’ Assets and Income Declarations, on Financing Political Entities/Law on General Elections.
  • Enhanced tools and mechanisms to combat corruption, i.e. online assets and income declarations system for public officials, adoption of Sentencing Guidelines for the Supreme Court to narrow the discrepancies in sentencing of corruption cases;
  • Increased civic engagement through an investigative journalism platform Kallxo.com


Directorate/federal office responsible SDC
Credit area Swiss cooperation with Eastern Europe
Project partners Contract partner
United Nations Organization (UNO)
  • United Nations Development Programme


Other partners
UNDP Kosovo
Coordination with other projects and actors EU Office in Kosovo, US Embassy, UK Embassy
Budget Current phase Swiss budget CHF    2’587’500 Swiss disbursement to date CHF    2’452’500
Project phases Phase 3 01.07.2020 - 31.12.2024   (Current phase) Phase 2 01.05.2016 - 30.06.2020   (Completed) Phase 1 01.09.2012 - 30.04.2016   (Completed)