DECLARATION “0” Corruption Tolerance Transparency International Macedonia

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Transparency Macedonia within the efforts for combats the corruption, on the World Anti-Corruption Day, organised ratification of the Declaration named “0” Tolerance for Corruption. We have concluded that regardless of the existing changes in the period of transition; sustainable development, democratisation and rule of law in the Republic of Macedonia are still threatened by corruption.

This document represents, for the first time in the Macedonian history, all active participants of the state's social life. Recognising the significance of the joint efforts for cooperation and achieving a transparent society, TI Macedonia supported and organised signing of the Declaration aiming to undertake the obligation that, through the legal and political measures; public, political, private sector and civil society will contribute towards creating an advanced society, overcoming corruption and achieving comprehensive social progress and enhancing national competitiveness by building trust.

The Declaration is still open for ratification. We have received announcements from most active participants in the state social life that they are willing to sign the Declaration.

Best regards TI Macedonia

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Preamble

We, the signatories of the Declaration for “0” Corruption Tolerance have concluded that regardless of the existing changes in the period of transition; sustainable development, democratisation and rule of law in the Republic of Macedonia are still threatened by corruption.
Recognising the significance of the joint efforts for cooperation and achieving a transparent society, we undertake the obligation that the Declaration through legal and political measures will contribute towards creating advanced society.

Chapter 1
General provisions

Article 1
Confirming the goal

Through the Declaration for “0” Corruption Tolerance we are striving towards overcoming corruption and achieving comprehensive social progress and enhancing national competitiveness by building trust among the members of the public, political, private sector and civil society.

Article 2
Terminology

The terms used in the Declaration:

The signatories of the Declaration are grouped in the following manner: public sector, political sector, private sector and civil society.

1. The “ Public Sector” refers to the central government institutions, the local authorities, the public companies and the organisations that are related to the public sector;
2. The “ Political Sector” refers to the Parliament of the Republic of Macedonia, local authorities and political parties;
3. The “ Private Sector” refers to the profitable enterprises and the business sector;
4. The “ Civil Society” refers to the civil, social and expert groups that are non-profitable, private, non-governmental organisations and media.

The signatories of the Declaration for “0” Corruption Tolerance are defined as representatives of every sector signatory of the Declaration, even though organisations, corporations and representatives of the associations could be individual signatories of the Declaration.

Article 3
Area of application

The Declaration signatories will promote the efforts represented in the following points in a way applicable for the sector that they represent. It should also refer to future similar agreements.

Chapter 2
Public sector

Article 4
The role of the Government

The Government will openly support the efforts of the public and private sector in the fight against corruption. Furthermore it will actively support the activities of every sector as well as the activities for better governance within the organisations fighting corruption and strengthening transparency.

Article 5
Improving anticorruption mechanisms

The Government will undertake maximum efforts to establish efficient system of measures against corruption

1) The Government will apply comprehensive measures for preventing corruption and strengthening transparency in the public sector as well as enhanced application of the State Corruption Prevention and Repression Programme;

2) The Government will stimulate the controlling services at the institutions to do their tasks efficiently and to evaluate the results from the anticorruption policy;

3) The Government will ensure transparency in its activities and will motivate the civil society for a more efficient observation of the process.

Article 6
Institutional improvements

In order to improve public sector transparency the Government should:

1) support and protect the persons that will disclose a case of corruption;

2) guarantee the citizens’ right to know and the right to access to information;

3) strengthen the penal policy in cases of corruption and illegal way of getting rich;

4) ensure complete systematic improvement in the areas vulnerable to corruption;

5) promote mechanisms for improving the application of the merit system at the public administration;

6) increase transparency in the financial activities of the public administration and the political parties;

7) improve the regulations by reducing the possibilities for abuse of discretional rights.

Article 7
Local administration

In order to improve the transparency of the public sector the local administration should:

1) establish a system of good governance based of the recommendations of the State Corruption Prevention and Repression Programme, the 2005 Programme Annex;

2) establish a system of measures for improving the local authorities transparency.

Article 8
Enhancing the public sector’s ethics

The Government should strengthen the ethics of the public sector by:

1) establishing a system for conflict of interest prevention;

2) improving equality, professionalism and efficiency of public interest;

3) strengthening the ethic code for the civil servants;

4) ensuring appointment of civil servants that will foster transparency improvement .

Article 9
Education and transparency

The Government should cooperate with the civil society towards improving anticorruption education and undertake decisive efforts towards strengthening the education curriculum concerning transparency and good governance as part of education and business.

Article 10
Ratification of the United Nations Convention against Corruption

To accelerate the process of Ratification of the United Nations Convention against Corruption signed in December 2003.

Article 11
Support for the Declaration for “0” Corruption Tolerance

The Government should support the Declaration administratively and financially in order to establish a transparent society and to reduce the possibilities for corruption.

Chapter 3
Political sector

Article 12
The efforts aimed at transparent politics

The political sector should enable tolerance in the area of funding and financial activities.

Article 13
Political funds

The political sector should create a statute and a system that would prevent the penetration of illegal funds in politics and to make the procedure of financial funds utilisation open for the public.

Article 14
Ethics of the members of the Parliament

The political sector should make strong efforts towards achieving a healthy and transparent political climate. For that purpose there is a need of the following steps:

1. The political sector should adopt a Code of Standards concerning the ethics of the Members of the Parliament, and to increase the legitimacy of those that adopt the laws.
2. The political sector needs to strengthen the mechanisms for preventing conflict of interests by adopting a law.
3. The political sector needs to build a system that would punish the perpetrators by strengthening the system of control of the conflict of interests.

Article 15
Improving the political environment

He political sector needs to reach accordance for reducing corruption and improving its internal organisation and system.

Article 16
Stimulating and lobbying

The political sector should institutionalise clean lobbying and forbid stimulation and lobbying that produces corruption.

Article 17
Support by the Parliament of the Republic of Macedonia

The Parliament and the political parties should make efforts towards adopting the necessary anti-corruption laws and for the support of the anti-corruption measures for establishing a special parliamentary committee.

Article 18
Efforts for transparent management

The private sector should make efforts for ethical management and improving the quality of companies and the market by improving the cooperation and transparent operating.

An understanding needs to be imposed that the connection between politics and business and the improper management result in decrease of trust threatening the market development and social stability.

Article 19
Strengthening the ethic management

The private sector needs to accept the ethic code and recognise the companies that practice it consistently.

The private sector needs to respect and follow the international business principles for dealing with bribe.

Article 20
Transparent activities

1) The private sector needs to improve its transparency by ensuring access to information.

2) The private sector needs to be actively involved in politics for the protection of persons that will disclose cases of corruption.

Article 21
Improving corporative management

The signatories of the Declaration need to promote common active discussions on legislation harmonisation and problems resolution that refer to corporative management.

Chapter 5
Civil society

Article 22
The role of the civil society

Civil society needs to lead towards creating a culture of dealing with corruption, striving towards increased accountability by enhancing the participatory and observatory activities.

Article 23
Strengthening accountability

Civil society needs to make serious efforts towards establishing ethical code and enhancing transparency in its line of activities.

Article 24
Strengthening the anticorruption and transparency education

Civil society in cooperation with the Government needs to take active participation in strengthening education on anticorruption and transparency, stimulating citizens’ awareness, perception and active participation.

Article 25
Promotion of the citizens’ participation

Civil society needs to undertake activities for promoting citizens involvement in order to monitor and stamp out corruption.

Active promotion of the signing of the Declaration

The Declaration signatories should express support of the Declaration’s dissemination and to have it signed by organisations, associations and ordinary citizens.

They should undertake various measures and activities for implementation.

Article 26
Declaration’s implementation evaluation

Transparency International – Macedonia in cooperation with the Government of the Republic of Macedonia and the State Corruption Prevention Committee will draft a plan for evaluating the applicability of the Declaration.

The Report will be available to all the Declaration signatories and the public.

Article 27
Application agreement

The Declaration signatories agree to ensure its implementation.

The Declaration signatories will review the possibility for establishing a common body for Declaration implementation.

Signatures

By this I obligate myself to fulfil and implement the Declaration for “0” Corruption Tolerance in order to have clean politics, transparent companies and ethical government as well as to implement a sustainable system of national integrity and active participation of the citizens.

In Skopje, 9 December 2005

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Institution Signature