Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) suffers from widespread public corruption in all aspects of government and society. Local NGOs and BiH media are increasingly involved in fighting corruption and developing skills to monitor and report corruption. However, they embark on projects individually and exclusively, with little coordination or communication. Strong cooperation between civil society and the media will help them be more effective and successful in pressuring the BiH Government to enforce and sustain anti-corruption reforms.  

 

The Anti-Corruption Civic Organizations' Unified Network (ACCOUNT) is a four-year follow-on activity that builds on the previous project’s success in putting public pressure on the BiH Government to implement anti-corruption reforms required for Euro-Atlantic integration. The project will strengthen collaboration and cooperation to increase civil society participation in anti-corruption initiatives and reforms.  

 

As this follow-on activity began, the ACCOUNT network had more than 60 members. The state-level Ministry of Security and the Agency for the Prevention of Corruption and Coordination of the Fight against Corruption (APIK) had recognized ACCOUNT as an important partner in the fight against corruption, and had invited ACCOUNT to join working groups drafting anti-corruption strategies, regulations and legislation at all levels of government.

 

Through small grants, ACCOUNT will continue to support its members in small-scale advocacy projects, monitoring of corruption cases, and investigative and research work. 

 

Specifically, ACCOUNT follow-on activities focus on:

• Public advocacy on anti-corruption legislation that will protect whistleblowers and prevent or sanction corrupt behavior in selected sectors, including public procurement, public sector employment, health and education; 

• Civic monitoring and evidence-based research on corruption in these sectors;

• Increased public awareness through targeted media campaigns and investigative reporting to stimulate civic participation; and

• Legal assistance to whistleblowers and victims of corruption.