Centre for Civic Education (CCE), in collaboration with the Agency for the Prevention of Corruption (APC), has published a practical handbook titled Public Officials and Corruption Prevention, which explains the legal obligations of public officials aimed at combating corruption. The handbook is divided into three thematic sections – income and assets, conflict of interest, and lobbying – offering clear and practical explanations and guidelines through a question-and-answer format.
This publication serves as a tool to inform public officials about their legal duties. Public officials are often not fully aware of all aspects of the law, and this handbook is designed to help them understand the rules and principles related to conflicts of interest, transparency, and accountability.
The Acting Director of APC, Dušan Drakić, emphasized that the integrity and accountability of public officials are the foundation of public trust in institutions and a key prerequisite for building a society that values and protects the public interest. “The handbook addresses essential topics for maintaining integrity in public office. The availability and control of public officials’ assets and income are crucial for ensuring transparency and preventing potential irregularities. Effectively identifying and resolving conflicts of interest is essential to protect the public interest and prevent undue private influence on decision-making processes. Regulated lobbying ensures a transparent and inclusive dialogue between decision-makers and stakeholders, contributing to fairness and openness in policy-making processes,” said Drakić.
“At the CCE, we believe that fighting corruption is vital for building a fair and transparent society. Hense, this handbook is one of many activities we have undertaken to mitigate corruption. Citizens perceive Montenegro as a corrupt society, and their trust in institutions and the legal system is severely shaken. This handbook is one of the useful tool aimed at fostering accountability among public officials and creating mechanisms to prevent corruption, helping citizens regain trust in their society,” explained Zvezdana Kovač, Strategy and Outreach Director at the CCE.
The authors of the handbook are from the APC – Dijana Đukanović, Dušica Rečević, Marko Škerović, and Ljiljana Jušković.
The handbook will be printed and distributed to relevant stakeholders, representatives of state bodies, and public officials, and will also be available on the websites of the CCE and APC.
This publication was developed as part of the Partnership Against Corrupt Tendencies – PACT project, implemented by the CCE in collaboration with the Agency for the Prevention of Corruption and financially supported by the U.S. Embassy in Montenegro, through the State Department’s Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs. The project aims to strengthen institutional and alternative mechanisms for identifying and combating corruption by high-ranking public officials and raising public awareness of the forms of corruption and the consequences of tolerating it, particularly in the areas of education, healthcare, local governance, security, and the judiciary.
Ivana Matanović, Programme Associate