Deputy Ombudswoman Dijana Kesonja participated on 20 June 2024 in a roundtable discussion in Split on the importance of anti-corruption policies at the local and regional level. The roundtable gathered professionals and leaders of cities and municipalities and was organised by the Ministry of Justice, Public Administration and Digital Transformation.
Deputy Kesonja stated that the Ombudswoman primarily works on the prevention of corruption through the protection of whistleblowers, a mandate assigned to the institution in 2019.
As part of this mandate, the institution, among other tasks, receives reports of irregularities, provides protection to whistleblowers, and monitors the implementation of the Act. This work demonstrates the need to improve the understanding of the rights and obligations established by the Act, for which cooperation with local and regional authorities presents a valuable opportunity.
The Act was amended in 2022, introducing several welcome changes. Among other things, the scope of whistleblowers was expanded, protection was extended to associated persons, whistleblowers were given the option to choose the reporting channel (internal—i.e. to a confidential person within the employer, or external—i.e. to the Ombudswoman), and support measures for whistleblowers were broadened. The jurisdiction of courts in handling lawsuits for whistleblower protection was also expanded.
However, there is still room to improve awareness and understanding of this legal framework among whistleblowers, confidential persons, judges, state attorneys, and others. For this reason, the advisors of the Ombudswoman and Deputy Kesonja carry out numerous educational activities.
More information on this topic can be found in the Ombudswoman’s 2023 Annual Report, and basic information for whistleblowers and confidential persons is available here.
The roundtable was part of the project “Encouraging the General Public in the Fight Against Corruption by Raising Awareness of the Harmful Effects of Corruption, the Need for Prevention, and the Legal Protection of Whistleblowers,” implemented within the framework of the National Recovery and Resilience Plan.