As part of the corruption prevention programme and the Open Government Partnership (OGP), Hungary launched an ambitious integrity training programme for senior managers, managers and staff working in public administration in September 2013, which had nearly six thousand participants until the end of December.
The Hungarian Government is pleased to see the acceptance of the European Commission’s report on the fight against corruption. A great step towards battling such phenomena, as it raises awareness regarding harmful factors disrupting societies Europe-wide and the same time it shows the good practices what different countries have taken in the matter, being good examples for others.
The aim is to take a pre-emptive strike against corruption, where possible - Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Public Administration and Justice Tibor Navracsics said on Monday, the International Anti-Corruption Day, in Budapest.
The member countries of the Open Government Partnership initiative held an annual summit in London between 31 October and 1 November with 1,000 delegates from over 60 countries. Hungary was represented at the event by State Secretary for Parliamentary Affairs Bence Rétvári from the Ministry of Public Administration and Justice.
On 14 October, the Hungarian National Assembly adopted an Act on Complaints and Public Interest Disclosures, which had been prepared and submitted by the Ministry of Public Administration and Justice. The purpose of the new act is to support whistleblowers and to ensure their actual protection. The discussion of the proposed act by the National Assembly resulted in supplementing it by safeguards relating to the whistleblowing systems operated by employers.
The National General Assembly of the Hungarian Government Officials Board (MKK) adopted the Code of Conduct for Government Officials on 21 June 2013. In preparation for the introduction of the Code of Conduct 2044 government officials took part in qualified further training courses implemented under the auspices of the National University of Public Service (NKE). During the national roadshow held between 2 and 18 July 2013, NKE instructors and invited ministerial experts gave presentations on the reformed system of professional conduct and ethical standards of government officials in 23 venues.
The Implementation Review Group (IRG) of the United Nations Convention against Corruption started its regular review process of the implementation of the Convention by Hungary in the last third of 2012. The review process involved a country visit in the framework of which IRG experts met the experts of the organisations supplying data for the country report at the Ministry of Public Administration and Justice.
Participation in the Integrity Survey of the State Audit Office has key relevance to the development and reinforcement of the integrity control system. For this reason, Dr Tibor Navracsics, Minister of Public Administration and Justice invited in a letter the heads of budgetary organs to participate in and provide support to the survey. The Ministry of Public Administration and Justice (KIM) also cooperated with the State Audit Office in the technical preparation of data collection. The Ministry tested the new Integrity questionnaire and the operation of the data processing system.
A new government bill seeks to protect whistleblowers who report corruption involving public funds, State Secretary for Parliamentary Affairs at the Ministry of Public Administration and Justice Bence Rétvári said before the legislation was submitted to lawmakers on Tuesday.
Officials from the Government of Hungary are presenting the country’s new National Action Plan on Tuesday 23rd April in London.