Ensuring Effective Whistleblower Protection and Supportive Environments
Establishing supportive environments and robust mechanisms for protecting whistleblowers is crucial to overcoming challenges such as fear of retaliation and legal liabilities. Key aspects include creating safe reporting channels, safeguarding confidentiality, and implementing transparent reactions to whistleblower reports. Practical measures include effective reporting mechanisms, protection of whistleblower identity, and providing necessary feedback. Achieving these goals enhances accountability and integrity in addressing corruption and misconduct.
- Whistleblower Protection
- Supportive Environment
- Anti-Corruption Measures
- Transparency
- Accountability
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Creating Supportive Environments for Whistle-blowers (Part 2.) Alma Sedlar
Why whistleblower protection?
Key challenges to reporting acts on corruption Fear of Retaliation - Professional retaliation such as harassment, pressure to resign, redeployment etc. - Retaliation in a service-delivery context such as denial of access to services or other unjustified treatment - Direct, physical retaliation Legal Liability - Defamation - Breach of Confidentiality / Personal Data / Secrecy Laws
Key challenges of whistleblower protection - Wide range of reporting persons - - Internal reporting, reporting to competent institutions (the ACC, the Police) or external reporting (to the CSO s, media) - - Safe channels for reporting - Anonymous reports? - Protection of the confidentiality - Rewards for whistleblowers? - Cultural and historical background of the country
Practical aspects of an effective whistleblower protection system - Effective mechanism for reporting - Effective and transparent mechanism for reactions to WB reports - Effective mechanism for the protection of whistleblowers - Mechanism for sanctioning mala fide reporting - Knowledge of potential whistleblowers on the existence of all systems mentioned - Willingness of potential whistleblowers to blow the whistle
Effective mechanism for the reporting It must: - Be technically functional (post boxes, telephones, emails ..) - Enable whistleblowers to protect their identity - The whistleblowers need to receive feedback (Offer a reward for blowing the whistle?)
Effective and transparent mechanism for reactions to whistleblowers reports Whistleblowers the citizens) have to see that somebody is reacting reports and perpetrators being sanctioned. (and to their that are
How to protect whistleblowers? Ideally, whistleblower s identity should remain protected. Other possibilities: Transfer to another job or/and position Transfer to another city/country Physical protection (including the family) Legal assistance at the court Compensation for the damage suffered Any other measures, as provided by the law
Procedures for protection of the identity A code name (which is known only to the investigator or responsible person); Physically separated reports Only the court could demand the disclosure of whistleblower identity for in the specific circumstances (threat of life or to the public interest); Information about whistleblower is not the subject of the public information even after the end of the investigation.
Knowledge on the systems mentioned It is not enough only to establish mentioned people have to be informed about them and about specifies times. the systems, their at all
Willingness of potential whistleblowers to blow the whistle People have to realize that blowing the whistle on something bad is good! Therefore, they have to be adequately educated!
Exercise How to provide a safe environment for internal reporting? 12
Discuss the following questions: Discuss and determine 3 key measures that are essential for safe reporting within your organization Discuss and determine 3 key challenges for safe internal reporting and effective whistleblower protection within your organization Discuss how would you address those challenges - - - Select the rapporteur and report the key outcomes of the discussion at the plenary -
THANK YOU! Any questions? Comments? Remarks? 14
