ACCO currently has oversight responsibilities for seven anti-corruption projects, totaling more than $26.7 million. ACCO’s programs mainly support Iraq’s efforts to implement a national anti-corruption strategy that will help it comply with its commitments under the UN Convention Against Corruption (which Iraq ratified in 2008) and forge a new path toward transparency and good governance.
These programs include:
Iraq compliance with the UN convention against crime program – United Nations Development Program ($8,000,000)
This program supports Iraqi compliance with the United Nations Convention against Corruption (UNCAC); helps the Government of Iraqi develop a comprehensive national anti-corruption strategy; and develop the capacity of the BSA, COI, and IGs to carry out prevention and enforcement at the regional and governorate levels.
Anti-corruption investigative training program for Iraqi inspectors general – implementer United Nations Devel
Building on the anti-corruption foundation that it is building in Iraq, UNDP will improve the administrative organization with the appropriate ministries, improve the capacity of Iraqi Inspectors General offices and provide and the necessary extension of the IGs offices to the provinces.
COI Financial Investigative Training and Asset Recovery Program – UN Office on Drugs and Crime ($4,000,000)
This two-part program will build on the foundation of previous UN and DOJ training programs to help Iraq’s Commission on Integrity both increase its competence with financial crimes investigation and its ability to effectively undertake asset recovery actions in partnership with foreign jurisdictions.
Kurdistan Regional Government Budget Execution Project – United Nations Development Program ($2,000,000)
This UNDP implemented project focuses on helping set priorities across key sectors and ensuring that spending within sectors is efficient and reaches frontline service delivery. Specifically, the project is helping to strengthen budget policy, planning and formulation; strengthen budget execution and monitoring; strengthen budget reporting, oversight and control; and build capacity for management information systems.
Provincial Accountability And Governance Program – The Iraq Foundation ($2,368,050)
This project is bringing about change in knowledge, attitudes and practices regarding ethical provincial administration, and instilling a new culture of transparency, accountability, and good governance in 15 Iraqi provinces. Through educating, monitoring, and building alliances between provincial officials and local civic leaders, The Iraq Foundation is charting a course for change toward more responsive, more accountable government in Iraq.
Provincial Transparency Program – International Republican Institute ($2,240,500)
This project is supporting the development of a more transparent political and democratic system through the publication of Gazettes that will be endorsed by local authorities, making available to the public all rules, regulations, and proposed changes to current rules and regulations by the provincial governments.
“GOCASE” Commission on Integrity Database Sharing Program – UN Office on Drugs and Crime ($1,075,916)
GoCase aims to achieve the primary objective of rolling out an information management system that will build the required infrastructure for connecting all Commission on Integrity offices in Baghdad into a centralized “GoCase” database. The project also falls under the umbrella of the joint UNODC/UNDP project on “Build an Effective Anti- Corruption System for Iraq.”
Support for the Iraq Extractive Industry Transparency Initiative – Implementer TBD ($1,000,000)
This project will work as a complement to the Government of Iraq’s Extractive Industry Transparency Initiative (the first Gulf country to do so), promoting greater transparency and combating corruption in the crucial extraction industry sector. This effort will infuse more transparency into oil or natural resources in developing countries, to ensure that assets are properly reported and discussed.
Public Integrity/anti-corruption Program
Department of Justice International Criminal Investigative and Training Assistance Program ($253,359)
This project funds U.S. Department of Justice advisors to train and mentor Commission on Integrity investigators, building management and training capacity, and emphasizing better case preparation, and compliance with UN Convention Against Corruption provisions. The program’s prior focus was on forensics, crime scene investigations, and procurement of investigatory equipment.