📢 The International Whistleblower Day is celebrated annually.
❗️ Why is it important to remember this day in the calendar?
Whistleblowers help identify and stop abuse of power, ensure transparency and fairness in public and private institutions. Their actions contribute to increasing trust in institutions and create a basis for sustainable development.
A whistleblower isn’t a profession. This isn’t taught in schools or universities, and no one knows who and when will become a whistleblower.
Therefore, everyone should know how to support whistleblowers in their efforts to expose the crime:
1. Start by being fair and respectful.
2. Refrain from making any judgments that result from stereotypical thinking.
3. Ask the person whether he needs legal or psychological support guaranteed by the state.
4. Share the stories of whistleblowers and their important work, but with the understanding that whistleblowers do not need anonymity to ensure personal safety.
What should the Foundation for Institutional Development do to improve the situation of whistleblowers?
✅ Raises awareness of the culture of whistleblowing and the rights of whistleblowers among civil servants, anti-corruption commissioners, lawyers of the BPD system and the public.
✅ Works on the development of a system of free psychological assistance to whistleblowers in Ukraine.
✅ Engaged in researching the best practices of the implementation of EU Directive 2019/1937 among EU countries and the actual state of implementation of the rights and guarantees of protection of whistleblowers in Ukraine with the aim of determining the directions of harmonization of Ukrainian legislation in the field of whistleblowing with EU legislation, in particular by bringing it into line with EU Directive 2019/ 1937.
✅ Advocates for stronger protections for whistleblowers by supporting laws and policies that protect whistleblowers from retaliation.
After all, the safety of whistleblowers is the safety of everyone!
