WASHINGTON, D.C. | December 13, 2023 — On December 12, National Whistleblower Center (NWC) addressed the 10th Conference of the States Parties (CoSP 10) to the UN Convention Against Corruption (UNCAC). Speaking before the plenary session, NWC Executive Director Siri Nelson called for a UNCAC resolution which incorporates best practices for whistleblower programs.
“So far this week, we’ve heard about a lot of different approaches to anti-corruption, however it is critical to remember that whistleblowers are the infantry of the anti-corruption effort,” Nelson said. “Whistleblowers are critical at every step and whistleblowers must be included in every single discussion we have about fighting corruption.”
In her statement, Nelson laid out the “A.C.E.” model for whistleblower programs which is centered around three essential components: Anonymity, Compensation, and Enforcement. This model was more fully explained in NWC’s written statement submitted to CoSP10.
“We support every single effort to include anti-retaliation protections for whistleblowers,” Nelson continued. “However, we challenge this community to have the courage to support compensation for whistleblowers, to have reward programs that incentivize them to come forward, and to really invest in following up on their tips.”
CoSP 10 is the main policymaking body of UNCAC, the only legally binding universal anti-corruption instrument.
“It was an incredible honor and opportunity to speak before the plenary session of CoSP10,” said Nelson. “Whistleblowers are at the core of any effective anti-corruption effort and it was important to be able to center them in a statement on the main stage. I hope that delegates will take note of our outlined best practices and adopt a whistleblower resolution of real substance.”
NWC Executive Director Siri Nelson is available for comment. For more information, contact NWC at info@whistleblowers.org.
