The Russian aggression against Ukraine has devastated the country, requiring significant international aid to address immediate recovery needs and to reconstruct the country once hostilities cease. However, transparency is key to ensuring a proper allocation of funds. What is civil society’s role as ‘the second line of defence’ against corruption in Ukraine?
To support Ukrainian civil society in the efficient oversight of international aid allocation, RUSI’s Centre for Financial Crime and Security Studies (CFCS) and RUSI Europe have launched the Supervising and Monitoring Ukraine’s Reconstruction Funds (SMURF) project.
The project’s “Securing Integrity of Ukraine’s Reconstruction Funding” conference on 14 March 2023 will bring together a cohort of leading Ukrainian anticorruption activists invited by CFCS and RUSI Europe, as well as EU policymakers, civil society activists, and journalists to discuss the challenges and best practices in financial crimes investigation. During the conference, the Ukrainian anticorruption activists will also share their experience and insights on working with the Ukrainian government on transparency and accountability in the country’s reconstruction.
Agenda of the “Securing Integrity of Ukraine’s Reconstruction Funding” conference on 14 March 2023:
Venue: Press Club Brussels Europe, Rue Froissart 95, 1040 Brussels
8.40 – 9.00 Welcome coffee
9.00 – 9.15 Opening remarks
David Lewis, Managing Director, Global Head of AML Advisory Forensic Investigations and Intelligence, Kroll
9.15 – 10.15 Panel 1: Manage the Money, Secure the System
In this panel, we will address the reconstruction efforts’ institutional design from Ukrainian and international donors perspectives addressing the role of d igital tools and open data for transparent and accountable reconstruction management.
Moderator: Marija Golubeva, Richard von Weizäcker Fellow at Robert Bosch Academy
Speakers:
- Oleksii Dorohan, CEO at Better Regulation Delivery Office (BRDO), Co-founder of RISE Ukraine Coalition
- Tom Keatinge, Director of the Centre for Financial Crime and Security Studies at RUSI
- Viktor Nestulya, Head of Ukraine’s Support, Open Contracting Partnership , Chair of RISE Ukraine Coalition
- Manfredas Limantas, Policy Officer, Fundamentals, Rule of law, Anti-Fraud and Financial Management, Ukraine Service, DG NEAR, European Commission
10.15 – 10.45 Сoffee break
10.45 – 11.45 Panel 2: Follow the Money, Investigate Corruption
This panel will feature leading investigative journalists from Ukraine presenting on the ground stories of tracking illicit finance and investigating corruption in Ukraine.
Moderator:
Alice Stollmeyer , Executive Director of Defend Democracy
Speakers:
- Ross Higgins, Senior Researcher and Investigator Bellingcat
- Anna Myroniuk, Investigative Journalist, Head of Investigations, the Kyiv Independent media
- Alisa Yurchenko, Investigative Journalist and Editor, Bihus.Info
11:45 – 12:15 Networking coffee
The conference will be followed by a closed meeting with media.
The cohort includes members of the RISE Ukraine coalition and BRDO think tank, and investigative journalists from OCCRP and N-ost. They will meet with representatives of the European Commission, European Parliament, local think tanks, and journalists in Brussels (March 13-17), followed by meetings with stakeholders in London (March 20-24).
The project, supported by the National Endowment for Democracy (NED), is implemented in partnership with the Better Regulation Delivery Office (BRDO), a leading Ukrainian think tank closely engaged in dialogue with the Ukrainian authorities on building accountability mechanisms for reconstruction aid.
To schedule media interviews, please contact Mr Balázs Gyimesi, Communications Officer, RUSI Europe, at balazs.gyimesi@rusi.org.
To read more about the project, visit our website.
