Honorable Ambassador Lebet, Director Nuhiu, Director Havolli, Executive Director Balija, Mr. Preniqi, ladies and gentlemen.

It is my pleasure to welcome you to the launch of the UNDP and Financial Intelligence Unit Politically Exposed Persons typologies.

This publication is part of the UNDP project to Support to Anti-corruption Efforts in Kosovo funded by the Swiss Cooperation Office in Kosovo and DANIDA and I wish to thank our valued donors for their continued support as well as the leadership of our national partners.

Nothing decimates trust in the public sector more than unsanctioned acts of corruption.... And nothing deviates so much of public funds into the wrong hands... And although the average person is more directly affected by petty corruption, in absolute terms it is grand corruption that make investors hesitate, dissuades investment, hampers economic growth and reduces business and employment opportunities.

Corruption also constitutes a crime. Crimes that divert funds for such things as schools, clinics, roads and puts them into the pockets of criminals who misuse public office for their own private gain.

These grand corruption schemes need to “wash” the money through financial maneuvers designed to “hide” the sources of the funds. Unfortunately, and from examples at global level, there appears to be no end to the amount of illicit schemes concocted to misappropriate public assets.

Combatting corruption needs to be high on any political agenda. In fact, the first step to preventing and uncovering sophisticated forms of corruption is to better understand them.

This is why - in partnership with the Kosovo Financial Intelligence Unit, my team at UNDP helped develop these “Typologies” – a guidance note for those officials to help them identify suspicious financial transactions and flows; as well as typologies of case studies in Kosovo that illustrate trends in these types of crimes.

Together with other ongoing efforts within our partnership initiative, such as currently certifying 50 financial crime investigators in fraud examination and forensic accounting – an invaluable skill set that will allow for improved success in prosecuting high level corruption cases and confiscating illicit funds, as well as increasing the transparency and accountability – which are the foundations of good governance – through the establishment of  an online assets and income declaration system that will allow even easier monitoring and greater transparency and accessibility to the public, it is my conviction this publication - this tool - will be a valuable step towards creating a system to help detect corruption and to sanction and to repatriate stolen funds.

It is clear that Kosovo is making progress, and I - all of us - look forward to seeing continued progress in this honorable fight against corruption. For Kosovo authorities it is also remaining requirement to show concrete results in its path towards European integration. Kosovo authorities are at this moment working to amend vital anti-corruption legislation. I believe we all agree of the importance to accompany these – in fact any - legislative amendments with stronger transparency and accountability (eg through online tools available to public); enable the Anti-corruption Agency to issue sanctions; and add additional competencies to monitor integrity plans and evaluate corruption risks in legislation.

Corruption is a global problem. This is why the UN Convention Against Corruption was introduced 15 years ago. It is also why it reducing corruption is at the heart of the UN Agenda 2030 and the Sustainable Development Goals. In particular, SDG 16 on peaceful and inclusive societies, access to justice for all and effective, accountable and inclusive institutions at all levels. Kosovo recently ratified a resolution on the SDGs and our two donor governments did so back in 2015. Hence we are all accountable. We all have an interest to fight corruption, to working together for economic and social justice, a more honorable present and prosperous future!

To quote the Secretary General of the United Nations António Guterres; “… corruption is neither an acceptable cost of doing business nor a necessary evil. It is a serious crime, and simply unacceptable.”

Thank you for your attention.

Ulrika Richardson