Romania: ICITAP Partners with Albania’s Police Oversight Agency for 2024 European Partners Against Corruption Conference and General Assembly in Bucharest

From November 26 to 27, the ICITAP Albania Police Oversight Agency (POA) advisory team partnered with the POA delegation, led by the POA Director General, the POA Tirana Director, and two POA Specialists for the 2024 European Partners Against Corruption (EPAC) Conference in Bucharest, Romania. The POA delegation joined more than 30 member countries aligned to the Europe Against Corruption Network, along with representatives from ICITAP and non-EU law enforcement partners. Hosted by the Romania Anticorruption General Directorate (DGA) and other anti-corruption agencies to include police oversight bodies of Romania, the conference brought together prominent speakers from international organizations, EU agencies, and EPA) and European Contact-point Network Against Corruption (EACN) members (including POA Albania) to discuss and share strategic issues and practices for the prevention of and combatting of corruption. Conference themes and breakouts session included: Investigating and prosecuting corruption and fraud; Preventing corruption and integrity building in law enforcement; Advancing and building resilient anticorruption frameworks for public institutions and private sectors. The annual conference provides an opportunity to bring together leader-practitioners and subject matter experts to discuss relevant topics and mutual challenges, leading to constructive recommendations. The EPAC and EACN forum provides both ICITAP and POA representatives the opportunity to thicken the network across a diverse and niche group of European organizations focused on anti-corruption efforts, including police corruption. The event featured the annual EPAC/EACN Awards for the best anti-corruption or police oversight initiatives. The U.S. Department of State, Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs funds an embedded ICITAP Advisory team at the Ministry of Interior to train, advise, and assist the POA advance the rule of law and EU integration.