International Partnerships: Programmes in the First Quarter

Bolstering the Integrity Authority’s relationship with international partners, as well as cooperating with European Union partner authorities and internationally recognised organisations involved in the global fight against corruption remain key objectives in the first half of 2025. The Authority’s international programmes planned for the first quarter of 2025 are scheduled as follows:

  • In the first week of February, President Ferenc Pál Biró will participate in the European Parliament’s hearing, following an invitation from the EP Democracy, Rule of Law and Fundamental Rights Monitoring Group (DRFMG). On 5 February, together with other domestic stakeholders, the President will participate in an exchange of views organised as part of a closed session themed around ‘the situation in Hungary and the freezing/release of European Union funds’;
  • In the first week of February, the Authority’s delegation, headed by the President, will participate in the 14th annual general meeting of the International Association of Anti-Corruption Authorities (IAACA), where President Ferenc Pál Biró will be inaugurated into the presidium of the prestigious organisation;
  • Also in the first week of February, President Ferenc Pál Biró will be heard by the European Commission’s delegation, preparing the 2025 Rule of Law Report’s chapter on Hungary.
  • In late February, following a successful tender, our colleagues will have the opportunity to study the activities of the STT, the Lithuanian partner authority, as part of a study tour won following a call for tenders issued for the EPAC/EACN’s (European Partners Against Corruption) Best Anti-Corruption Practice Exchange;
  • In late February, our colleagues will participate in Europol’s Human Rights and Law Enforcement Conference;
  • Marking the conclusion of the Authority’s successful tender under the TSI programme, the finalisation of a certificate enabling the Authority to receive EUR 600,000 in EU grants for its IT and risk analysis developments is expected to take place in March;
  • In the middle of March, the Authority will sign a cooperation agreement in Latvia with the Corruption Prevention and Combating Bureau (KNAB), a partner authority whose exemplary activities go beyond the Baltic states;
  • In late March, a delegation led by the President will participate in the OECD conference titled ‘Global Anti-Corruption and Integrity Forum’ (GACIF) in Paris, as well as attend the sessions of two OECD task forces.
Integrity Academy: youth and educational co-operations

Toward the end of last year, the Authority began collaborating with the UNODC, the UN’s anti-corruption organisation, with the Authority joining its year-long youth campaign through the Integrity Academy’s research and educational programme. In the first half of the year, we will share the partial results of our youth research on both the UNODC’s international platform and our own, with the final results of the globally unique research to be presented at the organisation’s international general assembly in Qatar.

An agreement has been reached with U4, the global leading institution for anti-corruption education and social attitude transformation, primarily based in Scandinavia, to adopt its studies and learning materials for the benefit of the Hungarian society, with the work having already begun in January.