Kick-off Matra Rule of Law Training Programme

“I would like to participate in this programme because I consider integrity of civil servants a corner stone for effective governance. As a civil servant myself, I believe that it will give me the opportunity to gain an insight in and understaning of the Dutch experience in this field and later on to use such an experience in my home country,” says one of the particpants of the ‘Integrity of Civil Servants’ training.

On Wednesday the 10th of May, the new Matra Rule of Law Training Programme has commenced in The Hague, the Netherlands. This is the first in a series of seven trainings per year designed to strengthen institutional capacity in the field of rule of law within government organisations in Georgia, Moldova, Turkey, Ukraine and the Western Balkans. Addressing issues of integrity and corruption are necessary in order to realise the five principles of good governance in the European Union (EU), as described in the White Paper on European Governance: openness, participation, accountability, effectiveness, and coherence. Practicing these five principles is essential for EU member-state integration. This cycle, in comparison to the last cycle of Matra PATROL, focuses not only on the EU pre-accession countries, but also on the three countries that have signed the Association Agreement with the EU.

“Integrity of Civil Servants” is the focus topic of the first training. Each training introduces the participants to the best Dutch practices in a particular rule of law theme within the EU framework. The structure of the training comprises a combination of three mutually-reinforcing components: theory, practical skills, and study visits.

Aims

The objective of this training is to increase the understanding of the international and EU framework for integrity policy and the national contexts of the participants’ countries. The training provides insight into the responsibilities of various actors in nurturing integrity of civil servants. It promotes the creation of a sustainable policy to enhance integrity of civil servants at different government levels. Furthermore, special attention will be is given to obstacles in the implementation process and how to overcome them. The training programme is designed with the aim to achieve lasting results.

The participants

Thirty-six participants are taking part in lectures, working groups, network development and social activities to stimulate active participation. To give an idea of the positions held by participants: the group includes a Senior officer for prevention of conflict of interest; a Head of Department of Integritya member of the; a Deputy Public Prosecutor; a Head of the Development and monitoring of anti-corruption programs Unit; and a Senior Advisor in Department for prevention of corruption, integrity, lobbying and implementation of international standards.

“We hope that with this joint experience we will provide the particpants with a high-quality programme, combining theoretical and practical knowledge blended with interesting study visits that will lead to a vibrant network between you as participants, our governmental and non-governmental partners here in The Netherlands and Brussels and us as your partners,” says Executive Director of the Netherlands Helsinki Committee Pepijn Gerrits.

Partners

The consortium of Leiden Law School, The Hague Academy for Local Governance (THA) and NHC forms a strong alliance of three organizations that are complementary to one another: knowledge and experience of the oldest and most respected Law Faculty of the Netherlands, with a huge network of scientists, experts and alumni in The Netherlands and abroad; a training institute with vast experience in trainings at municipal level, as they are an offspring of the Netherlands Association of Municipalities, but also with strong didactical skills and expertise; and the organization in The Netherlands specialized in strengthening human rights and rule of law in the OSCE area, with almost 30 years of experience in assisting both civil society and governmental institutions in building capacities and in engaging into dialogue over and policy and implementation.

To learn more about the Matra Rule of Law Programme, click here.