Anti - Corruption Initiatives, Good Governance And Human Rights: The Republic Of Macedonia

• Author: Elena Andreevska, Lidija Raicevic
• Pages: 112-126

LESIJ NO. XXV, VOL. 1/2018

ANTI – CORRUPTION INITIATIVES, GOOD GOVERNANCE AND

HUMAN RIGHTS: THE REPUBLIC OF MACEDONIA

Elena ANDREEVSKA

Lidija RAICEVIC

Abstract

In fighting corruption, good governance efforts rely on principles such as a ccountability,

transpa rency and participation to shape anti-cor ruption measures. Initiatives may include establishing

institutions such as anti-corruption commissions, cr eating mechanisms of information sharing, and

monitoring governments’ use of public funds and implementation of policies. Good governance a nd

human rights are mutually reinforcing. Human r ights principles pr ovide a set of values to guide the

work of governments a nd other political a nd social actors. They also provide a set of per formance

standar ds aga inst which these actors can be held accountable. Moreover, human rights principles

inform the content of good governance efforts: th ey may inform the d evelopment of legisla tive

frameworks, policies, progra mmers, budgeta ry alloca tions and other measures. Corruption is

recognized as a serious cr ime in the EU, which is reflected in its many anti-co rruption instr uments

covering existing member states. Countries wishing to join still face consider able systemic corruption

issues in their public institutions. In Macedonia as one of these countries the most significant human

rights problems stemmed from pervasive corruption and from the government’s failure to respect fully

the rule of law.

This article introduces anti-corr uption work, good governance, a nd attempts to identify the

various levels of relationship between that work and human rights with particular r eference to

Macedonia as an EU candidate country.

Keywords: corrupti on, anti-corruption instr uments, good governance, impact of cor ruption on

human rights, Macedonia.

1. Introduction

Fighting corruption is a global concern

because corruption is found in both r ich and

poor countries, and evidence shows that it

hurts poor people dispro portionately. It

 Professor, PhD, Faculty of Public Administration and Political Scientific “South East University”, Tetovo (e-

mail: e.andreevska@seeu.edu.mk).

 PhD, Public Prosecutor “Basic Public Prosecutor’să Officeă foră Preservationă ofă Organizedă Crimeă andă

Corruption”, Skopje (e-mail: lidijaraicevic@gmail.com).

1 Governments, the private sector, non-governmental organizations, the media and citizens around the world are joining

forces to fight this crime. The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the United Nations Office on Drugs

and Crime (UNODC) are at the forefront of these efforts. See International Anti-Corruption Day 9 December:

http://www.un.org/en/events/anticorruptionday.

contributes to instability, poverty and is a

dominant factor driving fragile countries

towards state failure1.

Every year $1 trillion is paid in bribes

while an estimated $2.6 trillion are stolen

annually through corruption – a sum

equivalent to more than 5 per cent of the