Project Update
OSCE supports regional exchange on strengthening police internal oversight to combat corruption
- Issued on:
- Issued by:
- Transnational Threats Department
- Fields of work:
- Policing
Strengthening police internal oversight to prevent and combat corruption enabling organized crime was the focus of a regional conference held on 6 and 7 October 2026 in Bar, Montenegro. Organized by the OSCE Mission to Montenegro, in co-operation with Montenegro’s Ministry of the Interior and with support from the United States, the event brought together around 50 representatives of police and prosecutorial institutions from South-Eastern Europe, alongside international experts and OSCE representatives.
The OSCE’s Transnational Threats Department supported the participation of experts from Austria’s Federal Bureau of Anti-Corruption, Italy’s Guardia di Finanza and Romania’s Ministry of Internal Affairs’ Anti-Corruption General Directorate. The experts presented their institutions’ internal oversight models and approaches to preventing and detecting corruption and ensuring police accountability.
Participants compared institutional mandates and organizational arrangements, and explored how different approaches could inform their own oversight mechanisms. A subsequent panel examined the relevance and applicability of the models presented for the Montenegrin context.
“Preventing corruption risks and promoting adequate levels of transparency constitute an essential component of each member's conduct, as well as the foundation for the constant and continuous improvement of service activities,” said an expert from Italy’s Guardia di Finanza.
The two-day programme combined these European perspectives with practices from South-Eastern Europe and the United States. Discussions covered preventive measures, investigative approaches, the preparation of corruption cases for trial and challenges in prosecution. They also examined the role of police internal oversight within the broader criminal justice response to corruption.
Through the exchange of good practices and institutional experience, the conference supported regional dialogue on strengthening police integrity, reducing corruption risks and enhancing public trust in law enforcement.