ANAC joins the European whistleblowing campaign We Owe It To Each Other
This initiative is the result of the Open the Whistle project, which is being promoted in Italy, Spain and Bulgaria
To mark World Whistleblower Day on 23 June, Anac, a partner in the Open the Whistle project, is launching the European campaign We owe it to each other. This initiative aims to transform how we portray individuals who report or expose corruption and illegality.
The campaign is the result of the European project Open the Whistle, which is coordinated by Transparency International Spain and co-funded by the European Union. It is being promoted in Italy, Spain and Bulgaria with the cooperation of whistleblowing authorities and civil society organisations, under the scientific supervision of the University of Pisa.
'Speaking up is an act of mutual care': this sentence sums up the heart of the campaign.
The main objectives include encouraging anyone to report misconduct in the workplace, protecting the dignity and life plans of those who make this choice, and promoting a speak-up culture — the idea that wrongdoing must not be met with silence.
The aim is not only to promote a cultural shift, but also to strengthen the system introduced across Europe by Directive (EU) 2019/1937, which still requires safeguards, improvements and adjustments.
To support this goal, the Whistleblowing Integrity Toolkit is now available online in English, Italian, Spanish and Bulgarian. It addresses five of the most challenging issues related to whistleblowing:
• Transparency and communication
• Fairness of investigations
• Data protection
• Support mechanisms
• Evaluation of system effectiveness
Each of these areas is explored through two innovative and cross-cutting lenses: gender sensitivity and open government. This collaborative effort focuses particularly on those most at risk of exposure and retaliation, identifying concrete examples of dialogue and cooperation between the relevant authorities, as well as public and private entities and civil society organisations.
