Programme

The programme of the Committee calls for the creation of conditions for the public control (monitoring) of the anticorruption activity of the executive bodies: prevention of the conflict of interests; prevention of corruption cases; supervision of the implementation of the administrative reform that is underway in Russia.

The idea is to make anticorruption an area of constant basic responsibility of authorities, like defense, security and social protection.

The low-income groups of society that are not protected enough by the state find it hard to resist extortion and blackmail. Corruption prevents them from receiving free of charge essential state services: public health, education, housing services and protection against crime. This is particularly evident when we deal with corruption in the field of consumer services: the citizens are made to pay extra for essential needs.

Despite the fact that the number of bribes paid per person has decreased, the size of an average bribe has increased. For example, the total number of bribes in the sphere of medical services has decreased by one third but the average bribe today is half as big again. Actually people avoid paying bribes if they can. It’s a paradox that free of charge health services are unaffordable for people with low income because of bribe rates. People try to cut contact with police, the court of law and other state institutions so that they do not have to pay bribes. Hence a slump in demand for their corruption services. According to a survey by the VTSIOM pollster Russians identify local authorities (34%) and law-enforcement agencies (30%) as state bodies with the highest level of corruption.

Corruption in Russia is defined as a system of public attitudes menacing to national interests of the country.

The level of corruption can be lowered only by strengthening the institutions of Law and Democracy. Corruption, as a system of social relations, can be eradicated in Russia only when all the institutions of civil society: the State and the Government and Society itself, – begin to fight not only with the consequences, but with the causes of corruption. And what is really important, people must protect their rights and interests themselves.

Sociological studies are not optimistic. According to the data presented by VTSIOM, 85% of Russians take corruption for granted. Society thinks that fighting corruption is the prerogative of specialized agencies; and only 11% of Russians believe that fighting corruption is their inalienable duty. Studies show that the overall low level of civic activity in the country is a considerable obstacle for active participation of civil society in fighting corruption. There is one more reason that inhibits the civic activity: 72% of Russians rate extremely low the influence of public organizations on social life. There is no civil society until people believe that their opinions carry weight.

At the first meeting of the President’s Anti-Corruption Council Vladimir Putin declared that the more effective the civil control institutions operate, the less are the chances to abuse official position in self-serving interests. He defined the main task for the Council as developing effective forms of public control of the state and municipal authorities. But actually there was no public structure capable of making the law-enforcement agencies pay attention to the complaints of the citizens.

In connection with that the Interregional Non-governmental Organization the Committee for Fighting Corruption is launching a project of inviolving each citizen in anticorruption activity.

The goals of the project

Important problems, inhibiting the development of civil society in Russia, are: a low level of legal culture and indulgent attitude of citizens towards corruption. Throughout Russia’s history people have been trying to overcome the lawlessness of the state towards people, their dignity, their property, their human rights and freedoms. Unfortunately the situation hasn’t changed much, this problem is still urgent. People should fight for their rights and freedoms to make the authorities observe the law.

Even though Russians face corruption in a great number of institutions, they do not see the present situation as a menace to their everyday life. The level of corruption in the country depends on our attitude towards this problem.

According to data presented by INDEM, not less than a half of the population is involved in corruption. Seventy-five percent of Russians admitted that the last time they had a chance to solve their problem with the help of a bribe they didn’t miss it. People are ready to pay when free services are hard to get or are of low quality. Russians pay much when they get into troubles, for example, in the court of law. That is why toughening the system of exposure and punishment of officials guilty of corruption is of vital importance.

The main question is how to change the corruption-tollerant mindset of Russians.

What innovative idea may underlie the system of public control of corruption? It is the idea of public reaction to every display of corruption. All sections of the population should be involved in this process. There are students, law-enforcement officials, military officers and many other representatives of different social groups involved in the Committee’s activity. It is only possible to influence the situation by uniting their efforts.

The main directions of activity of the Interregional Non-governmental Organization the Committee for Fighting Corruption are the following:

1. Enlisting of participation of people who are not indifferent to the fate of the country and future generations.

2. Interaction with judicial authority, executive power, law-enforcement agencies and local authorities.

3. Propaganda of the civil society revival, the law-abiding state and the fight against corruption. This can be done today, in the first place, with the help of mass media.

4. Interaction with other Russian and foreign non-governmental organizations and the Civic Chamber of the Russian Federation.

1. Enlisting of participation of people who are not indifferent to the fate of the country and future generations.

The first step is to get bodies of executive power as well as an ordinary citizen to observe the law. Lawlessness is what hampers the development of the economy, slowers economical growth, and inhibits the development of small and medium business – the main subject of market relations. Lawlessness prevents the individual – the main subject of civil society – from exercising its rights and fundamental freedoms. Observance of law creates favorable conditions for economic growth and the rise of the middle class, elimination of poverty and improvement of people’s well-being.

2. Interaction with judicial authority, executive power, law-enforcement agencies and local authorities.

The key instruments of this interaction should be the following:

• participation of civil society in the development and decision-making of state authorities;
• monitoring of the activity of the state and local institutions;
• supervision of the implementation of the administrative reform that is now taking place in Russia.

The most effective methods of the monitoring are thought to be the following:

• undercover inspections;
• visual observation;
• indepth interviews;
• scrutiny of the legislative base;
• focus groups.

Monitoring will cover the following instances of interaction between individuals and executive bodies:

• obtaining of passport;
• civil registry and population registry;
• social-medical examination;
• registration of the unemployed;
• obtaining of building permit;
• housing subsidy;
• liquidation of legal entities;

In order to make the structure of state institutions transparent it is necessary to develop a system of public control above it.

The Interregional Non-governmental Organization –the Committee for Fighting Corruption is going to take an active part in working out suggestions for the improvement of the Legislative base of the Russian Federation for fighting corruption, bribe-taking and any infringements of the law. It will also make a number of reports containing analytical findings on fighting corruption.

3. Propaganda of the civil society revival, the law-abiding state and the fight against corruption.

In order to attain the Charter’s aims and in accordance with the law in force, the Committee:

• makes proposals on further improvement of the existing legislation of the Russian Federation on fighting corruption, bribe-taking and any infringements of the law;
• renders non-governmental support to the law-enforcement agencies and other governmental and non-governmental organizations in their work in upholding law and order;
• prepares analytical reports on fighting corruption, on improving international, inter-ethnic and inter-confessional relations, on enhancing spiritual closeness among peoples, and brings the reports to public notice;
• organizes and takes an active part in international, federal, regional and local activities, aimed at assisting the struggle against terrorism, crime, corruption and any other lawbreaking;
• works out scientific and practical recommendations, connected with fighting corruption;
• gives support to all citizens and organizations in protecting their legitimate interests and legal rights, guaranteed by the Constitution of the Russian Federation;
• helps raise the level of legal awareness of citizens;
• assists in protecting human rights and fundamental freedoms from being infringed upon through illegitimate decisions and actions of the state authorities;
• informs through Mass Media of cases of exposed corruption and other associated violations of law;
• undertakes studies of the market and public opinion;
• conducts public opinion polls;
• collects and analyses information concerning the condition and trends of the development of society, makes recommendations aimed at raising the efficiency of corruption fighting;
• works for ensuring favorable living conditions for active and retired law-enforcement officers to facilitate the full realization of their intellectual, professional and creative potential;
• collects voluntary donations from entities and individuals;
• sets up endowments for supporting social programmes;
• draws up and implements the Committee’s own social programmes;
• gives consultations, disseminates information and undertakes other activities that are not banned by the law of the Russian Federation and are aimed at attaining the Committee’s objectives;
• organizes and takes an active part in conferences, meetings, seminars, lectures, “round tables”, including those that are organized jointly with interested non-governmental organizations;
• shares experience with other concerned organizations;
• organizes and holds charity events;
• sets up and maintains specialized informational databases of the Committee in accordance with its goals;
• establishes and maintains relations with foreign and international organizations for the realizations of the aims of the Committee;
• sets up Media outlets and publishes books, magazines, booklets, newspapers, etc in accordance with the law;
• promotes international cooperation with interested organizations and individuals.

4. Interaction with other Russian and foreign non-governmental organizations and the Civic Chamber of the Russian Federation.

Non-governmental organizations are capable of undertaking studies of corruption and the struggle against corruption. They also engage in anticorruption enlightenment activities; develop relations and share experience and knowhow with international organizations, dealing with the fight against corruption.

To root out corruption it is necessary to form a strong law-abiding and democratic state that would effectively serve all citizens of the Russian Federation. To do away with corruption means to develop legal procedures, concrete tools and technologies to elimination the causes and conditions conducive to the spread of corruption.