Whistleblower Protections (LV0033)

• Latvia - Empowering Anti-Corruption Watchdogs (July 1, 2019)

PROMOTING EFFICIENT LIFTING MECHANISM
FOR SETTING UP ALARM
DEADLINE:
2017 2 pusgads- 2019 1st half
WHAT ARE THE STATE AND THE PUBLIC INTEREST ISSUES WHICH HELPS MEETING THIS
COMMITMENT?
There is little publicly known example, when people in the public interest to report on violations or when such
persons whistleblowing grounds of the adverse effects should be avoided, such as a person should be reinstated.
MK 7 March 2017 approved the draft law "Whistleblower Protection Act." The bill aims to provide
whistleblower protection to promote the public interest whistleblowing irregularities and prevention. The bill
for the first time offered a special legal framework to determine what are the whistleblower, whistleblowing
opportunities and whistleblower protection measures. This applies to both the public and private sectors.
The draft law was submitted to parliament.
Whistleblower protection bill takes into account the United Nations, the Council of Europe and the OECD
standards and recommendations and good practice of other countries. Law assuming Latvia will become one of
the world's countries adopted special whistleblower protection law. Similar laws operating in the US, Australia,
Belgium, France, Estonia, Israel, Ireland, Canada, Korea, the UK, the Netherlands, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia,
Hungary and Sweden, while in developing - in Lithuania.
2017 On 17 March, organized a discussion on "open governance: what ambitious targets for the coming years?"
Was asked to plan to cover the event: "Whistleblower protection. Reporting or whistleblowing mechanism for
whistleblowing and cultural development. " 34
Effective whistleblower protection mechanism can facilitate the reporting of violations in the workplace in
both the public and the private sector. This can reduce the distrust of public institutions and to help them to
prevent abuses such as corruption, embezzlement of funds, tax evasion or violations of construction,
public procurement, public health or food security.
34 Getting material "Open Management Partnership Plan 2017-2019: wishlist Latvian challenges".
View: http://providus.lv/article_files/3299/original/OGPidejuApkopojumsFINAL.pdf?1490952718
6th
COMMITMENT
LATVIAN OPEN MANAGEMENT THIRD NATIONAL ACTION PLAN 32
Whistleblower protection instrument is also an opportunity to promote cultural exchange - to greater openness and trust in
the workplace, but also tolerance of breaches of legal consciousness and democratically responsible behavior.
WHAT IS COMMITMENT?
Promote effective whistleblowing and whistleblower protection mechanism:
• perform outreach activities that promote awareness of whistleblowing and whistleblower protection;
• promote opportunities to raise the alarm to the competent authorities;
• promote efficient single whistleblowing mechanism for the development and implementation;
• explore best practices, and effectively provide for whistleblower protection.
HOW TO COMMITMENT will be introduced and the solution to these problems?
The commitment will be implemented through measures providing information and promoting analysis and research on
whistleblowing issues.
HOW TO MEET COMMITMENT OGP VALUES?
Commitment to comply with the OGP values - responsibility. One of the manifestations of responsibility in accordance with
the value of the OGP guidelines are the mechanisms that allow the public to report violations and obtain redress.
Commitment to responsibility OGP within the meaning of the commitment related to the rights and obligations of the creation
or official institutions and the consequences. 35
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
Compliance with international obligations
• United Nations Convention against Corruption;
• Council of Europe Recommendation CM / Rec (2014) 7 "Whistleblower Protection";
• OECD recommendations to combat bribery, public administration and corporate governance
areas.
35 OGP. "Assessing OGP Values for Relevance".
See "responsibility" (in English. - public accountability) Glossary:
https://www.opengovpartnership.org/sites/default/files/attachments/OGPvaluesguidancenote.pdf
LATVIAN OPEN MANAGEMENT THIRD NATIONAL ACTION PLAN 33
Linking to other documents
• Parliamentary Investigation Commission information on the Latvian State's conduct in assessing
2013 21 November Zolitūde tragedy causes and future activities carried out in the laws and
regulations and state and local government activity arranging. Chapter 22 "Whistleblower redress
system implementation necessity." 36
INTERMEDIATE OBJECTIVES
1. Association "Transparency International Latvia" information campaign Exhibition on whistleblowing
01.09.2017. - 31.12.2017.
2. International Conference "whistleblowing promotion and whistleblower protection"
01.10.2017. - 31.10.2017.
RESPONSIBLE PUBLIC AUTHORITIES
State Chancellery, the Corruption Prevention and Combating Bureau
OTHER MEASURES IN IMPLEMENTATION OF NATIONAL INSTITUTIONS
INVOLVED
School of Public Administration
MEASURE THE IMPLEMENTATION OF RELEVANT PARTNERS
Association "Transparency International Latvia"
Latvian Free Trade Union

6. Support mechanism for protection of whistleblowers

Language of the commitment as it appears in the action plan:

Editorial Note: The Latvian government did not submit an official English translation of its 2017−2019 to OGP. Therefore, the original Latvian version as it appears in the action plan can be viewed below. For the full text of this commitment, please see the Latvia 2017−2019 action plan here: https://www.mk.gov.lv/sites/default/files/editor/atvertas-parvaldibas-plans2017.pdf.

Veicināt efektīva trauksmes celšanas un trauksmes cēlēju aizsardzības mehānisma ieviešanu:

• veikt informatīvus pasākumus, kas veicina izpratni par trauksmes celšanu un trauksmes cēlēju aizsardzību;
• popularizēt iespējas celt trauksmi kompetentajām iestādēm;
• veicināt efektīva vienotā trauksmes celšanas mehānisma izstrādi un ieviešanu;
• izpētīt labo praksi, kā efektīvāk nodrošināt trauksmes cēlēju aizsardzību.

Milestones:

6.1. Biedrības “Sabiedrība par atklātību Delna” informatīva kampaņa izstāde par trauksmes celšanu

6.2. Starptautiska konference “Trauksmes celšanas veicināšana un trauksmes cēlēju aizsardzība”

Start Date: 1 Jul. 2017

End Date: 30 Jul. 2019

Context and Objectives

Latvia passed a whistleblower protection law in October 2018. The law was prepared as part of Latvia’s second OGP action plan and came into force on 1 May 2019. Among its provisions, the law requires organizations to adopt internal whistleblower protection systems, including anonymity, a prohibition on retribution against whistleblowers, and placing the burden of proof on the employer. The law also requires turning to a competent authority and the mediation of the State Chancellery as the contact point for whistleblowers. [36]

The objective of this commitment is to raise awareness on whistleblower protection, encouraging individuals to report abuses of power in businesses and government. This commitment entails two activities: conducting an exhibition and an information campaign on whistleblower protection; and hosting an international conference on whistleblower protection. The commitment broadly seeks to raise awareness regarding existing whistleblower protection mechanisms, and it is relevant to the OGP value of public accountability.

The commitment activities lack specificity on the information campaign like which groups will be targeted and what information channels will be used. The planned international conference also lacks information on the audience, contributors and planned inputs, planned outreach, and availability of materials after the conference. If fully implemented, the exhibition and conference could possibly raise awareness of whistleblower protection and the new law that was passed by Parliament. However, the potential impact cannot be assessed higher than minor given the vague description provided in action plan.

Next steps

Raising awareness of the new whistleblower protections is important to educate and engage citizens on the protections and how to use the new law in private businesses and government institutions. However, due to the vagueness around the expected results, targeted groups, and information channels, the IRM researcher does not recommend carrying this commitment forward to the next action plan. Instead, the IRM researcher recommends continuing development of effective mechanisms and channels for citizens to report wrongdoing. She also recommends involving Parliament in any future commitments on whistleblower protection, as any legislative changes to the Whistleblower Protection Law would require their approval.

[36] See: https://likumi.lv/ta/en/en/id/302465-whistleblowing-law

6. Support mechanism for protection of whistleblowers

Language of the commitment as it appears in the action plan:

Editorial Note: The Latvian government did not submit an official English translation of its 2017−2019 to OGP. Therefore, the original Latvian version as it appears in the action plan can be viewed below. For the full text of this commitment, please see the Latvia 2017−2019 action plan here: https://www.mk.gov.lv/sites/default/files/editor/atvertas-parvaldibas-plans2017.pdf.

Veicināt efektīva trauksmes celšanas un trauksmes cēlēju aizsardzības mehānisma ieviešanu:

• veikt informatīvus pasākumus, kas veicina izpratni par trauksmes celšanu un trauksmes cēlēju aizsardzību;
• popularizēt iespējas celt trauksmi kompetentajām iestādēm;
• veicināt efektīva vienotā trauksmes celšanas mehānisma izstrādi un ieviešanu;
• izpētīt labo praksi, kā efektīvāk nodrošināt trauksmes cēlēju aizsardzī

Milestones:

6.1. Biedrības “Sabiedrība par atklātību Delna” informatīva kampaņa izstāde par trauksmes celšanu

6.2. Starptautiska konference “Trauksmes celšanas veicināšana un trauksmes cēlēju aizsardzība”

Start Date: 1 Jul. 2017

End Date: 30 Jul. 2019

Latvia adopted a Whistleblowing Law on 11 October 2018, the country’ first comprehensive whistleblower protection legislation. [32] This commitment aimed to promote best practices in this area and encourage individuals to report abuses of power in businesses and government. It entailed two activities: conducting an exhibition and information campaign on whistleblower protection and hosting an international conference on whistleblower protection.

Both activities were completed. On 9 October 2017, the State Chancellery, together with the State Administration School, Parliament of Latvia, and the Corruption Preventing and Combating Bureau organized an international conference on the promotion of whistleblowing and whistleblower protection. The conference included international experts, [33] as well as representatives from local governments, NGOs, and businesses. [34] The video recordings are available on Parliament’s webpage. [35] After the conference, the State Chancellery published a report [36] with recommendations to Parliament on how to improve the draft law, ensure anonymity of whistleblowers, and develop internal procedures for handling reported cases within government institutions.

Transparency International Latvia (Delna) and the anticorruption movement Atkrāpies! organized an exhibition on whistleblowing at the National Library in Riga from 25 September to 27 October 2017. It showcased nine international stories on how whistleblowing initiated positive changes. Afterward, the exhibition moved to the Ministry of Finance and the State Revenue Service, and an electronic version of the exhibition is still available on Delna’s webpage. [37]

Shortly after the conference, in December 2017, Parliament created a working group to develop the draft law. Latvia’s Whistleblowing Law took force on 1 May 2019 during the current action plan’s implementation. The law requires organizations to adopt internal whistleblower protections that ensure anonymity, prohibits retribution against whistleblowers, and places the burden of proof for the reported facts on the employer. The law also requires mediation by the State Chancellery. The State Chancellery established a point of contact for whistleblowing in April 2019 and developed a new website on whistleblowing. [38] The website contains instructions on how to define corruption and identify the responsible institution, as well as explaining how whistleblowers are protected. A key feature of this website is the list of competent authorities, their reporting channels, and the contact persons for whistleblowing. [39]

The awareness raising under this commitment were important for adoption of the law, since the newly elected parliament organized the committee that promoted and voted for the draft law. However, the ultimate impact of the activities on changing government practice was marginal as they were one-off events.

[32] Parliament of Latvia, “Trauksmes celšanas likums” [Alert Lifting Law] no. 2018/210.2 (Latvijas Vēstnesis, 11 Oct. 2018), https://likumi.lv/ta/id/302465-trauksmes-celsanas-likums.

[33] Experts came from France, Ireland, Latvia, Lithuania, the Netherlands, the United States, and the OECD.

[34] Saeima Press Service, “Saeimā starptautiskā konferencē diskutē par trauksmes celšanas veicināšanu un trauksmes cēlēju aizsardzību” [The Saeima is discussing the promotion of raising awareness and the protection of whistleblowers at an international conference] (Parliament of Latvia, 9 Oct. 2017), https://www.saeima.lv/lv/aktualitates/saeimas-zinas/26221-saeima-starptautiska-konference-diskute-par-trauksmes-celsanas-veicinasanu-un-trauksmes-celeju-aizsardzibu.

[35] See http://cdn.tiesraides.lv/saeima.lv/20171010151949_saeima1.

[36] Government of the Republic of Latvia, Starptautiska konference “Ceļā uz atklātību, atbildību un labāku pārvaldību: Trauksmes celšana un cīņa pret korupciju” [International conference "Towards openness, accountability and better governance: Raising awareness and fighting corruption"] (National Development Plan 2020 and The European Union, Oct. 2017), https://www.mk.gov.lv/sites/default/files/editor/trauksmes-celeju-konferences-zinojums-2017.pdf.

[37] See http://www.celtrauksmi.lv/?fbclid=IwAR29W-YuDIou_soVx0fI0hYlsydGLRkWV1XzOH4zdWa74APpDjwCfzfz8ss.

[38] Trauksmescelejs.lv, “Kas ir trauksmes celšana?” [What is an alarm?] (accessed May 2020), https://www.trauksmescelejs.lv/.

[39] See https://www.trauksmescelejs.lv/kur-celt-trauksmi.