Bosnia and Herzegovina at High Risk of Corruption

Transparency International calls on NATO members to honour their commitments to defence integrity

NATO members and partner countries are at high risk for corruption in their overseas operations, according to a new Government Index by Transparency International’s Defence and Security Programme (TI-DSP).

Using a 77-questionnaire to assess corruption vulnerabilities across the world’s defence sectors, TI-DSP ranked the corruption vulnerabilities of NATO member and partner states on a scale from A (low risk) to F (critical risk). Bosnia scored a C overall, representing moderate risk of corruption, but a D for procurement risks.

Formal procedures govern procurement and promotions in Bosnia, but they are often not enforced.

TI-DSP found that although formal procedures govern military asset disposals, the MoD’s record and disposal of its moveable assets is not transparent. The lack of accountability has caused many cases of weapons disappearances and, possibly, the illicit trade of weapons and ammunition.

The report also demonstrated how the fundamental dysfunctionality of the state was creating corruption risks and ultimately weakening defence capability. The Ministry of Defence was not short of formal procedures, but many were frequently ignored due to the politicisation of processes and an exceptionally complicated legal framework.

Commenting on corruption risks across NATO Katherine Dixon, Programme Director Transparency International Defence and Security, said:

“Transparent and accountable defence institutions should be the heart of what NATO stands for as an Alliance. At a time of renewed focus on collective defence, NATO needs to be clear what it is there to defend – societies characterised by the highest democratic standards.
NATO is the world’s largest military and political alliance – through partnerships and military deployments NATO also exerts unparalleled global influence. Whether NATO member states are prepared to hold themselves to the highest standards of integrity and whether they are prepared to tackle corruption in states where they are engaged matters enormously to international security.

NATO: the facts
• The North Atlantic Treaty Organisation is the world’s largest military and political alliance.
• Six of its member states are among the world’s 15 top defence spenders.
• In 2014, their budgets constituted 46.5% of worldwide expenditure.
• 10 out of the world’s 20 largest arms exporters are NATO members and a further 3 are European partners.

Results – TIDSP – 4 12 2015 eng