For two days, The Marriott Hotel in Bogotá, Colombia hosted one of the highest-level forums organised by Semana magazine. On this occasion, the forum was entitled “Corruption: the worst form of violence”, and it enjoyed the support of the European Union and FIIAPP, through the ACTUE Colombia project of the EUROsociAL+ programme, in addition to receiving funds from the foundation itself.

This forum brought together leading international and Columbian officials, as well as top anti-corruption experts from academia, the media, social organisations and political movements, for a two-day discussion on the forms and causes of corruption in Colombia and to propose measures to counteract this problem troubling the country. Participants notably included Colombian president, Juan Manuel Santos; the country’s attorney general, prosecutor and comptroller, as well as the president of Transparency International, José Ugaz; Spanish judge, José de la Mata; and FIIAPP director, Pedro Flores.

The purpose of the “Corruption: the worst form of violence” forum was to generate a joint reflection among public officials, international experts, civil society organisations, journalists and politicians on the challenges posed by new forms of corruption; to share successful experiences; and to identify novel strategies for combating impunity and promoting a cultural change. These presentations were noteworthy for the recommendations regarding the need to break the vicious circle between political funding and public contracting, fighting organised crime, in addition to establishing a common and comprehensive focus in the area of prevention. One common point that the participants agreed on was the need to promote a social change in favour of the public sphere among citizens, to foster ethical values and political integrity. The event was covered by numerous media outlets from all over the country.

FIIAPP at the Semana Fórum

FIIAPP provided financial and technical support for this important forum and took part in the panel on good practices and international experiences. Chaired by Pedro Flores, this panel included Judge José de la Mata, who presented important keys to improving the investigation and prosecution of corruption cases, and Patrick Moulette, the head of the OECD Anti-Corruption Division, who explained the measures that the OECD are promoting to fight transnational bribery.