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REGIONAL CONFERENCE
March 11-14, 2002, Sofia
 The Center for the Study
of Democracy and the George C. Marshall European Center
for Security Studies jointly organized a regional conference
"Institutionalizing the Prevention of Corruption in Security
Forces: Enhancing Preventive Structures" held from March 11th to
14th, 2002 in Boyana Conference Center, Sofia. 
Being a part of a series of events organized by the
Marshall Center (see also the conference "Corruption within Security Forces: a Threat
to National Security" held in Garmisch-Partenkirchen in May,
2001), the conference aimed to examine and assess the threat posed
by organized crime and corruption to the national security in the
region by streamlining the anticorruption strategies and future
activities of cooperation in that area.
 The conference brought together approximately 50
senior executives from governmental security organizations from 11
countries of Southeast Europe (Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina,
Croatia, Hungary, Macedonia, Moldova, Rumania, Slovakia, Slovenia
and Bulgaria) well as special observers from international
organizations and local NGOs.
The Bulgarian delegation included 10
representatives, among them Col. Roumen Milanov, Director, National
Service for Combating the Organized Crime, Col. Svetlin Michaylov,
Adviser, National Service for Protection, Col. Plamen Galabov,
Deputy Director, National Security Service, Dr. Lyubomir Stamenov,
Dean, Security Department, Academy of the Ministry of Interior, Lt.
Col. Nikolay Yordanov, Chief, Analysis and Information Department,
Ministry of Defense and Col. Vasko Balabanov, Chief of the Military
Contra-Intelligence Department, Ministry of Defense.
High-level representatives of Bulgarian governmental
security institutions were also present: Gen. Dimo Gyaurov, Head of
the National Investigation Service, BG Plamen Studenkov, Director
of the Defense Information Service with the Ministry of Defense as
well as representatives of the Supreme Cassation Prosecutor's
Office and Customs Agency with the Ministry of Finance.
Ambassador Victor Jackovich, Associate Director of
the Marshall Center and Bulgarian Minister of Defense Nickolay
Svinarov provided opening remarks. Delegate discussions were
assisted by expert presentations and workshop direction from
current and former members of the Lithuanian Special Investigative
Service, the Bulgarian Ministries of Defense and Interior, the FBI,
the BKA, the German Armed Forces, the US Departments of Defense,
State, and Justice, and the American Bar Association. Special
presentations were provided by a number of officials from each
delegation during the conference.
In his opening speech the Minister of Defense
Nikolay Svinarov pointed out that army was among the state
institutions least affected by corruption. Similar violations are
rather single cases, he added. The government has firmly decided to
fulfill its commitment to fight corruption. This commitment is part
of the "contract with the voters", which was "signed" between the
people and the government of the prime minister Simeon
Sax-Coburg-Gotha after his party won the parliamentary
elections.
 Mr. Roderick Moore, Charge d'Affairs at the US
Embassy in Sofia, emphasized "the tremendous job of raising public
awareness on corruption done by organizations such as CSD and
Marshall Center". However, the fact that there is not a single,
prominent corruption case that has ended in a prison term for a
Bulgarian government employee is highly surprising and this high
level of tolerance for "white collar" crime is highly damaging the
economy, the democratic system and the international reputation of
Bulgaria, Mr. Moore added. He gave examples of the high percentage
of convicted public officials in the USA which brought to a high
public confidence in local police forces in the country. Mr. Moore
also highlighted the importance of the judicial reform in as a
necessary step toward curbing corruption in Bulgaria.
It is indispensable that new structures for internal
control within the Ministry of Interior and the Ministry of Defense
are established, said the former minister of defense and director
of the European Program at CSD Ambassador Boyko Noev in his closing
remarks. The new units are necessary because the two ministries are
the main institutions which have created special bodies to fight
all kinds of violation of law and corruption in particular. 
 The conference proceeded in several plenary sessions
and specialized workshops in a four-day format with the following
topics included in the agenda:
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Effectiveness of current structures
to prevent corruption
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Character-Building and
Standards/Codes of Ethics
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Accountability-enhancing structures
and internal control mechanisms
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Assisting investigators and
prosecutors within the Security Forces
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Enhancing NGO
cooperation/Public-Private cooperation
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Enhancing international
cooperation
 Energetic discussions among the
participants significantly increased mutual understanding, raised
awareness of potential cooperative efforts, and laid the groundwork
for a consensus on specific steps that countries can undertake in
the fight against corruption within the Security Forces.
 A cocktail reception hosted by the Minister of
Defense Mr. Nikolay Svinarov took place on the first day of the
conference. Mr. Anton Stankov, Minister of Justice of Bulgaria,
LtCol. D. Maas, Military Attache at the Embassy of the Federal
Republic of Germany and Col. Barry Shade, Defense and Air Attache
at the US Embassy in Sofia were also present.
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