Transparencia por Colombia

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Year established: 1998
Website: Inicio - Transparencia por Colombia
Region: Colombia

Organisation Bio: Founded in 1998, TPC (Transparencia por Colombia) is the Colombian chapter of Transparency International, a global anti-corruption movement with a presence in over 100 countries. Established in response to a politically complex environment affected by corruption, TPC has a mission to create a Colombia free from corruption, promoting integrity and collective well-being. For over 25 years, TPC has focused on strengthening civic capacities, transparency, and equity in political power, reducing corruption risks in public contracting, advocating for an improved anti-corruption legislative framework, increasing corporate accountability in the fight against corruption and strengthening and improving the conditions for reporting corruption cases as well as the protection of whistleblowers.

Work on whistleblowing: In 2017, TPC inaugurated the Anti-Corruption Legal Advice Center (ALAC) www.transparenciacolonmbia.org/alac, a free, independent and confidential service that advises citizens in reporting suspected cases of corruption.  TPC directly guides and accompanies an average of 155 cases/complainants per year. 
However, there is still a lack of information in the country on the profile of whistleblowers, their relationship and articulation with human rights defenders, and the diversity of risks to which they are exposed. Therefore, although corruption whistleblowers constitute an influential socio-political group and defenders of human rights, they are still unknown and unprotected.

Therefore, TPC performs an integral task in:
  • Guidance to whistleblowers in their reporting of corruption.
  • Increasing knowledge of the needs of whistleblowers and strengthening of recommendations on whistleblower protection.
  • Raising awareness within civil society about whistleblower protection, particularly through collaboration with human rights organizations
  • Making Advocacy efforts for the Colombian “Whistleblower Protection” bill, which has yet to be voted on and the adoption of a “Whistleblower Public Policy”
  • Expanding international dialogue and collaboration on whistleblower protection.