WIN is proud to announce that it has joined a number of non-governmental organisations (NGOs) in Europe and Latin America in an agreement to support and collaborate on activities and advocacy designed to promote effective whistleblower protection in Latin America.
WIN was amongst key European and Latin American NGOs active in the area of whistleblower protection who gathered at the Universitat Politècnica de València's recent conference on whistleblowing. These organisations formalised their agreement on 1st April 2019 and signed a declaration of solidarity and collaboration - the Valencia Declaration.
WIN and its European member-organisations such as Whistleblowers-Netzwerk and Maison des Lanceurs d’Alerte have signed the declaration. These organisations working in coalition with many others, including unions, played a central role in the recent advocacy drive in Europe which helped shape effective and comprehensive legislation at the EU level. The result is a new EU Directive on Whistleblower Protection which will be adopted by the European Parliament in mid-April 2019.
The success of civil society advocacy in Europe demonstrates how coordination and collaboration between organisations based in different countries can improve the protection of those reporting in the public interest. These organisations will work with a range of other European and Latin American NGOs including FIBGAR – the Spanish and Latin American foundation on human rights, and Ciudadania Inteligente of Chile, to share experiences, support, and raise awareness among civil society in Latin America. It is vital that civil society engage in these collaborative initiatives to protect whistleblowers, combat corruption and address impunity across all jurisdictions.
WIN has been supporting organisations in Latin America since the network’s inception, but the Valencia Declaration marks the start of a sustained and (no doubt) fruitful relationship between WIN and NGOs from all over Latin America. We are especially excited and grateful for this opportunity to participate in a focused and coordinated collaboration and for the chance to exchange expertise and resources with esteemed colleagues in Europe and Latin America.
The Valencia Declaration is also available in Spanish.
8th April 2019