Promoting Integrity in the Construction of Latvia’s National Library
Transparency International Latvia - Delna, with financial support from the “Partnership for Transparency Fund” during 2009 is working to ensure that Latvia’s National Library is built in an open, publicly understandable and honest manner.
The aim of the project is to see that the construction process follows principles of good management and avoids practices that might encourage corruption. Delna will seek to increase the transparency of the process by inviting the appropriate contracting agencies to respond frankly and fully to public concerns.
Delna will focus on the following key issues:
- The National Library’s total construction cost and its possible reduction;
- Selection of sub-contractors;
- Implementation of anti-corruption declarations.
Delna’s work on this project is based on the
Integrity Pact signed on September 2, 2005 with the Ministry of Culture and the State Agency “New Three Brothers”. In this cooperation agreement
Delna undertook to promote the implementation of good management principles in the design and construction process for Latvia’s three planned new cultural landmarks: the National Library, the Acoustic Concert Hall, and the Museum of Modern Art. The agreement sets the goal of introducing ethical and anti-corruption principles in both government and private agencies involved in the design and construction process, to prevent dishonest use of public funds in these great projects. An integral part of the agreement is the Anti-corruption Declaration, signed by all enterprises taking part in the design or construction of these buildings.
Within the framework of the cooperation agreement,
Delna has performed both monitoring functions and those of a public representative.
Since the “New Three Brothers” have been incorporated into the Ministry of Culture according to the Cabinet of Ministers decision of May 29, 2009, as of July 1 the cooperation agreement became a bilateral one between Delna and the Ministry of Culture.
The project is run with financial support from the “Partnership for Transparency Fund”.
