ICC Albania Conference on Integrity & Anti-Corruption 2025
ICC Albania hosts the conference of the Week of Integrity. This multi-stakeholder conference aims to foster an open dialogue between executives and experts from the private and the public sector, NGO’s, and academics and to galvanize a response to current matters, raise awareness, and promote ethical behavior.
Conference Theme: “Integrity: A compass for Democracy and Competitiveness“
The speakers and Agenda will be available in the coming days.
9 December 2025 | 08:30 – 16:00
Marriott Hotel Tirana
08:30 – 08:50
Registration
08:55 – 09:00
Welcome and opening
Main Conference room, Amantia 2&3
Master of the Conference: Dr. Valbona Karakaci
09:00 – 09:20
Opening and welcome remarks
Main Conference room, Amantia 2&3
Mr. Nicholas A. Rana, Chairman, ICC Albania
H.E. Ruth Huber, Swiss Ambassador in Albania
Mrs. Adea Pirdeni, Minister of State for Public Administration and Anti-corruption
09:20 – 09:28
Keynote speech
Dr. Claudia Baez Camargo, Director of Prevention, Research and Innovation, Basel Institute on Governance
09:30 – 10:50
Session 1: Integrity in Governance: The Role of Accountability in Democracy
Main Conference room, Amantia 2&3
This panel will focus into the concept of accountability as a cornerstone of integrity in democratic institutions. As trust in public institutions continues to face challenges, the panel will explore how strong accountability frameworks can restore public faith and create transparent governance models. This panel will also focus on the complex role of lobbying in democratic societies, highlighting both its potential to influence public policy and the ethical risks it poses to public integrity. The panel will examine best practices for ensuring accountability in both government and civil society, and discuss the consequences of corruption, inefficiency, and lack of oversight.
Moderator: Dr. Valbona Karakaci
Albi Alla, Alber & Geiger, Belgium
Albert Hani, Director of Secretariat, Regional Anticorruption Initiative, Bosniaand Herzegovina
Elona Hoxhaj, Director, Commissioner for the Right of Information, Albania
Silvana Ramadani, Advisor for Anti-corruption, Minister of State for Public Administration nd Anti-corruption, Albania
Dr. Nieves Zúñiga, Expert, Council of Europe
10:50 – 11:10
Coffee break
11:15 – 12:20
Special session 2: Insight Partners Session
Main Conference room, Amantia 2&3
This special session will be dedicated to our Insight Partners, recognizing their valuable contributions through research and survey collaboration. This panel will present key findings from recent surveys conducted with youth, the business community, citizens, and academia, offering a data-driven perspective on public trust, institutional integrity, and perceptions of competitiveness. The session will serve as a platform for dialogue around evidence-based policy, collective accountability, and the role of diverse voices in shaping democratic and economic progress.
• Integrity Plans and impact on local level
Moderator: Ina Karapanço, Communication and Business Consultant
Anise Abazi, HR Manager, Deloitte Albania
Lutjona Lula, Executive Director, ESN Albania
Rovena Sulstarova
PARALLEL SESSIONS (12:20 – 13:40)
12:20 – 13:40
Parallel session 3: Integrity and Competitiveness: Building a Fair and Resilient Market
Main Conference room, Amantia 2&3
As Albania advances its EU integration agenda, key reforms are reshaping the country’s corporate governance landscape, enhancing transparency, accountability, sustainability, and ethical business conduct. These reforms, aligned with EU directives, are designed to facilitate a smoother integration process while strengthening the competitiveness of Albanian businesses in the regional and global markets.
This panel brings together representatives from the telecommunications and banking sectors, along with experts from the legal, business, and international development communities. Together, they will explore how corporate governance reforms, integrity measures, and ethical business practices contribute to economic growth, fair competition, and Albania’s alignment with European standards.
Moderator: To be confirmed – GIZ expert
Jonida Lakuriqi, Director of Legal& Public Policies Corporate & External Affairs, Vodafone Albania
Markeljan Rriska, Compliance Officer, Intesa SanPaolo Bank Albania
Anisa Rrumbullaku, Chair of Commission on Sustainable Development and Integrity ICC Albania, (CR Partners)
Scarlet Wannenwetsch, Head of Collective Action, Basel Institute of Governance
12:20 – 13:40
Parallel session 3: Building Trust: Insights into Local Integrity Planning
Hosted by Helvetas in collaboration with RAI and AMVV and MAPA
Amantia 1 room
Join this session to learn more on the efforts made at local level, by Municipalities to improve their approach to integrity, increase transparency and fight corruption. The role of Municipalities is crucial not only to Improve services to citizens, but also to take decisions in a transparent manner, by making use of consultation instruments and an effective use of resources.
The session will explore how Municipalities have engaged into preparing Integrity Plans, in line with the National Anti-corruption Strategy adopted by Albania, what is the typology of measures and activities included in these plans and what are the indicators and the results. The general trend of local approach to integrity and anticorruption will identify the peculiarities at the municipal level. By analysing also the stakeholders involved, it will be possible to draw conclusions, learn lessons and provide valid recommendations for establishing a methodology to not only design the planning phase, but also ensure the implementation, monitoring and performance measurement of the “anticorruption sector” by Municipalities.
13:40 – 14:20
Lunch
PARALLEL SESSIONS (14:30 – 16:00)
Parallel session 4: Building capacities for sustainable monitoring of public contracts
Hosted by the Center for Legal Empowerment, Albanian Institutes for Research and supported by the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Albania
Main Conference room, Amantia 2&3
This panels of discussion will examine the importance of enhancing institutional and civic capacities to ensure ongoing, transparent, and accountable monitoring of public contracts. It will bring together representatives from civil society, media, academia, and public institutions to exchange experiences and discuss innovative approaches to improving oversight mechanisms. Participants will reflect on the challenges and opportunities in implementing the new legal framework on public-private partnerships, as well as the role of data transparency and independent journalism in fostering integrity and public trust. The discussion will also contribute to shaping the vision and operational framework of the forthcoming Observatory of Public Contracts.
Opening Remarks
H.E. Reinout Vos, Ambassador of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Albania
Moderator – Erla Mehilli
Franc Terihati , Executive Director, Centre for Legal Empowerment
Building capacities for sustainable monitoring of public contracts from civil society
Prof.As.Dr Juelda Lamçe, Legal Advisor to the Cabinet of the Head of the Institution
Challenges and achievements of SPAK in the criminal prosecution of public contract cases
Milva Ekonomi, Chairwoman of Parliamentary Committee on Economy, Employment and Finance
Parliamentary oversight of public–private partnerships
Reida Kashta, General Director, Public Procurement Agency
The role of the Public Procurement Agency in the EU Acquis Alignment Process under Chapter 5
Dr. Rianne Warsen, Assistant Professor, Public Management at the Department of Public Administration and Sociology at Erasmus University Rotterdam
Monitoring public-private partnership contracts: Insights and experiences from the Netherlands
Parallel session 4: Workshop – Gatekeepers: New strategies for engaging key professions in the fight against corruption
hosted by CR Partners, organized in collaboration with Basel Institute of Governance, ESG Network Albania and ICC Albania
Amantia 1 room
Preliminary Programme
Join this session to examine how gatekeeping professionals in finance, law, and accountancy can play a critical role to ensure integrity and fair competition in the market. Their position as trusted advisors and partners in organizations of all sizes makes them essential allies in advancing Collective Action against corruption.
The session will explore how lessons from the highly regulated financial sector can be adapted to strengthen collaboration with other less engaged but equally important gatekeeping professions. Participants will workshop emerging cross-sector anti-corruption strategies and consider practical ways to mobilize legal and accounting professionals as proactive partners in integrity efforts in Albania and the wider region.
Scarlet Wannenwetsch, Head of Collective Action, Basel Institute of Governance