Brussels: Today, the Institute for European Integrity (IEI) launched its flagship NGO Watchlist. The Watchlist identifies suspicious, high-risk, criminally-linked, or sanctioned NGOs and investigates their funders and links to government influence. The organizations placed on the Watchlist are identified as having deep involvement with or funding from an individual or entity that has been criminally prosecuted or sanctioned (Russia-invoked sanctions are excluded). Additionally, a separate category of watchlisted NGOs includes those with strong links to individuals with criminal allegations levelled by a European, EU, US, or UK government authority.
Ten NGOs meeting these criteria feature on the Watchlist upon its launch today. They are: Comité International pour la Protection des Droits de l’Homme (CIPDH), the Association Dialogue Franco-Russe, Dialogue of Civilizations, Open Dialogue Foundation, Public Initiative “Creative Diplomacy” (PICREADI), St. Basil the Great Foundation, The Alexander Gorchakov Public Diplomacy Fund, The Institute of Democracy and Cooperation in Paris, Multipolar World Institute, and Optimists Without Borders.
IEI has assembled a team of sector-leading researchers, analysts, and subject matter experts to complete investigations on these and additional NGOs. The Watchlist will be updated regularly as this expert team continues to identify and investigate corrupt entities and provide further tools to address corruption at www.iei.ngo.
Annie Cowan, Executive Director at IEI said: “NGOs funded and driven by ill-intentioned networks and individuals thrive right under our noses in Europe, and often present themselves as innocuous when in fact, their purposes range from the laundering of individual reputations, narratives, and wealth to the support of state-sponsored malign influence campaigns. The Institute for European Integrity hopes our ongoing work can provide a living tool and resources to help policymakers, officials, and legitimate third-sector organizations identify and avoid these high-risk entities that seek to corrupt, subvert, and threaten the democratic values we uphold."
Olga Lautman, Senior Investigative Researcher & International Investigative Coordinator said: “Europe’s democracy is being subverted by the malign influence of kleptocrats who gain political influence by corrupting the third sector. This undermines Europe’s relationships internally and abroad and brings distrust in its institutions. IEI’s NGO watchlist deters such activity by bringing transparency and accountablity”.
About IEI: The Institute for European Integrity (IEI) exposes systems and networks that enable corruption to thrive, bringing greater transparency and integrity in Europe’s governing institutions. Through sustained spotlighting of the activities and relationships of NGOs, government officials, and kleptocrats, IEI builds accountability and marginalizes the influence of dark money in Europe.
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