What is Transparency International Greenland?

Transparency International Greenland is an organisation working to prevent corruption in Greenland, in co-operation with the international organisation Transparency International.

The organisation fights corruption by working to ensure that the decisions taken by the public administration and companies in the business world are transparent to individual organisations, companies and citizens, and by providing information on corruption and its damaging effects on Greenlandic society.

More specifically, this means that the association works to:

• Secure a strong knowledge of corruption and relevant grey areas in Greenland businesses, media, civil society and administration.
• Advocate and lobby for appropriate legal frameworks, legislation and control mechanisms to ensure transparency and accountability.

What is Corruption?

“Corruption is abuse of entrusted power for private gain”

Corruption can therefore be many things. Examples include bribery and lubrication, which are very direct forms of corruption. Or political donations, charity donations, sponsorships, conflicts of interest, gifts or entertainment, which can be in a gray zone, where in many cases there can be doubts as to whether it is corruption. Corruption can be present to varying degrees, but common to all of them is that they create inequality in society, because some citizens – either through contacts or by paying – obtain opportunities that are not open to all citizens in society.

Corruption therefore concerns you too!

Whistleblowers

Society needs whistleblowers

Inatsisart Act on the protection of whistleblowers comes into force as of 1 January 2025. It will apply to all public and private entities that must join an external scheme. However, companies with less than 100 employees have until 1 July 2025 to set up a scheme.

The law is a recognition that good supervision and control cannot stand alone when it comes to protecting the country’s resources, both on land and at sea, which are spread all over the country. Everyone must make an effort to look after these resources. With the new inatsisart law, everyone, both employees and other persons who become aware of dishonest procedures, fraud, nepotism or other abuse of the system, can safely draw attention to objectionable or outright illegal conditions.

The law requires employers to make information available to their employees in a clear and easily accessible form about the procedure for reporting to the external whistleblower scheme.

Are you considering becoming a whistleblower?

Today, there are a number of different whistleblower schemes, both internal and external. In the Handbook on anti-corruption and the Handbook for municipalities (see under publications) you can read about whistleblowers. Transparency recommends that you investigate which scheme exists at your workplace. Also talk to your trustee if you are in doubt.

Transparency does not have the opportunity to enter into individual cases and therefore cannot help you if you are exposed to reprisals.