In August 2021, a NATO Building Integrity (BI) team, in cooperation with NATO Mission Iraq (NMI) and Allied Joint Force Command Naples (JFCN), concluded the BI train-the-trainers programme for the Ministerial Training and Development Centre (MTDC) of the Ministry of Defence of Iraq.
From 23 March 2021 to 15 July 2021, a core team composed of personnel from NATO BI and JFCN delivered an intensive and customised training programme for future Building Integrity trainers. The purpose of the training was to enhance national capabilities related to building integrity and good governance in the defence and security sector and to support the Iraqi Ministry of Defence in its anti-corruption efforts.
In a hybrid format of lectures delivered online to participants in Baghdad, lecturers and trainees engaged in discussions on subjects such as corruption as a security risk, international legal standards, the role of ethics and the assessment of corruption risks. Special attention was paid to the ministerial functional areas such as procurement, internal audit and human resources management, which play a critical role in strengthening institutional resilience against corruption.
“MTDC instructors have demonstrated their commitment to promoting the values and rules of integrity, combatting corruption and reducing its risks in a manner that contributes to achieving the overall objectives of the Ministry of Defence,” said Mr Hussain Mohamed Taher, Director of the General Directorate for Budget and Programmes at the Ministry of Defence and one of the participants of the programme.
Iraqi partners were able to expand their network of contacts and learn from the experience and good practices of other countries since representatives from the ministries of defence of Italy, Norway and the United Kingdom participated in the programme. All participants were able to reflect on the multidimensional and crosscutting nature of Building Integrity and good governance reforms, while exchanging experiences on challenges and lessons learned.
The three-month programme culminated in the certificate handover ceremony, which was held on 3 August in Baghdad under the auspices of the Secretary General of the Iraqi Ministry of Defense, Mr Jabbar Thajeel Mutalak Al-Haidari; the Director of the Ministerial Training and Development Center, Mr Ali Hassoun; the representative of the Secretary General, Adel Al-Fartousi; and the Commander of NATO Mission Iraq, Lieutenant General Michael Lollesgaard.