On 9 June 2026, Ms Hanne Juncher, Director of Security, Integrity and Rule of Law of the Council of Europe, delivered the keynote address at the 6th International Collective Action Conference in Basel, Switzerland, organised by the Basel Institute on Governance. 

In her address, Ms Juncher underlined that “corruption is much more than a failure of governance or a breach of ethics” and noted that “corruption is increasingly recognised as a democratic security challenge”. Highlighting collective action as one of the most effective responses to corruption she pointed out that “no ministry, anti-corruption agency or law enforcement body can address corruption successfully in isolation”. 

She also underlined the importance of cooperation between public authorities and the private sector in preventing and addressing corruption risks, noting that many of the vulnerabilities identified by monitoring bodies arose at the interface between public authorities and private actors.

Referring to the work of the Council of Europe’s Group of States against Corruption (GRECO), she highlighted its contribution to anti-corruption reforms across its 48 member States and drew attention to GRECO’s Sixth Evaluation Round, which focuses on preventing corruption and promoting integrity at sub-national level. 

Concluding her remarks, Ms Juncher called for continued cooperation across institutions, sectors and borders to ensure that integrity continues to be a cornerstone of democracy.