The Library and Documentation Centre on the Prevention and Fight against Fraud and Corruption

Last year marks the 20th anniversary of the 2003 United Nations Convention against Corruption , which Spain ratified in 2006. The Convention requires signatory States to ensure the existence of bodies responsible for the prevention of corruption. In 2016, Les Corts agreed to establish an anti-corruption strategy for the Valencian Community, assuming and implementing the Convention through the approval of Law 11/2016 on the Agency for the Prevention and Fight against Fraud and Corruption. Regulatory framework, institutional framework and context The Valencian Anti-Fraud Agency (also AVAF) was created to prevent and eradicate fraud and corruption in Valencian public institutions and to promote integrity and public ethics, and stresses that among its functions is the contribution that it can make to the creation of a social culture of rejection of corruption.  either with specific programmes to raise awareness among citizens or in coordination with administrations or other public or private organisations. (Law 11/2016, DOGV no. 7928, BOE no. 306) In the regulation that develops Law 11/2016 it is established that the Agency will have a documentary collection specialized in the prevention and fight against fraud and corruption, and in the promotion of integrity and good practices in the Administration, with the aim of building a reference documentation center, which is part of the network of specialized libraries and documentation centers of the Valencian Community.  and that it is at the service of the citizenry. (AVAF Regulation, Article 29, DOGV no. 8582) Beyond the normative and institutional frameworks themselves, it is important to remember that the Universal Declaration of Human Rights contemplates the right to information and the right to freedom of expression as fundamental rights. (Universal Declaration of Human Rights, 1948. Article (19) IFLA, for its part, argues that libraries and information services are vital to an open and democratic Information Society, and are essential for a well-informed citizenry and transparent government. (IFLA, Alexandria Manifesto, 2005) Law 4/2011 on libraries in the Valencian Community conceives reading as a basic tool for the development of personality and also as an instrument for socialization, that is, as an essential element for training and democratic coexistence, to develop in the information society. To read is to choose perspectives from which to situate our gaze, inviting us to reflect, to think and to create. (Law 4/2011 on libraries of the Valencian Community, DOGV no. 6488, BOE no. 91) Since 2020, the AVAF Documentation Service has been working intensively on the implementation of the Agency’s information and documentation system and its archive, with the aim of facilitating access to the information generated in the performance of its functions and promoting transparency in public institutions, and, in parallel,  It has also been working on the implementation of the Library and Documentation Centre on the Prevention and Fight against Fraud and Corruption. The mission and lines of development of the collection The mission of the Documentation Service is to facilitate access to information and documentation resources in the field of the fight against fraud and corruption, to contribute to the investigation, prevention, training and dissemination work of the Valencian Anti-Fraud Agency, and to collaborate in the processes of creation and dissemination of knowledge that are specific to its functions.  All this to promote a better informed and participatory society in which a culture of rejection of corruption strengthens democratic values. Consequently, the library’s collection is developed around the following subjects: Ethics and Public Integrity Transparency, access to public information, citizen participation and good governance Fraud & Corruption Prevention Social awareness of fraud and corruption Analysis, investigation and study of corruption cases Reporting Channels Whistleblowing and protection of corruption whistleblowers Ethics, Philosophy of Law, Social and Political Philosophy, and Professional Deontology And other more transversal ones related to law, administration, and the geographical, social, regulatory and institutional context of the Agency. The collection that the AVAF is putting together is a unique collection, there are no specialized information resources in the prevention and fight against fraud and corruption throughout the Spanish territory. Although it is possible to locate many of the documents contained in the AVAF collection scattered in other libraries of the administration and in university libraries, we are facing the project of bringing together a unique collection, with the aim of also opening up to the public. The OPAC and services The Documentation Service recently put out to tender, through the Public Sector Procurement Platform <https://contrataciondelestado.es/>, the Integrated Library Management System, SIGB, which has allowed us to make consultation on the fund available through an OPAC. The OPAC is accessible from the Agency’s homepage https://www.antifraucv.es/ , and also directly in https://biblioteca.antifraucv.es/. Consultation of the OPAC is available from any computer connected to the internet 24/7, is permanently updated, allows the simultaneous concurrence of users and allows bibliographic searches to be carried out on the AVAF documentary collection. Currently, AVAF funds are only accessible to Agency staff due to the respect due to confidentiality in their actions (Law 11/2016, Article 8. and AVAF Regulations, Article 9) In addition, internally and as a service to the AVAF staff, the services provided by specialised libraries and documentation centres to the community of users they serve have been standardised. The acquisition and subscription of basic information resources such as books and other bibliographic materials, yearbooks and legal and multidisciplinary databases has been standardized. After their technical process, they are immediately made available to users, with training, if deemed necessary. Reference services, thematic searches, and locating and obtaining documents are also provided. And, finally, selective dissemination of information is carried out through sectoral and general bibliographic alerts, a bulletin of bibliographic news from the AVAF collection and dissemination of the Agency’s publications. The Library and Documentation Centre of the Agency for the Prevention and Fight against Fraud and Corruption of the Valencian Community has also already begun its process of integration into the library system: it is included in  the Directory of Spanish Libraries and in  the Map of Specialised Libraries,  both resources promoted by the Council for Library Cooperation.  and…

The Valencian Anti-Fraud Agency integrates an accessibility platform on its website for people with hearing and visual difficulties

València, January 31, 2024.- The Valencian Anti-Fraud Agency has integrated an accessibility platform on its website: www.antifraucv.es. With the implementation of the new accessible version, the Valencian Anti-Fraud Agency is committed to equal digital access for all citizens and the promotion of a more inclusive society.

This new service, integrated into the corporate website, goes beyond the standards established by the legal framework for web and mobile application accessibility in the public sector, offering a more accessible online experience.

To activate the accessibility platform on the website of the Valencian Anti-Fraud Agency, users only need to click on the warning tab located on the left margin of the screen. Once activated, the tool adapts the interface and navigation of the website to meet the individual needs of users, both visual and auditory, with the aim of obtaining an optimal web experience accessible to all citizens.

With this new platform, the AVAF advances in the process of continuous improvement on its website, with the aim of achieving 100% accessibility. This commitment to digital inclusion includes the continuous improvement of compatibility with screen readers, the optimization of responsive design or the enrichment of alternative content, subtitles and audio descriptions, to facilitate access to content for users with hearing or visual disabilities.

The City Council of La Pobla de Vallbona and the Valencian Anti-Fraud Agency have signed a protocol to launch the complaint mailboxes

València, 30 January 2024.- The mayor of La Pobla de Vallbona, Abel Martí, and the director of the Valencian Anti-Fraud Agency, Joan Llinares, have signed a collaboration protocol between both institutions for the implementation of both internal and external complaint boxes, thus complying with the requirement of Law 2/2023 regulating the protection of people who report regulatory infringements and the fight against corruption.

The City Council of La Pobla de Vallbona will enable as an external channel for complaints the complaint mailbox of the Valencia Anti-Fraud Agency, which will be visible on the municipal website; A mailbox that guarantees the confidentiality of whistleblowers, as well as allowing the possibility of being able to make complaints anonymously.

It should be recalled that Law 2/2023, published in the Official State Gazette on 21 February, transposes into Spanish law the European Directive 1937/2019 on the protection of persons who report breaches of EU law, better known as the Whistleblowers Directive.

Through this agreement, the City Council of La Pobla de Vallbona incorporates institutional integrity into strategic planning, also enabling a specific internal whistleblowing channel and the connection with the Agency’s external whistleblowing channel.

The collaboration between both institutions will also extend to other actions and activities such as those of a training nature where the staff of the city council will receive training in aspects related to the promotion of ethics and public integrity, as well as the prevention and detection of situations constituting fraud and corruption.