In 2016, Ukrainian civil activists and international experts created the Independent Defence Anti-Corruption Committee (NAKO). At first, NAKO was a project focused on Ukraine’s defence sector exclusively. It consisted of three Ukrainian and three international experts.
In 2019, with the support of its founders, NAKO grew into an independent civil society organization that works to reduce corruption risks and promote good governance in areas critical for national security. To reflect the broadening of its mandate, NAKO received a new name: the Independent Anti-Corruption Commission. Currently, NAKO maintains a strategic partnership with the Transparency International movement. Relations between NAKO, Transparency International Ukraine, and Transparency International Defence and Security are regulated by a trilateral Memorandum of Understanding.
NAKO’s key governing body is the Conference of Members, which includes highly reputable experts in governance, anti-corruption, and media. The Conference has both Ukrainian and international members. In between the meetings of the Conference of Members, NAKO is governed by an independent professional Board. The Executive Director is responsible for NAKO’s operational management.
In 2021, NAKO’s work is kindly supported by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office of Great Britain and the Embassy of France to Ukraine. Previously, NAKO’s work has also been supported by the International Renaissance Foundation, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Sweden, and the EU Anti-Corruption Initiative (EUACI).