The Integrity Chamber of Sint Maarten has submitted its latest advice to the Government of Sint Maarten, recommending the establishment and implementation of an Internal Whistleblowing Policy. This advice aims to strengthen the country’s integrity infrastructure by providing a secure and structured mechanism for reporting misconduct within government.
A whistleblower is someone who discloses wrongdoing within an organisation. Despite the negative perception of the term ‘whistleblowing’, a well-defined whistleblowing policy enables positive change. When individuals report wrongdoing, they act as safeguards, preventing harm to others and the organization. Providing a safe channel for employees to raise concerns exposes issues that might otherwise remain concealed. When addressed, this can lead to less occurrences of integrity issues and misconducts on the work floor. Promoting a culture where employees feel safe to speak up is therefore vital.
Recognising the crucial role employees play in upholding transparency and accountability, the Integrity Chamber emphasises the need for a whistleblowing policy to detect and address integrity issues, and other unethical behaviours. The advice highlights the benefits of such a policy, including creating a safe environment, ensuring early detection of misconduct, and providing protections for whistleblowers against retaliation.
The advice, developed following discussions with experts in the field and other stakeholders, emphasises key components of an effective whistleblowing framework, including:
- Clearly defining who can report and what types of misconduct should be reported;
- Establishing secure and confidential reporting channels;
- Implementing thorough investigation protocols;
- Instituting strong whistleblower protection measures;
- Ensuring leadership commitment to fostering a culture of integrity.
The advice provides a phased approach for implementation, beginning with building awareness and an ethical culture, followed by the formal adoption and evaluation of the policy. The Integrity Chamber urges the Government of Sint Maarten to take action in implementing this policy to further strengthen its integrity framework.
The full advice is publicly available and can be accessed through the Integrity Chamber’s official website, www.integritychamber.sx/publications.
