What is it?

The Ethics and Good Governance Mailbox, as an intern information channel, is one of the pieces making up the Internal Information System at Barcelona City Council and the linked organisations sharing it.

It is governed by the Ethics and Good Governance Mailbox’s Regulatory Rules as well as Act 2/2023, governing the protection of whistleblowers and the fight against corruption.

The Ethics and Good Governance Mailbox is a secure e-participation channel which was set up in 2017, as a means of strengthening public management, given the convenience of offering a space for learning of any action or omission contrary to the legal order and/or ethical guidelines of behaviour and which are relevant to general interests. Actions and omissions which therefore include those referred to in Articles 2 and 3 of Act 2/2023, governing the protection of whistleblowers and the fight against corruption.

It includes mechanisms for guaranteeing confidentiality of all information and anonymity if requested. It offers a secure communication space for maintaining contact with the managing body and finding out processing statuses, even in anonymous cases. If you would like to ensure that any individual or public servant can provide information without suffering reprisals.

This is a means of preventing and detecting irregularities which protects the identity of the individual whistleblower. And it also incorporates tools for guaranteeing the rights of the individuals accused of misconduct.

To prevent misconduct in the mailbox’s use, strict criteria will apply for admitting communications and with the requirement of civil, criminal and administrative liability for anyone reporting information out of an abuse of a right or aware of its falsehood.

The Ethics and Good Governance mailbox, in guaranteeing confidentiality and anonymity, is the priority channel for admitting communications relating to misconduct in Barcelona City Council and its subsidiary bodies. Without prejudice to the admission of communications, through other channels, such as general register (in Citizen Help and Information Offices (OACs)), email, by post or face to face.

Their management falls to the Analysis Services Department, whose director is responsible for the Internal Information System.

In exercising its duties relating to the Ethics and Good Governance Mailbox, the Analysis Services Department acts independently, exempt from any hierarchical orders that may determine its actions.