26 May 2026 –

Organization’s profile

Libera is an Italian network of over 1,600 associations, cooperatives, schools, and active citizens, founded in 1995 to advance social justice, democratic legality, and the protection of fundamental rights. Active across Italy and in more than 35 countries, Libera works to strengthen community resilience against organised crime and corruption through education, civic engagement, advocacy, and international cooperation, fostering active citizenship rooted in democratic values and the rule of law. 

Libera promotes transparency, integrity, accountability, and meaningful public participation through community-based initiatives and policy engagement. Its core activities include promoting the social reuse of assets confiscated from organised crime; developing educational pathways that engage educators, professionals, families, and young people in building a shared culture of legality; preserving the memory of innocent victims of organised crime and corruption, and supporting their families; and implementing programmes for minors involved in judicial proceedings. Libera also participates as a civil party in organised crime and corruption trials and contributes to national and international anti-mafia and anti-corruption policy processes. 

At the international level, Libera coordinates and strengthens transnational networks including CHANCE in Europe, ALAS in Latin America, and PLACE in Africa, creating collaborative spaces to prevent and combat organised crime and corruption globally.

Organization’s Experience

Libera has been actively engaged in the work of the Global Civil Society Coalition for the UNCAC through advocacy, civic monitoring, participation in international fora and international cooperation aimed at strengthening the implementation of the United Nations Convention against Corruption. 

Drawing on over thirty years of experience in combating organised crime and corruption, Libera contributes practical expertise on asset recovery and social reuse of confiscated assets, whistleblower protection, youth engagement, civic monitoring and access to information. The organisation promotes a human rights-based and community-centred approach to anti-corruption, highlighting the interconnections between corruption, organised crime, democratic backsliding, social inequalities, and shrinking civic space. 

Libera actively contributes to Coalition working groups and engages with international mechanisms and policy spaces linked to UNCAC, UNTOC, human rights frameworks, GRECO, and Open Government Partnership processes. In 2025, Libera received the ECOSOC Special Consultative Status. 

Through transnational networks such as CHANCE (Europe), ALAS (Latin America), and PLACE (Africa), Libera strengthens cross-regional cooperation, capacity building, and grassroots participation, fostering bottom-up approaches to integrity, accountability, and democratic resilience.

Top 3 Priorities to Achieve as a CCC Member

1. Strengthening meaningful and safe civil society participation in UNCAC processes: Promote more inclusive, transparent, and accessible participation mechanisms for civil society organisations — especially grassroots, youth-led, and community-based actors — while addressing shrinking civic space, intimidation, and barriers to participation in anti-corruption processes. 
2. Advancing a people-centred approach linking anti-corruption, organised crime, and social justice: Strengthen the Coalition’s work on the links between corruption and organised crime, including asset recovery, social reuse of confiscated assets, victims of corruption, environmental crime, and protection of whistleblowers, with a stronger focus on human rights and community impact. 
3. Reinforcing cross-regional cooperation and collective advocacy capacity: Support stronger collaboration among members across regions through peer learning, joint advocacy, capacity building, and coordinated campaigns, helping transform local experiences and grassroots knowledge into global policy influence and collective action.

Candidate’s profile

Elisa Orlando is an anti-corruption advocate specialised in community-based monitoring, civic engagement, and advocacy against corruption. She works with Libera in Italy under the “Common – Monitoring Communities” initiative, promoting participatory approaches to preventing and countering corruption at local and national level, and supporting integrity education and youth empowerment against corruption. At Libera, Elisa supports the organisation’s strategic engagement with UNCAC-related processes and contributes to European projects and international multi-stakeholder initiatives focused on anti-corruption, civic monitoring, whistleblower support, and organised crime prevention. She is also a member of UNODC’s YouthLED Integrity Advisory Board. 

Elisa holds a degree in Political Science from the University of Vienna and a postgraduate specialisation in the Analysis, Prevention and Fight against Organised Crime and Corruption (Master APC) from the University of Pisa.

Contributions to the work of the Coalition

Elisa Orlando will contribute to the Coalition by bringing forward Libera’s longstanding experience and commitment to collective advocacy and campaign strengthening. Building on ongoing engagement across European and international networks, she will support knowledge-sharing, foster strategic coordination, and promote joint initiatives that enhance the Coalition’s visibility and impact. Through her role, she will connect grassroots experiences with global policy processes, advancing inclusive and people-centred approaches. By leveraging Libera’s transnational partnerships, she will contribute to reinforcing cross-regional collaboration, strengthening capacity, and advancing coherent strategies to prevent and combat corruption and organised crime.

Candidacy & Interest Disclosure