International cooperation plays a key role in the successful implementation of Kazakhstan's anti-corruption initiatives.

In this area, the Agency closely cooperates with the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), the Council of Europe, the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), and the International Association of Anti-Corruption Authorities (IAACA).

Kazakhstan actively attracts technical and expert support from international partners.

Along with strong partnerships in the fight against corruption with European countries and the United States, the Agency is developing comprehensive and active cooperation with China, Southeast Asian countries, as well as the Arab and Turkic countries that are members of the Organization of Turkic States (OTS).

Kazakhstan's goal is the intensive development of anti-corruption policy, guided by the main program document - the Concept of Anti-Corruption policy for 2022-2026 (Decree dated 02.02.2022). This document serves as a strategic guide, defining current and long-term objectives for this period.

In preparing the Concept, advanced international experience and standards were taken into account, including recommendations from the United Nations Convention against Corruption, the Group of States against Corruption (GRECO), the OECD, and the Financial Action Task Force (FATF). This ensures that the strategy aligns with the best global practices in combating corruption.

Through these efforts, Kazakhstan aims not only to meet international standards in the fight against corruption but also to create favorable conditions for international investors, reaffirming its openness and transparency.

ACN OECD

The Anti-Corruption Agency of the Republic of Kazakhstan actively collaborates with the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) within the framework of the OECD Anti-Corruption Network for Eastern Europe and Central Asia, as well as the Integrity Review. As a participant in the OECD Anti-Corruption Network, the Agency is actively involved in its activities.

According to the Istanbul Anti-Corruption Action Plan (IAP), the Agency has successfully undergone four rounds of monitoring and is currently undergoing the fifth round.

In parallel with this, the Agency actively participates in OECD anti-corruption initiatives, seeks to join the Working Group on Bribery, and aims to accede to the OECD Convention on Combating Bribery of Foreign Public Officials.

United Nations

Kazakhstan joined the United Nations Convention against Corruption (hereinafter referred to as the Convention) on May 4, 2008, committing to take all necessary measures to implement the provisions of the Convention.

Currently, within the framework of the Convention against Corruption, Kazakhstan is conducting a review of Nicaragua, and its own review, conducted by China and the Philippines, is in the final stage. In addition, the Agency is assisting the Ministry of Internal Affairs and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Kazakhstan in conducting reviews within the framework of the Convention against Transnational Organized Crime.

As part of its cooperation with the UNODC Regional Advisor on Combating Money Laundering and Financing of Terrorism in Central Asia and the South Caucasus, the Agency organizes specialized training courses for its employees.

In November 2023, the Regional Platform for the Accelerated Implementation of the Provisions of the United Nations Convention against Corruption in the Central Asian Countries (the Platform) was launched.

This Platform will function as a permanent venue under the UNODC Regional Office for the joint work of the anti-corruption agencies of the region, identifying common tasks and their implementation.

The basic documents regulating the further work of the Platform, such as the Principles, Roadmap, and Action Plan for the period from 2024 to 2026, have been agreed upon.

A Regional Conference of the Platform member countries is planned to be held in Kazakhstan in October 2024.

GRECO

Since January 2020, the Republic of Kazakhstan has been a full member of the Group of States against Corruption (GRECO), an international organization established by the Council of Europe in 1999 to assist member countries in improving mechanisms for combating corruption.

Currently, GRECO includes 46 European countries (the membership of Russia and Belarus is suspended), as well as the USA and Kazakhstan, which is the only representative of Asia. Among the countries of the former USSR, Georgia, Armenia, Azerbaijan, and the Baltic states are also members of the organization.

The work is based on the principle of mutual evaluation.

The overall assessment is formed through five thematic rounds (from information gathering to the evaluated country's report), with a group of evaluators from each member country and members of the GRECO Secretariat visiting the evaluated country.

In 2021, the first two rounds of evaluation were completed, resulting in the development of 27 recommendations aimed at increasing the effectiveness of combating corruption. These recommendations were approved at the GRECO Plenary Meeting in March 2022.

The report on the implementation of the recommendations from the 1st and 2nd evaluation rounds was approved during the 96th GRECO Plenary Meeting of the Council of Europe, which took place in March 2024. According to the submitted report, 4 recommendations were fully implemented, and 21 recommendations were partially implemented.

It is also noted that the third evaluation round of GRECO in relation to Kazakhstan has now begun. The third round involves the evaluation of issues such as the criminalization of corrupt practices and the transparency of political party financing.

Bilateral Cooperation

The Agency is actively engaged in bilateral cooperation in the field of anti-corruption, striving to strengthen partnerships and expand collaboration with various countries and organizations worldwide through practice, experience exchange, training, and legal assistance.

To date, the Agency has signed 13 memorandums of understanding and cooperation with foreign bodies and organizations.

During a visit to Paris in October 2023, a meeting was held with the Director of the French Anti-Corruption Agency, Ms. Isabelle Jegouzo, where future joint projects were discussed, including process automation to minimize corruption, exchange of experiences on preventive measures such as anti-corruption audits of companies, and integrity checks of officials, within the framework of the Memorandum of Cooperation signed in November 2022 between the Agency and the French Anti-Corruption Agency (AFA).

During the visit of the Head of State of Tajikistan to Kazakhstan, a Memorandum of Cooperation was signed between the Agency and the Anti-Corruption Agency of Tajikistan.

Additionally, on May 18, 2023, in Almaty, a Memorandum of Understanding was signed with the Independent Authority Against Corruption of Mongolia.

Furthermore, during the state visit of the Head of State to Qatar from February 12 to 15, 2024, a Memorandum of Understanding was signed between the respective anti-corruption agencies.

One of the significant events was the working meeting of the representatives of the anti-corruption agency with the General Prosecutor of the Russian Federation, which took place on February 21, 2024, in Moscow. The meeting resulted in the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding aimed at enhancing cooperation and providing mutual technical and expert support between the agencies.

At the 8th Symposium of the Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) of Hong Kong, a Memorandum of Understanding was signed between the Agency and the Commission, covering a wide range of issues, including training programs.

The Agency also officially joined the International Association of Anti-Corruption Authorities (IAACA), which is an independent and non-political organization authorized to promote the effective implementation of the United Nations Convention Against Corruption (UNCAC) and assist anti-corruption bodies. Over 170 countries are members or participate in various IAACA initiatives.

From May 29 to June 1, 2024, an official visit of the Agency’s delegation took place in Baku, during which a meeting with the leadership of the General Prosecutor’s Office of the Republic of Azerbaijan was held. The meeting discussed current issues of cooperation in the field of operational information exchange and strengthening the fight against transnational corruption. The visit concluded with the signing of a Memorandum of Mutual Cooperation in the field of anti-corruption.

All these initiatives are aimed at strengthening international ties and the joint fight against corruption.