A seminar on "Exchange of Best Practices with Anti-Corruption Agencies of the Republic of Kazakhstan, the Republic of Uzbekistan, and the Council of Europe" took place in Strasbourg

Strasbourg, April 3, 2024 – Within the framework of the Council of Europe's Program on Promoting Transparency and Combating Economic Crime (CA TAEC), which is a joint initiative of the European Union and the Council of Europe, a seminar on "Exchange of Best Practices with Anti-Corruption Agencies of the Republic of Kazakhstan, the Republic of Uzbekistan, and the Member States of the Council of Europe" was held on April 2-3.

Reference: Through the mentioned Program, the Council of Europe provides significant support to anti-corruption agencies in the Central Asia region, aiding their efforts in preventing and combating corruption by offering recommendations and assessments to enhance legislative and policy frameworks.

In her welcoming speech, the Consul General of Kazakhstan in Strasbourg, Anel Bakytbekkyzy, highlighted Kazakhstan's consistent steps towards strengthening the rule of law, implementing extensive democratic and political reforms, as well as initiatives in the field of human rights protection. As noted by A. Bakytbekkyzy, these reforms are part of a comprehensive transformation towards a Just Kazakhstan and make a significant contribution to the global human rights landscape.

Additionally, seminar participants were informed about the successful implementation of the Council of Europe's Program on Priorities for Good Neighborly Cooperation with Kazakhstan for 2019-2023 (PGC), as well as the upcoming visit of the Secretary General of the Council of Europe, Maria Pejčinović-Burić to Astana along with participation in AIF-2024, as well as marking the official launch of new Priorities for Good Neighborly Cooperation with Kazakhstan for 2024-2027.

Reference: The Priorities for 2024-2027 cover a range of key directions for our country's human rights and domestic political development, including those dictated by reforms initiated by the Head of State. The program includes three main directions: 1) rule of law and human rights; 2) promoting transparency, combating economic crime, and corruption; 3) good governance.

Furthermore, it was noted that Kazakhstan actively implements additional initiatives, including obtaining observer status in MONEYVAL and acceding to the Istanbul and Budapest Conventions.

Bakytbekkyzy reported that Kazakhstan successfully operates a Commission for the Return of Illegally Acquired Assets to the State, composed of representatives of the government, law enforcement agencies, parliamentarians, and public figures.

Moreover, the Consul General informed European partners that over the past two years alone, approximately $2.2 billion has been returned to Kazakhstan's state budget, including $589 million from abroad, with these funds being allocated for social needs, including the construction of schools for children.

In conclusion, during the two-day seminar, participants familiarized themselves with the practices and challenges of individual anti-corruption agencies on five main topics: strategic management of combating corruption, coordination and international cooperation in combating corruption, ethics in the public sector, prevention and management of conflicts of interest, and protection of whistleblowers.

These topics were selected based on requests from Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan, as they focus on specific areas of their work that are of common interest to all participating jurisdictions.