OSCE Centre supports anti-corruption capacity-building training

ASTANA, 26 June 2009 - Some 40 experts from the regional offices of the Kazakhstani financial police and the General Prosecutor's Office completed an OSCE Centre-organized course on best practices to prevent, investigate and prosecute cases of corruption in Astana today. 

The three-day training course was organized in co-operation with the Kazakhstani Anti-corruption Agency and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC).

"A change in the mentality of corruption perception is hard work that cannot be achieved in one day. It requires effort, long-term planning, task-oriented activities and continuing education," said Ambassador Alexandre Keltchewsky, the Head of the OSCE Centre. "Therefore, we hope very much that the knowledge and skills acquired during these few days will be useful and applicable."

The training course was hosted by the Financial Police Academy. Experts from UNODC and the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development, as well as from Sweden and Bosnia-Herzegovina, led sessions on tools and case studies on financial investigations, international co-operation and asset recovery, which were followed by group discussions.

"The changes introduced into the legislation of Kazakhstan in the field of combating corruption bring the country closer to the implementation of international standards. Along with this, the need for corruption-specific trainings of law enforcement staff and prosecutors grows. The training course is designed to be the UNODC and OSCE contribution to meet this need," said Olga Zudova, UNODC Senior Regional Legal Adviser.

The course was the second training exercise implemented at the request of the Financial Police. It is part of the OSCE Centre's activities to raise awareness of corruption, support enforcement of anti-corruption legislation and introduce best practices and expertise.