OSCE conducts multi-stakeholder dialogue on anti-corruption efforts in Kazakhstan

ASTANA, 11 July 2017 – A two-day anti-corruption needs assessment mission conducted by the Office of the Co-ordinator of OSCE Economic and Environmental Activities with the support of the OSCE Programme Office in Astana concludes today. The mission was held in the framework of a regional OSCE extra-budgetary project aimed at strengthening anti-corruption efforts in Central Asia.

Ermelinda Meksi, Deputy Co-coordinator of OSCE Economic and Environmental Activities said: “The idea of our mission to Almaty and Astana this week is not only to officially launch the project in Kazakhstan but, more importantly, to take stock of some of the good anti-corruption policies and practices that are already underway in the country.”

“This week’s consultations helped us to identify remaining gaps and create a common understanding among all stakeholders on the way ahead in collectively tackling them,” she added.

In the scope of the visits to Almaty and Astana, the Office met with representatives of the National Anti-Corruption Bureau under the Agency of Civil Service and Anti-Corruption, the Supreme Court, the National Chamber of Entrepreneurs “Atameken” as well as civil society and NGONGO
non-governmental organization representatives.

The team of OSCE experts exchanged views with national stakeholders on the country’s legal, regulatory and institutional anti-corruption framework and identified a number of cross-sectoral technical assistance needs, including with regard to the conduct of regulatory impact assessments, anti-corruption screening of draft laws and legal acts and business integrity and compliance initiatives.

Salauat Muksimov, Director of the Anti-Corruption Policy Department at Kazakhstan’s Agency for Civil Service Affairs, said: “We are implementing a comprehensive and systematic approach to countering corruption. Since 2015, for instance, more than 60 laws aimed at eliminating the causes and conditions of corruption have been adopted.”

“The fight against corruption cannot be successful without employing an inclusive and participatory approach,” said Galym Ageleuov, Director of the public fund Liberty. “The only effective way to combat corruption is to combine the efforts of all interested parties, including government agencies, the private sector and civil society organizations.”

This activity is the second in a series of national anti-corruption scoping missions kicking-off the implementation of a regional OSCE project entitled “Fostering a Participatory Approach towards Corruption Prevention in Central Asia” funded by Belgium, Luxemburg, Norway, Serbia and Liechtenstein.