OSCE and EBRD to deepen co-operation on promoting good governance, connectivity and economic development

VIENNA, 7 December 2017 – The OSCE and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) agreed today in Vienna to deepen their co-operation and establish a strategic partnership to promote good governance, connectivity and economic development. 

The agreement was formalized in a Memorandum of Understanding signed by the Co-ordinator of OSCE Economic and Environmental Activities, Vuk Žugić, and the EBRD Managing Director for Economics, Policy and Governance, Mattia Romani. The MoU, signed on the margins of the 24^th OSCE Ministerial Council, aims at leveraging the respective competences, mandates and institutional capacities for a more effective support to the OSCE participating States and Partners for Co-operation.

 “We consider the EBRD as an essential partner in light of the similar operational focus in promoting well-governed environmental friendly and inclusive economies,” said Žugić.

Fostering transparency and accountability to enhance the business environment, promoting the fight against corruption and supporting the economic empowerment of vulnerable groups, including women and youth, are some of the axes of co-operation included in the agreement.

“Our signing today is only a small symbolic step of what we hope will be an impactful, wide ranging and long lasting co-operation with OSCE focused on concrete steps that will assist our countries in their transition journey,” said Romani.

The MoU builds on previous joint initiatives, aimed at improving anti-corruption measures in Albania through the capacity-building of the national School of Public Administration, the mobilization of the business sector to strengthen anti-bribery practices as well as the enhancement of the capacities of civil society actors in regards to their public oversight role. 

As the largest regional organization dealing with security - the OSCE considers good economic governance as one of the main pillars of its comprehensive approach to stability and sustainable development. With over 3,500 staff and 16 field operations, the OSCE works closely with State authorities and civil society actors to foster co-operation and dialogue for more secure societies in the Euro-Atlantic and Eurasian space.

The EBRD is a multilateral development bank owned by 66 countries as well as the European Union and the European Investment Bank. Most of the countries in which the EBRD invests are OSCE participating States or Partners for Co-operation. The Bank’s investments are aimed at making the economies in its regions competitive, inclusive, well-governed, green and integrated.