Series of anti-corruption seminars started in Ukraine

KYIV, 15 May 2001 (OSCE) - On 14 and 15 May, a seminar on "Corruption Investigation and Prevention Strategy" was held in Yalta, Ukraine. It was the first of a series of five regional seminars planned within the framework of co-operation between the country's Public Prosecutor General and the OSCE Project Co-ordinator.

The seminar was organized for prosecutors from southern Ukraine. A total of 35 prosecutors from the region had an opportunity to update and enrich their knowledge on key issues such as the fight against corruption. Experts from the General Prosecutor's Office and the Institute for Prosecutors made presentations about the specifics, difficulties and prospects of the fight against corruption. The participants also learned about international and foreign experience in this area.

In the framework of this series, the OSCE Project Co-ordinator intends to present experiences on this issue from different countries. During the first seminar, participants had the opportunity to exchange information with colleagues from the Republic of Lithuania, where a special anti-corruption service has been established. An American expert also presented international actions against money laundering.

The OSCE Project Co-ordinator in Ukraine is carrying out a project with the General Prosecutor's Office that aims at familiarizing prosecutors with up-to-date knowledge and international experience in the fight against corruption. This shall be achieved by three correlated activities: the creation of a database and information network via the Internet; an analytical study on international experience and practice of the fight against corruption; and the dissemination of international experience in this field through regional seminars and publications.

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For further information please contact Cordula Wohlmuther, Project Officer, OSCE Project Co-ordinator in Ukraine, tel. +380 44 251 21 56, fax +380 44 246 88 26, e-mail osce@osce.kiev.ua.