Korea shares its experience in fighting against corruption with Uzbekistan

The Anti-Corruption and Civil Rights Commission (Chairperson Jeon Hyun-Heui, hereinafter “ACRC”) of the Republic of Korea organized a webinar for 44 Uzbekistan public officials to help build their anti-corruption capacities. Hosted by the Anti-Corruption Training Institute of the ACRC, the online training course took place for three days from December 9, 2020.

The training coursewas planned as part of the ACRC’s efforts to implement the memorandum of understanding signed by the ACRC and the Prosecutor General’s Office of Uzbekistan in October 2019. It was organized as a webinar due to the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Uzbekistan participants consisted of 34 prosecutors and investigators of the Prosecutor General’s Office and 10 officials of the Anti-Corruption Agency, which was created as Uzbekistan’s new anti-corruption body in June 2020.

At the 75th Session of the United Nations General Assembly last September Uzbekistan President Shavkat Mirziyoyev announced the establishment of the independent Anti-Corruption Agency,statingthat “the uncompromising fight against corruption has reached a new level.”

The training program covered Korea’s major anti-corruption policies including the Anti-Corruption Initiatives Assessment, Corruption Risk Assessment and whistleblower protection and reward program, which have won international recognition as best practices in the anti-corruption field.

Introduced in 2002, the Anti-Corruption Initiatives Assessment is Korea’s unique policy tool to evaluate the relevance and effectiveness of the anti-corruption measures undertaken by individual public organizations. Since this assessment system has proved to be a practical, effective means to spur public sector organizations to increase efforts to prevent and control corruption, the Uzbekistan government is keenly interested in adopting this program.

Jeon Hyun-heui, Chairperson of the ACRC, said that this webinar will provide an opportunity to share Korea’s anti-corruption policies with Uzbekistan.

“The ACRC will expand exchange and cooperation with the anti-corruption bodies of Uzbekistan which is one of the key partners of the Korean government for its New Northern Policy,” said the Chairperson.