ACRC-UNDP, Spreading Major Anti-Corruption Policy in Korea to Europe and Central Asia

On June 23, Korea shared the policy performance and lessons learned from implementing the Anti-Corruption Initiatives Assessment with four countries, including Kosovo, via an online conference

(June 23rd 2022, ACRC)

On June 23, the Anti-Corruption and Civil Rights Commission (ACRC, Chairperson Jeon Hyun-Heui) and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) held an online video conference, sharing Korea’s performance in implementing anti-corruption policy and discussing future direction with four countries, including Kosovo, Moldova, Montenegro, and Uzbekistan.

The conference was arranged for discussion about the performance of a cooperative project in which the ACRC and the UNDP have jointly spread anti-corruption policies across the world since 2015.

Anga Timilsina, the Global Programme Advisor on Anti-Corruption, UNDP, Gerd Trogemann, the Manager of Istanbul Regional Hub for Europe and Central Asia, UNDP, and representatives from the UNDP Country Offices in Kosovo, Moldova, Montenegro, and Uzbekistan participated in the conference and shared their progress and performance.

The participants agreed that Europe and the Commonwealth of Independent States that implemented Korea’s Anti-Corruption policy have witnessed significant outcomes.

Moreover, they shared the same view that inter-regional forums play a significant role in establishing an anti-corruption system in each country by sharing stories about challenges and trials and errors as well as success stories.

In particular, representatives from Kosovo and Uzbekistan explained their country’s progress and performance in implementing Korea’s anti-corruption policy.  

The ACRC introduced its Corruption Risk Assessment* to Kosovo in 2019. Kosovo is currently piloting the Corruption Risk Assessment conducted by its Anti-Corruption Agency, and the country has reached the final stage of legalization.

*It is a system, enforced in 2016, established to prevent corruption in the course of legislation by finding corruption-causing factors within laws.

The ACRC also shared Anti-Corruption Initiatives Assessment* with the Prosecutor General’s Office in the Republic of Uzbekistan in 2019. Uzbekistan institutionalized Anti-Corruption Initiatives Assessment by promulgating Presidential Decree No. 81 in January, and the country will enforce the pan-governmental Anti-Corruption Initiatives Assessment by the second half of this year.

*It is a system that measures activities and performance in anti-corruption and integrity to enhance the integrity of public institutions. It took effect in 2002, and since this year, it has been reformed and integrated with the Integrity Assessment into the Comprehensive Integrity Assessment.

ACRC Assistant Chairperson of Planning and Coordination Office Lim Yoon-Ju said, “In the conference, we wanted to share the view that implementing anti-corruption policies alone cannot guarantee success, and each country should resolve problems depending on its political and social circumstances and increase consistency.

He added that being commensurate with more elevated global status, Korea will continuously forge an anti-corruption coalition by sharing practical knowledge we gained by overcoming corruption with developing countries.