Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) — On 17 October  2024, Uzbekistan hosted the "IV Tashkent Anti-Corruption Forum," bringing together over 250 representatives from anti-corruption agencies, international experts, and civil society.

The event was organized by the Agency for Combating Corruption of the Republic of Uzbekistan in collaboration with the European Union, a consortium led by GIZ (German Society for International Cooperation), and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).

This year’s forum served as a platform for all participants to exchange best practices and experiences, strengthen inter-agency connections, and discuss the latest trends in international anti-corruption programs.

During the forum, Uzbekistan’s efforts to improve its standings in indices such as the Transparency International Corruption Perceptions Index, the World Justice Project Rule of Law Index, and the Open Data Inventory published by government bodies were highlighted, along with other achievements in combating corruption.

The event recognized the significant results achieved in 2023 during the 5th monitoring round by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), particularly in anti-corruption policy, where Uzbekistan was rated as one of the leading countries in Central Asia with a score of over 86 points.

Several important outcomes were achieved, including the effective implementation of the State Program for Combating Corruption for 2023-2024, the development of a comprehensive anti-corruption strategy until 2030 in collaboration with all stakeholders, and the activation of civil society in anti-corruption initiatives.

One of the key outcomes of the forum was the signing of a memorandum of understanding between the Agency for Combating Corruption of the Republic of Uzbekistan and the World Bank’s Office of Governance for cooperation in staff training, project implementation, and studying anti-corruption methods. During the awards ceremony, the government of Uzbekistan also acknowledged the significant contributions of the media and non-profit organizations to the fight against corruption.

The forum opened with speeches from representatives of the Senate of the Oliy Majlis of the Republic of Uzbekistan, Dr. Akmal Burkhanov, Director of the Agency for Combating Corruption, Toivo Klaar, Ambassador of the European Union to Uzbekistan, Akiko Fuji, UNDP Resident Representative in Uzbekistan, Oliver Stolpe, Regional Representative of the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) for Afghanistan, Central Asia, Iran, and Pakistan, and Viktor Kessler, Head of the "Good Governance" program implemented by GIZ.

Participants included representatives from UNODC, the European Union, the World Bank, OECD, the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE), GIZ, the U.S. Bureau for International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs (INL), the non-governmental organization "Regional Dialogue," Transparency International, the Finnish Legal Aid Center, and leaders and representatives of anti-corruption agencies from Azerbaijan, Georgia, Hong Kong, Kazakhstan, Korea, China, Lithuania, Malaysia, the United States, and Tajikistan.

Throughout the forum, participants exchanged views and experiences in sessions dedicated to topics such as "A New Era in the Fight Against Corruption: Innovative Technologies as an Effective Tool for Prevention," "Anti-Corruption Culture as a Means of Addressing Social Contradictions," and "Preventing Conflicts of Interest and Implementing Compliance Systems: Challenges and Perspectives."

The Tashkent Anti-Corruption Forum marked an important step in strengthening the anti-corruption system in Uzbekistan, demonstrating the country’s commitment to transparency, accountability, and effective governance. It also underscored the importance of international cooperation and experience exchange in achieving the common goal of creating a cleaner and fairer system.