On 23 November 2020 the Council of Europe Economic Crime and Cooperation Division (ECCD) organised a webinar on the implementation of the Business Anti-corruption Charter of Uzbekistan. The webinar brought together the authorities of Uzbekistan involved in anti-corruption activities – the Business Ombudsman Office, the Anti-corruption Agency, the General Prosecutor’s Office, the Academy of the General Prosecutor’s Office and the Chamber of Commerce and Industry, as well as the French Anti-Corruption Agency.

The webinar was organised at the request of the Business Ombudsman Office in order to solicit recommendations from the French Anti-Corruption Agency on the implementation of the Business Anti-corruption Charter. The document was developed to support the ongoing anti-corruption reforms in the country by introducing anti-corruption principles in the private sector, and it is largely based on French experience. The stakeholders Uzbekistan were therefore interested in learning useful tools and practices for effective implementation of the Charter, and to receive recommendations on the existing mechanisms.

The webinar provided an opportunity for fruitful exchanges. The stakeholders from Uzbekistan made presentations on their ongoing anti-corruption activities and priorities, in particular with respect to the implementation of the Charter. The representatives of the French Anti-Corruption Agency explained practical aspects of the Agency’s advice and control functions, providing insights into the issues such as the national anti-corruption institutional framework, national anti-corruption plan, interaction with the Prosecutor’s Office specialised in economic and financial crime, promotion of anti-corruption compliance practices in the private sector, sanctions for non-compliance, thematic guidelines, assessment of AFA’s work and reporting. In addition, AFA’s international activities were presented including its current chairmanship in the quickly expanding international Network of Corruption Prevention Authorities (NCPA). The webinar provided a firm ground for further development of bilateral cooperation and networking.

This activity was organised in the framework of the project “Promoting Transparency and Action against Economic Crime”, part of the Central Asia Rule of Law Programme 2020-2023, joint initiative co-funded by the European Union and the Council of Europe and implemented by the Council of Europe. The project is aimed at strengthening capacities to fight and prevent economic crime in five Central Asian countries, including Uzbekistan.