The Council of Europe has initiated support for the newly established Anti-corruption Bureau of Georgia in view of developing its institutional strategy and action plan. The Bureau was established in November 2022 with a wide mandate in the field of combating corruption. Among its main tasks, the Bureau is mandated to monitor asset declarations of public officials, develop proposals for preventing conflict of interest in public institutions, improving whistleblowers protection and ensuring the oversight over the financial activities of political parties. It is also responsible for promoting public awareness and implementing educational measures in the field of preventing corruption.

Considering the wide mandate of the Anticorruption Bureau, the Council of Europe supports the development of an institutional strategy and action plan comprising an analysis of the main contextual issues for the Bureau, its positioning among the anti-corruption bodies in Georgia and its competence in developing and implementing a national anti-corruption policy.

On 18-19 September 2023 consultative meetings were organised between the representatives of the Anticorruption Bureau and the Council of Europe consultants. The meetings provided a practical platform for discussing the mandate and functions of the Bureau and agreeing on the strategic objectives to guide its activity during the next years. Once finalised the document will provide for a clear image in regard to the Bureau’s institutional needs and planned actions to consolidate its positioning in the field of corruption prevention.

This activity was organised in the framework of the project “Consolidating and Enhancing the Institutional and Operational Frameworks for the Prevention and Combatting of Corruption, Money Laundering and Terrorist Financing in Georgia” co-funded by the European Union and the Council of Europe and implemented by the Council of Europe in their Partnership for Good Governance III 2023-2027.