Support to good governance: Project against corruption in Ukraine (UPAC)

Council of Europe Conseil de l’Europe

European Union Union Européenne

UPAC Project aims at strengthening Ukrainian institutions’ capacities in their anti-corruption efforts. The project is jointly funded by the European Commission and the Council of Europe. It started on 8 June 2006 and will last 36 months.
Corruption is considered to be a serious problem in Ukraine. The authorities of Ukraine acknowledged that corruption is a priority issue requiring comprehensive and serious countermeasures. This project will assist Ukraine’s anti-corruption effort in a broad manner. It comprises three components:
1. Support to the creation of the strategic and institutional framework against corruption
2. Strengthening of capacities for the prevention of corruption.
3. Strengthening of the legal framework and the enforcement of anti-corruption legislation

Project Activities

Round table on the effectiveness of the national anti-corruption policy and the role of civil society and private sector

[30 September 2008, Strasbourg] Within the UPAC Project’s framework the Round table Effectiveness of the National anti-corruption policy , role of civil society and private sector will be held in Kyiv on 16 October 2008. The Round table is aimed at:
- contributing to strengthening the role of the civil society and private sector in the national anti-corruption efforts,
- reviewing the effectiveness of the national anti-corruption strategy and action plan by civil society organisations;
- raising awareness on proposed reforms, and at
- contributing to enhance compliance with GRECO recommendations as well as with other European and international standards.

Link to the Activity Outline

Round table on Identification, Seizure and Confiscation of Proceeds from Crime

[15 September 2008, Strasbourg] Council of Europe and European Commission (through the UPAC Project) is jointly organising with the with the Embassy of France in Ukraine and the Ministry of Justice of Ukraine a roundtable on "Identification, Seizure and Confiscation of Proceeds from Corruption" on 19 September in Kyiv, Ukraine. This event is aimed at assisting Ukraine in improving its legislation and practices on identification, seizure and confiscation of proceeds from corruption in line with International and European standards.

Link to Agenda (in French)
Link to Press Release

Conference on prevention of political corruption

[1 July 2008, Strasbourg] The Council of Europe and the European Commission are organising a conference on prevention of political corruption on 1 and 2 July in Kyiv, Ukraine. The conference is aimed at reviewing and discussing issues such as funding of political parties and electoral campaigns, immunities, integrity of elected representatives and lobbying. The participants will analyse the compliance of the Ukrainian legislation and practice with the European standards and requirements and recommendations of the anti-corruption monitoring body of the Council of Europe (GRECO) and international best practices. At the end of the conference the adoption of the recommendations for system improvement is expected to take place.
International and national experts, representatives of the Verkhovna Rada (Parliament), political parties, the Central Electoral Commission, relevant executive bodies and NGOs have been invited to participate in this event.

Study visit: Existing Practices in different European Anti-corruption Services

[26-30 May 2008, Paris, France, and Ljubljana, Slovenia] The aim of the visit was to study different models of preventive and law enforcement anti-corruption bodies of France, Slovenia and Croatia. The main issues discussed included the organisation and functioning of specialised bodies, legal issues, specialisation of police, prosecutors and judges, inter-agency co-operation, international co-operation in legal matters, police performance indicators, statistic data in the anti-corruption field, seizure and confiscation of proceeds from crime.

Link to Agenda

UPAC Project Steering Committee meeting

[31 March 2008, Strasbourg] Within the framework of the “Support to good governance: Project against corruption in Ukraine” of the Council of Europe and the European Commission Contract, a meeting of the Steering Committee will take place on 9 April 2008 in Kiev, Ukraine. In the course of this meeting the project partners are expected to review the progress made in the last six months as well as to agree on priorities and details concerning the forthcoming activities.

Link to Agenda
 

An updated version of the Project Summary has been released

[18 March 2008, Strasbourg] This new version of the Project Summary includes implemented and future activities.

Project Summaries: Last Update
 

Workshop on European standards of legislation, regulations and practices on financing of political parties and electoral campaigns in the light of European standards

[29 January 2008, Strasbourg] The workshop was aimed at providing analysis of GRECO recommendations, Venice Commission and other CoE standards and guidelines with respect to the regulations and practices in financing political parties and election campaigns. CoE expert, Mr Quentin Reed, presented a technical paper/written expertise outlining the CoE recommendations on financing of political parties and election campaigns explaining the GRECO Third Evaluation Questionnaire on Transparency of Political Party Funding

A Round Table discussion on "Development of proposals on establishing anti-corruption body in Ukraine"

[15 January 2008,Strasbourg]brought together participants from Anti-corruption Parliamentary Committee, Ministry of Justice, Ministry of Presidential Secretariat, Prosecutor’s General Office, Ministry of Interior, Council of National Security and Defence, anti-corruption NGOs, international organisations and media to discuss institutional framework for future anti-corruption body/ies in Ukraine.