Invitation to join Anti-Bribery Convention is recognition of state's course for transparency – opinion

The Working Group on Bribery of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) invited Ukraine to join the Convention on Combating Bribery of Foreign Public Officials in International Business Transactions. This invitation recognizes Ukraine's commitment to increasing transparency, responsibility, and integrity in its interactions with business, civil society, and the government.

Oleksiy Shevchuk, the Chairman of the Board of the Ukrainian National Lobbyists Association, expressed this opinion to the Interfax-Ukraine agency.

"For us, as a professional lobbying community, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development's request is an important signal that the state is clearly choosing to increase transparency, responsibility, and integrity standards in interactions between business, civil society, and the government," he said.

Shevchuk added that, "in this context, the Ukrainian National Lobbyists Association believes business, lobbyists, and state institutions should view the combination of anti-corruption and lobbying reforms as an opportunity."

According to Shevchuk, this concerns the opportunity to establish professional ethics and conduct standards in lobbying that meet legal requirements and international partner expectations. It also concerns reviewing companies' internal policies, especially those operating abroad or in an international context, to ensure compliance with the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development's anti-bribery regulations.

He believes that such accession "will contribute to the new lobbying system becoming not only a platform for interests, but also a guarantor of bona fide participation in state-building processes, creating trust among investors and international partners in Ukraine."

"We believe that these changes should evolve from a formal approach into an effective, practical tool. The Association is prepared to contribute to training, the development of codes, consultations, and monitoring. For Ukraine, this is an opportunity to increase competitiveness and demonstrate our ability to act in accordance with the best international practices," he said.