DUSHANBE, September 22, 2009, Asia-Plus — The international conference “Creating Conditions for Sustainable Economic and Social Development in Eastern Europe and Central Asia: Fighting Corruption and Promoting Good Governance” took place in Astana, Kazakhstan on September 16-18, according to the press service of Tajikistan’s Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCI).
It was a key meeting on fighting corruption and good governance for Eastern Europe and Central Asia.
Organized by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) and hosted by the Agency of Kazakhstan for Combating Economic and Corruption Crime, the conference brought together representatives from about 45 countries from Eastern Europe and Central Asia, OECD member countries, and beyond to discuss policies, progress made and good practice in four key areas: fight against transnational bribery; corruption and business; corruption and public education; corruption and public procurement.
The US Department of State, Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) and United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) cosponsored the meeting.
The meeting provided a forum for delegates to exchange experiences on a range of issues such as: prosecution of transnational bribery, preventing corruption in public procurement, preventing corruption in education and the role of good corporate governance in economic development and attracting investments. The delegates also had an opportunity to learn about OECD standards and best international practice, and to identify areas where the ACN and other international partners could provide follow-up support to the region.
A Special High-Level Session aimed to reinforce political support for fighting corruption and ensuring good governance in the ACN (OECD Anti-Corruption Network for Eastern Europe and Central Asia) region and to re-confirm the resolution of the Istanbul Anti-Corruption Action Plan countries to continue the implementation of this important initiative.
A separate session for donor agencies and international organizations offered an opportunity for donor coordination.
The OECD Eurasia Competitiveness Program Central Asia Initiative held a back-to-back meeting “Promoting Investment in Times of Economic Crisis and beyond” on September 17 2009.
Representatives from CCI and the Ministry of Economic Development and Trade (MEDT) represented Tajikistan at the conference. They participated in discussions of priorities in the field of improving investment climate, raising competitiveness and supporting development of the private sector.
