The All-Ukrainian Anti-Corruption Forum ‘Integrity — the future of Ukrainian society’ brought together Ukrainian anti-corruption bodies, ambassadors, members of parliament, ministries, international experts, diplomats and CSOs at the premises of Sofia Kyivska Cathedral in Kyiv on 5 December. The Forum comprised four panels, each highlighting crucial aspects of the anti-corruption reform and integrity challenges.
Andriy Andrushkiv, the visionary, sergeant of the Armed Forces of Ukraine assured participants that igniting and sustaining faith in the state and statehood was within their power.
‘Only by creating public policies with a focus on the experience of the people, their achievements and their traumas, can we design a future in which institutions and legal frameworks work for the people, respecting the dignity of everyone. This is how the anti-corruption bodies and anti-corruption rules you implement have a chance to become policies for the people and about the people, and not just become a cargo cult of European integration aspirations’, the visionary convinced.
Ambassador of European Union to Ukraine Katarína Mathernová reminded the audience that on November 8, the European Commission provided positive and unconditional recommendations for starting accession negotiations with Ukraine. At the same time, she cautioned against excessive expectations, as the European Union has its features of decision-making.
"Four steps have been outlined for Ukraine to meet in order to proceed to the next stage in EU integration. I am pleased to note that progress has been made on all four. We are on this path together. However, it is important to realize that the EU is an institution consisting of 27 countries, in which every step in the enlargement process requires unanimity. Therefore, accession negotiations are often a nonlinear process. Ukraine has achieved remarkable results and is progressing rapidly along this path. I hope that a solution will be reached, and the requirements of each member state will be met. We need to stay connected and continue working on reforms in all areas. Ukraine is unequivocally on the path to the EU now, and I am confident it will be in the EU," emphasized Katarína Mathernová .
Allan Pagh Kristensen, the Head of the EUACI, highlighted the importance of the change of mentality among Ukrainians.
‘Ukrainians don’t want to come back to the corrupt practices of the past, they want to pursue European values, a better society, a better life with no tolerance of corruption’, said Allan Pagh Kristensen. He assured the audience of the continuation of strong international support to prevent and fight corruption, including through technical and financial assistance.
The panel on "Anti-Corruption Reform: Challenges, Successes, Future" featured heads of anti-corruption agencies NABU, SAPO, HACC and NACP together with the chairwoman of the parliament’s anti-corruption committee Anastasiia Radina and moderator Iryna Shyba, Deputy Head of the EUACI. They discussed how all those involved in the anti-corruption process see their mission and emphasized the importance of cooperation, the balance between punishment and prevention, and the role of building integrity as a reliable deterrent to corruption risks.
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Implementers of the State Anti-Corruption Program for 2023-2025 (SACP) discussed the program's accomplishments and priorities for the next years. Monitoring results from the EUACI partner SCO "Together against corruption" identified the Ministry of Healthcare, Ministry of Justice, and Ministry of Finance of Ukraine as leaders in implementing the SACP.
Deputy Minister for Restoration, the Head of the Agency for Restoration, business representatives, and city mayors discussed best practices for ensuring integrity in Ukraine's recovery.
The event was organized by the EU Anti-Corruption Initiative in collaboration with the National Agency on Corruption Prevention and USAID/SACCI.