OSCE promotes international standards on anti-corruption in Kazakhstan

ALMATY, 26 March 2007 - Promoting international legal standards in view of criminalizing corruption in the Kazakh national legislation is the topic of a seminar that opened in Almaty today.

The three-day event, which brought together some 60 participants from Eastern Europe and Central Asia, including parliamentarians, legal experts, law enforcement officers and civil society representatives, will focus on the practical implementation of international legal standards and various ways of adjusting current national legislation to these requirements.

"The scourge of corruption remains a serious obstacle to social and economic development worldwide," said Ambassador Ivar Vikki, Head of the OSCE Centre in Almaty.

"The dissemination and introduction of international measures and legal instruments, which were shaped by anti-corruption conventions, will help enforce national anti-corruption legislation."

Participants at the seminar will identify the needs of their respective countries and develop a set of recommendations to highlight the responsibility of legal entities and shape a legal framework for mutual legal assistance.

"We are glad to have such a discussion in Kazakhstan, where the fight against corruption is a key priority at all levels," said Chyngys Kabdula, who heads the Unit on International Co-operation of the Kazakh agency on fighting economic corruption.

"In addition to the opportunity to learn more about existing international practices, the seminar helps facilitate the exchange of views and establish close contacts with neighbouring countries on such issues," he added.

The seminar is organized jointly by the OSCE Centre in Almaty, the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development, the Council of Europe and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, in close co-operation with the Kazakh agency on fighting economic corruption. It constitutes an important part of the Centre's programme to support Kazakhstan's efforts in combating and preventing corruption.