OSCE Centre organizes course on combating corruption for civil society, media in southern Kazakhstan

SHIMKENT, 23 August 2010 - An OSCE-organized course for civil society and journalists on their role in combating corruption and money laundering started today in Shimkent in southern Kazakhstan.

The two-day course, organized by the OSCE Centre in Astana in co-operation with Kazakhstan's Financial Police, the Friedrich Ebert Foundation and the non-governmental organization Transparency Kazakhstan, will focus on best practices and highlight the role of NGOs and the media in the fight against corruption, money laundering and terrorism financing.

Jeannette Kloetzer, Acting Head of the OSCE Centre in Astana, said civil society and the media play a crucial role in the fight against corruption and money laundering by promoting good governance and public access to information.

"The OSCE Centre in Astana supports work in Kazakhstan that aims to raise journalists' knowledge in this field. It also supports the use of international best practices in countering organized crime," she said.

The course will help participants better understand legal documents related to corruption crimes. It will also promote dialogue and partnership among journalists, NGOs and law enforcement bodies.

"The state cannot combat corruption and money laundering without the participation of civil society and the media. Our course aims to help law enforcement agencies, journalists, independent experts and NGO representatives work together to combat this evil, and to give them the necessary knowledge, using international experience," said Sergey Zlotnikov, Transparency Kazakhstan's Director.

The course in Shimkent is the second of its kind organized by the OSCE Centre this year. A previous course was held earlier this summer in eastern Kazakhstan; a third is planned for his fall in the western part of the country. The courses form part of the Centre's work to combat corruption, money laundering and the financing of terrorism