Earlier this year, UNODC together with the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) met with the leaders and experts of the Anti-Corruption Agency (ACA) and other relevant national counterparts in Astana (Kazakhstan) to discuss ongoing cooperation on anti-corruption and civil society engagement. The UN Convention against Corruption (UNCAC) plays a significant role for state authorities in the development of recommendations and proposals. In recent years, ACA has achieved success in many areas, including asset declaration, criminalization of corruption, whistleblowers protection. Further, ACA introduced a new legal term for whistleblowers to emphasize the positive aspect of the process – “разоблачитель” (debunker).

In the past few years, Kazakhstan went through a series of anti-corruption reforms and campaigns. Among the active Kazakh civil society representatives is the Republican public association “The All-national Movement Against Corruption “Zhanaru”. The NGO is one of the leaders in fighting corruption. Chairman Mels Semgaliyev explained that the Convention, in particular those provisions related to the involvement of the non-governmental sector facilitate their work. On the basis of Article 13 UNCAC, “Zhanaru” monitors state's obligations in implementing the Convention. Since its establishment in 2013, the NGO conducted expert discussions regarding the national report draft on combating corruption and made proposals to state programs and strategic documents. The “Zhanaru” initiated innovations in the legislative process aimed at improving the effectiveness of anti-corruption laws in Kazakhstan.

 

This year the “Zhanaru” launched a nationwide social project, titled “Holding a set of events for the formation of anti-corruption awareness among young people”. The project includes lectures, discussions, meetings with the media, master classes, discussions on youth problems with leaders of the regions and state bodies, coverage in mass media and social networks. Other activities to raise awareness include the creation of special anti-corruption videos, booklets, flyers, brochures and methodological recommendations, developing proposals and recommendations to state bodies.  More trainings will be held to further sensitize officials and the public as well as forge more collaborations. Moreover, it is essential to solve the financial problems of non-governmental organizations engaged in combating corruption and ensure their economic sustainability.

 

"Recently, the fight against corruption has become one of the urgent tasks on the agenda of Kazakhstan", says Mels Semgaliyev and it is a key component in the country’s major policy frameworks such as Kazakhstan’s “Strategy 2050”. Following the example and momentum of UNCAC, state policies increasingly involve the civil society sector in the implementation of the anti-corruption strategy. It has introduced innovations such as “one-stop shops” – transforming bureaucracy into modern “customer-centric” public service - to combat petty corruption and other forms of corruption.

The President of the country has repeatedly supported proposals of NGOs through the procurement of goods and services for community or society (so called “society request”), including analytical and research services of CSOs. The Anti-Corruption Agency meets regularly with representatives of non-governmental stakeholders and “Zhanaru” has been given the opportunity to communicate proposals directly to the top leaders. Mels and his team regularly submit their proposals to the Parliament, the Government, ministries and departments, provincial and local representative bodies as well as to all interested stakeholders. They cooperate with the Civil Alliance of Kazakhstan and many other NGOs, to support each other when their positions overlap. Their representatives participated in the public councils of the Agency for Counteracting Corruption, the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the Ministry of Information and Public Development, as well as on regional and municipal levels. Lack of access to detailed information on budget spending at regional and national levels still remains one of the key issues, observed Mels, as is the need to support the work of investigative journalists in the country