Statement by Oleksandr Novikov, Head of the National Agency on Corruption Prevention of Ukraine, at the 9th Conference of the States Parties to the UN Convention against Corruption

14.12.2021

Conference of the States Parties to the United Nations Convention against Corruption Ladies and Gentlemen, Colleagues and friends. I am very pleased to be here today, to represent my country at the Conference. It has been seven years since the start of the anti-corruption reform in Ukraine Seven years since the corrupt President Yanukovych has fleed the country. Seven years since the beginning of the Russian aggression in Ukraine. Despite all the challenges, during these seven years, Ukraine has shown its aspiration and consistency in implementing UN Convention against Corruption. Within this time, we ensured our leadership in developing IT tools for corruption prevention. We have become the first country to introduce electronic passports on its way to fully digitalize public services. This will simplify the bureaucratic system, minimize the risk of bribery, and make the enhanced monitoring of public officials possible. Thanks to all that, last week Ukraine took the 6th position in the Open Data Maturity ranking, being recognized as a trend-setter in data transparency. As the newly adopted US Strategy against Corruption says, our electronic procurement system PROZORRO has helped save Ukraine nearly $6 billion in public funds, including by canceling illegal tenders. Along with that, Ukraine is the first country to join the Global Register for Beneficial Owners, developing the most advanced financial disclose system. The National Agency on Corruption Prevention I lead holds the world's largest digital database of civil servants’ assets. It is the register of e-declaration that was developed with the kind support of the UNDP. The register doesn’t have any analogs in the world. As every year up to 1 million officials submit their declarations to the e-register. As each of these documents is available to the public. As each of them is also verified automatically, showing if the public official stated true information on his belongings. The NACP also represents one of the most advanced systems of anti-corruption authorities in the world. Developed with a strict following of the UN Convention against Corruption, today our anti-corruption institutions show unprecedented results. The National Anti-corruption Bureau of Ukraine, established seven years ago to combat corruption and other criminal offenses committed by top officials, today cooperates with more than 80 peers around the globe where Ukraine’s corruption has left its mark. During this time, the NABU exposed more than 1000 officials for abuse of state resources. Among them are 6 ministers, 11 executives of central executive bodies, 20 MPs, and 67 judges. The Bureau has ensured that more than 120 million dollars of stolen assets are returned to the state budget. Prevented the theft of more than 80 million dollars. The High Anti-Corruption Court of Ukraine, in return, has already ruled in favor of 49 convictions and sentenced 58 corrupt officials, despite being developed just two years ago. Our next step is to ensure that corruption becomes impossible in the key spheres. Ensure judicial and law enforcement reform, create a better business environment, and a corruption-free defense sector. With this in mind, Ukraine approaches to approve the National Anti-Corruption Strategy. Developed in close cooperation with civil society and international experts, the Strategy will ensure the consistency of anti-corruption activities at all levels - from state bodies to local governments and councils. Corruption knows no borders. We pledge our commitment to the principles of the UN Convention against Corruption and willingness to work cooperatively and constructively to make good on our commitment. That is why we reassure our aspiration to form a UNODC-lead platform for exchanging the experience in implementing anti-corruption IT tools. Ukraine is open to the world. And we are ready to share both - expertise and mockups of our IT products - with other countries. We welcome recognition of corruption as both a national and global security threat and call for all countries to join efforts in preventing strategic corruption and misuse of the global financial system for laundering proceeds of corruption. In this regard, we all need stronger measures to monitor money flows, freeze and recover assets related to corruption, tackle activities of enablers of strategic corruption. We are ready to do more. We are certain that together we can achieve one of the main goals - build fair, prosperous, and digitalized societies. Thank you