Date: Thursday, June 8, 2023

Time: 9:00 – 11:00 am PT

Register Here

The Anti-Corruption Law Program (ACLP) is pleased to provide registration details for the first session in ourthree-part webinar series on:

Preventing Corruption in the Post-War Reconstruction of Ukraine

As the war in Ukraine grinds on, the Ukrainian government, its international partners and numerous observers are already planning for the eventual post-war reconstruction of the country. These actors have a common concern about the need to ensure that corruption does not undermine the effectiveness of recovery programmes, which are currently projected to cost over US$500 billion.

Experience from the last two decades suggests that anti-corruption efforts in reconstruction do not have a good track record. Ukraine’s challenge includes establishing multi-faceted anti-corruption initiatives as part of a broader agenda of democratic renewal and economic progress.

Anti-corruption efforts undertaken in Ukraine since 2014, listed below, have generated numerous initiatives that should make the impending post-war reconstruction more transparent, and thereby more efficient and cost-effective:

1. An impressive track record of success in reducing the space for corrupt practices in public procurement, as well as taxation and the provision of public services. The post-Euromaidan award-winning procurement system Prozorrois the keystone of the new systems, which have been designed to provide more transparency in the expenditure of public funds;
2. Functioning anti-corruption agencies and a specialized anti-corruption court have been built on solid foundations, creating enhanced potential to play a much stronger role in a political environment that favours these authorities;
3. Substantial public finance reform with improved transparency of spending. E-data.gov.ua and other digital platforms allow for significantly improved oversight and monitoring;
4. A strong and vibrant civil society experienced in anti-corruption issues, with a powerful voice and which is motivated to achieve change;
5. Well-developed digital infrastructure that can be adapted to provide the level of data exchange needed for effective coordination of reconstruction efforts; and
6. An active business community, both local and international, that is willing to make its voice heard.

However, besides the anticipated political turbulence that can be expected in the post-war era, there are areas in which the current anti-corruption framework in Ukraine remains outdated. Critics point to the lack of developed compliance procedures, the fact that discussions around ESG as a part of reconstruction are in a nascent stage, and the assessment that whistleblower protections enforcement must be strengthened.

Session One

Existing Situation – A discussion of Ukraine reconstruction priorities, current organizational planning, anti-corruption safeguards, and existing challenges.

Session 1 of this three-part series will provide foundational information to help familiarize webinar participants with the issues and challenges, the current state of thinking, early organizational planning, and efforts already underway that are aimed at ensuring the integrity of the post-war reconstruction of Ukraine. The two subsequent events in this series will consist of a private colloquium organized by the ACLP Ukraine Reconstruction Working Group, to be held in October 2023, and a public webinar session in January 2024 that will focus on sharing best practices in the effective and transparent implementation of large infrastructure projects.

Moderator:
Alexander Komarov, Anti-Corruption Expert, European Union Anti-Corruption Initiative

Our Panelists:
Serhiy Derkach, Deputy Minister for Communities, Territories Development and Infrastructure of Ukraine

Roman Waschuk, Business Ombudsman in Ukraine since January 1, 2022, and Ambassador of Canada to Ukraine from 2014 to 2019

Andrii Borovyk, Executive Director, Transparency International Ukraine since 2019

Juhani Grossmann, Team Leader, Green Corruption Programme, Senior Advisor, Central and Eastern Europe, Basel Institute on Governance

Natalie Forsyuk, Strategic Advisor, Ukraine and Europe, CoST – the Infrastructure Transparency Initiative

This event qualifies for 2 CPD credits from the Law Society of British Columbia.

This webinar series is being presented by the Anti-Corruption Law Program, which is a joint continuing professional educational initiative of the Centre for Business Law at the Peter A. Allard School of Law at the University of British Columbia (UBC), Transparency International – Canada Chapter, and the Vancouver Anti-Corruption Institute at the International Centre for Criminal Law Reform and Criminal Justice Policy, also at UBC.

Photo by noah eleazar on Unsplash.