Olena Duma, Head of the Asset Recovery and Management Agency (ARMA), together with Grigol Katamadze, Deputy Head who is responsible for European Integration of ARMA, took part in the conference “Ukraine on the Road to the OECD and Accession to the OECD Anti-Bribery Convention”. The event was devoted to the challenges Ukraine faces in the process of gaining membership in the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), as well as the steps necessary to overcome them. 

Speakers at the event included Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine Andriy Yermak, Head of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine Ruslan Stefanchuk, Vice Prime Minister for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration of Ukraine and Minister of Justice of Ukraine Olha Stefanishyna, Under Secretary of State for Law Enforcement Todd Robinson, and Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States to Ukraine Bridget Brink. In addition, the conference was attended by heads of law enforcement and anti-corruption agencies of Ukraine, as well as ambassadors of partner countries and representatives of international organizations.

ARMA, as an anti-corruption infrastructure body, is one of the implementers of the OECD recommendations.

“Within the framework of Ukraine's participation in the Istanbul Action Plan, ARMA, within its competence, ensures the implementation of the OECD recommendations to improve public policy, in particular in the field of combating corruption, as well as in the fight against tax crime. Currently, we are actively cooperating with the OECD Office in Ukraine, as well as interacting with other anti-corruption agencies, such as the NACP. The National Agency is actively implementing the State Anti-Corruption Program, which also covers a significant part of the OECD recommendations,” said Olena Duma, Head of ARMA.

In 2022, Ukraine began the process of joining the OECD and the OECD Working Group on Bribery as an integral part of it. To this end, on August 2, 2022, the Prime Minister of Ukraine sent a letter to the OECD requesting to join the Working Group on Combating Bribery in International Business Transactions.

One of the mandatory steps towards OECD membership is the ratification of the OECD Convention on Combating Bribery of Foreign Public Officials in International Business Transactions (OECD Anti-Bribery Convention), which is also one of the highest anti-corruption standards. Accession to the OECD Anti-Bribery Convention is an integral part of Ukraine's EU accession negotiations.

It is worth recalling that in 2023, the OECD monitored ARMA's activities in 2022 and the first half of 2023. Based on the results of the monitoring, recommendations were provided, which ARMA is gradually implementing successfully. In particular, public access to the Register of Seized Assets was opened, measures were taken to improve the efficiency of management of seized assets, and cooperation with other anti-corruption agencies was strengthened.