The Council of Europe, through the Action on Promoting Transparency and Action against Economic Crime in Central Asia, organised a three-day regional workshop on “Enhancing business integrity and compliance of the private sector in Central Asia” with competent authorities of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan. The workshop took place in Strasbourg on 11-13 July 2023 and gathered over 34 representatives of the public institutions, business associations and chambers of commerce from five beneficiary countries of Central Asia. 

The workshop aimed at raising awareness on good practices to promote and enhance business integrity and anti-corruption compliance in the private sector in beneficiary countries of Central Asia. The representatives of the national authorities had the opportunity to learn international standards and good practices to prevent corruption in the private sector in other countries. They discussed the common understanding of business integrity and ways of its promotion with a focus on enhancing business integrity and compliance in the private sector, reducing administrative barriers, and ensuring the protection of rights of entrepreneurs in these countries.

The meeting once again reiterated the strong correlation between fighting corporate corruption and advancing business integrity with concrete benefits for citizens, business environment and investment as well as for individual companies.

This activity was organised by the Action on “Promoting Transparency and Action against Economic Crime” of the Central Asia Rule of Law Programme 2020-2023, a joint initiative co-funded by the European Union and the Council of Europe and implemented by the Council of Europe.