On the eve of the International Anti-Corruption Day

November 30, 2021

The International Anti-Corruption Day is observed annually on December 9th on the initiative of the United Nations.

On this day in 2003, the UN Convention against Corruption, adopted by the UN General Assembly on October 30, 2003, was opened for signature. The Convention provides for measures to prevent corruption, punish offenders, and establish mechanisms for international cooperation in combating it. The Convention is the first comprehensive international document of its kind and provides for the implementation of anti-corruption policies and the establishment of special bodies to combat this negative phenomenon.

The establishment of the International Anti-Corruption Day is a result of the global community's profound realization of the serious danger posed by corruption. Its purpose is to deepen the understanding of the problem of corruption and the role of the Convention in preventing and combating it.

It is important to understand that corruption is not merely an unlawful act; it is a complex social phenomenon that not only distorts interpersonal relationships among individuals but also leads to the destruction of society as a whole. The presence of corruption in any sphere of public life is an indicator of its systemic crisis.

The Republic of Belarus, which pays special attention to anti-corruption issues, signed the Convention on April 28, 2004, and ratified this document by Law of the Republic of Belarus No. 344-Z of November 25, 2004, "On the Ratification of the UN Convention against Corruption."

The resolution of the General Assembly does not specify calls for widespread celebration of the International Anti-Corruption Day and the holding of relevant events. In this regard, on the eve of this day, with the aim of increasing knowledge in the field of combating this negative phenomenon, it should be noted that the Republic of Belarus, supporting and developing anti-corruption initiatives at the national and international levels, is consistently implementing a set of measures aimed at ensuring the effectiveness of activities to prevent all manifestations of corruption, and is working to improve anti-corruption legislation, taking into account both the law enforcement practice established in our country and international requirements. The effectiveness of the measures taken by the Republic of Belarus to combat corruption is also recognized by the international community.

The legal basis for anti-corruption activities in the country is the Law of the Republic of Belarus of July 15, 2015 "On Combating Corruption" (hereinafter referred to as the Law), which entered into force in January 2016. Its main provisions are aimed at introducing preventive mechanisms that minimize the motivation for committing corrupt acts and eliminate prerequisites for corrupt behavior.

In particular, this includes the prohibition of employment as civil servants of employees who have previously committed a grave or especially grave crime against the interests of service, regardless of the fact of expungement of criminal record, deprivation of the right to pension provision in case of commission of grave or especially grave crimes during public service, associated with the use of official powers by an official. A civil law mechanism has been introduced for the confiscation by court decision of property for which no evidence of acquisition from legal income has been provided, and the list of information on income and property subject to declaration by high-ranking officials has been expanded.

The Law also provides for the introduction of public control into the system of anti-corruption measures, the forms of which include the participation of citizens and public associations in the development of draft and discussion of regulatory legal acts in the field of combating corruption, in the activities of commissions for combating corruption created in state bodies and organizations, meetings of collegiums of state bodies, and conducting sociological surveys.

In addition to the Law, issues of combating corruption are regulated by:

By Decree of the President of the Republic of Belarus of 15.12.2014 No. 5 "On Strengthening Requirements for Managers and Employees of Organizations";

By the Criminal Code of the Republic of Belarus;

By the Code of the Republic of Belarus on Administrative Offenses;

By the Labor Code of the Republic of Belarus;

By the Law of the Republic of Belarus of 14.06.2003 "On Public Service in the Republic of Belarus";

By the Law of the Republic of Belarus of 04.01.2014 "On the Fundamentals of Crime Prevention Activities";

By the Law of the Republic of Belarus of 13.07.2012 "On Public Procurement of Goods (Works, Services)";

By the Decree of the President of the Republic of Belarus of 17.12.2007 No. 644 "On Approval of the Regulation on the Coordination Meeting for Combating Crime and Corruption";

By the Resolution of the Council of Ministers of the Republic of Belarus of 26.12.2011 No. 1732 "On Approval of the Standard Regulation on the Commission for Combating Corruption";

By the Resolution of the Council of Ministers of the Republic of Belarus of 16.01.2016 No. 19 "On Certain Issues of Declaring Income and Property by Public Servants and Other Categories of Persons";

by other normative legal acts.

Deputy Prosecutor

of Gluboksky District Ya.I. Sosnovsky