The Council of Europe 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 their awareness on good practices in promoting and enhancing business integrity and anti-corruption compliance in the private sector in their respective countries. The representatives of the national authorities had the opportunity to learn about international standards and good practices in preventing corruption in the private sector in other countries. They discussed the common understanding of business integrity and ways to promote it, with a focus on improving 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.