Ukraine on the way to the OECD: the Bar contributes to the implementation of the program

Accession to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development is a common challenge for all national institutions, on which the European future of the state depends. The Bar contributes to the implementation of the relevant OECD Program for Ukraine.

Recently, Kyiv hosted a conference «Ukraine on the Road to the OECD and Accession to the OECD Anti-Bribery Convention» organized by the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine with the support of the US Embassy in Ukraine. The event brought together ambassadors, MPs, government officials, international partners, civil society and business to discuss the prospects of Ukraine's accession to the Convention, which is an important step, including on the path of the country's European integration aspirations.

Valentyn Gvozdiy, Vice President of the UNBA, BCU, took part in the conference.

The Bar, as a constitutional component of justice in Ukraine, is also involved in negotiation processes and program implementation. In the course of their implementation, meetings and consultations are held with state institutions and international partners. In particular, the legislation of Ukraine on the Bar was analyzed for its compliance with the European standards contained in:

• Directive 77/249/EEC of the Council of the European Economic Community of March 22, 1977 on the promotion of the effective exercise of the freedom to practice law by lawyers;
• Directive 98/5/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 16.02.98 on the promotion of the permanent exercise of the legal profession in a Member State other than the State of professional qualification;
• Recommendation No. R(2000)21 of the Committee of Ministers to Member States on the freedom of the exercise of the profession of lawyer, adopted by the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe at the 727th meeting of the Deputy Ministers on October 25, 2000.

Also, in order to achieve the goal of joining the OECD, Ukraine must fulfill a number of requirements by January 2025, one of which is the introduction of criminal liability of legal entities for corruption-related criminal offenses. To this end, a group of MPs registered in the Parliament Draft Law No. 11443, which provides for relevant amendments to the Criminal Code and the Criminal Procedure Code, as well as a number of other legislative acts. The Ukrainian National Bar Association's Committee on Anti-Corruption Policy and Compliance has already analyzed the draft law and provided its comments and suggestions for its improvement.

The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development brings together 38 of the world's most economically developed countries with high incomes and a high human development index. It develops international standards used by the European Union. Therefore, the processes of joining the OECD and the EU actually complement each other. The Government of Ukraine applied for membership in the Organization in 2022. After that, the relevant program for Ukraine was prepared and signed.