Representatives of the Ukrainian National Lobbyists Association took part in the Integrity Matters conference
Kyiv hosted the Integrity Matters conference dedicated to the issues of integrity, anti-corruption policy, business transparency and Ukraine’s European integration processes. The event brought together representatives of government institutions, international organizations, business and the expert community. The conference was also attended by representatives of the Ukrainian National Lobbyists Association, including the Anti-Corruption Commissioner of the Association Yana Tsymbalenko.
The conference focused on transparency of government processes, development of anti-corruption culture, and the role of compliance in building trust between the state, business, and international partners.
Among the speakers of the event were: Deputy Minister of Communities and Territories Development of Ukraine Sergiy Derkach, OECD Anti-Corruption Unit Technical Assistance Project Manager for Ukraine Ivan Presnyakov, Head of the EU Anti-Corruption Initiative Allan Pag Christensen, Deputy Head of the NACP Sergiy Gupiak, Anka Feldhusen, Business Ombudsman of Ukraine, other speakers, as well as representatives of the business community and international organizations.
The participants paid special attention to the development of transparent lobbying in Ukraine as an important element of democratic governance and European integration. In the context of reforming state institutions, legal and public representation of business and civil society interests is increasingly seen as a mechanism for open interaction between the state and the private sector.
In his speech, Deputy Head of the NACP Sergiy Gupiak emphasized that modern anti-corruption policy in Ukraine is a shared responsibility of the state, business and society. He emphasized the importance of systemic development of integrity, anti-corruption programs and institutional capacity of the authorities.
Separately, Sergiy Gupyak drew attention to the development of the lobbying institute and the launch of a transparency register:
“Transparency registration has been launched, with more than 180 lobbyists already registered. This is an important step for both European integration and transparency in both the public and private sectors.”
As part of the panel “CEO Talks: Business and State in the Context of European Integration. Bilateral Responsibility” panel featured Matthew Stearns, Director of International Medical Corps, Anka Feldhusen, Business Ombudsman of Ukraine, Andriy Gryshchuk, co-founder of the VKURSI platform, Benjamin Abdili, CEO of Servier Ukraine, and Bohdan Volchok, CEO of SCF Ukraine.
In her speech, Anka Feldhusen emphasized that the number of business inquiries has not decreased even in the midst of the war. According to her, compliance is directly related to trust, and international partners expect Ukrainian business to be honest and transparent. She also emphasized that the de-shadowing of the economy is a long-term process in which business integrity plays a key role.
Matthew Stearns, in turn, emphasized the need to comply with international standards of transparency and risk management when implementing international and humanitarian projects in Ukraine.
