Ukraine Recovery Conference: Anti-corruption as a critical condition for sustainable recovery

These recommendations were issued jointly by the Basel Institute on Governance and Transparency International Ukraine on the occasion of the Ukraine Recovery Conference on 4–5 July 2022 in Lugano, Switzerland.

Every reconstruction effort brings with it massive corruption potential. Anti-corruption has been high on Ukraine’s political agenda before the war. But even with significant reforms since 2014, the country is far from ready to withstand the inevitable attack by kleptocrats, organised criminal groups and corrupt officials at all levels who see a golden opportunity in Ukraine’s tragedy.

In the recommendations, we highlight the need to:

• prioritise the leadership selection process and reforms of Ukraine’s formidable anti-corruption institutions, including courts;
• use transparent procurement systems for reconstruction efforts;
• strengthen asset recovery systems so that money stolen through corruption in the past can be used to help fuel reconstruction efforts.