First Deputy Speaker Oleksandr Korniienko discussed with the OECD delegation the final stage of Ukraine’s accession to the OECD Anti-Bribery Convention
01 May 2026, 19:42
First Deputy Speaker of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine Oleksandr Korniienko held a meeting with a delegation of the OECD, led by Julia Fromholz, Head of the Anti-Corruption Division within the OECD Directorate for Financial and Enterprise Affairs.
The key topic of discussion was a final stage of Ukraine's accession to the OECD Anti-Bribery Convention.
In particular, the fulfilment of the conditions required for Ukraine’s full membership in the OECD.
The First Deputy Speaker reminded that on 10 March 2026, the Verkhovna Rada adopted a law on Ukraine's accession to the OECD Anti-Bribery Convention.
The next step has to be the adoption of the implementing draft law on Amendments to the Criminal Code of Ukraine "On Bribery Prevention". This will be the final stage of Ukraine's accession to the OECD Convention.
According to Oleksandr Korniienko, the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine may consider this draft law in June 2026.
During the meeting, the First Deputy Speaker also emphasised the strong interest of the Ukrainian business community in the implementation of Convention's provision. The day before, he took part in a discussion with international partners, business representatives, and civil society.
In addition, the discussion focused on practical benefits of joining the OECD Working Group on Bribery, such as expansion of international cooperation in combating bribery, preparation to the first and second phases of evaluation that Ukraine will undergo in the coming stages,, as well as strengthening cooperation among government institutions, international experts, and the business community to achieve a common goal.
In turn, Chair of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine Committee on Law Enforcement, Serhii Ionushas, noted that following the consideration of the draft law, MPs will have up to two weeks to submit amendments.
"The Working Group will put a lot of effort, in particular, to prepare the draft law for consideration in the second reading," he added.
The discussion was also joined by Deputy Head of the OECD Office in Ukraine Marta Sydoriak, Strategic Adviser Kateryna Penkova, and Law Enforcement Analyst Oleksandr Melnychenko.