The Anti-Corruption Agency of Uzbekistan, in partnership with the European Union (EU), the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), Korea’s Anti-Corruption and Civil Rights Commission (ACRC), and the UNDP Seoul Policy Center, held an event to unveil findings from a corruption reporting impact assessment and present a draft law on whistleblower protection. The event brought together government officials, experts, activists, and media representatives, culminating in recommendations to strengthen Uzbekistan’s corruption reporting framework and empower citizens in the fight against corruption.
A survey conducted across 14 regions of Uzbekistan, gathering input from over 500 respondents, 10 ministries and agencies, and more than 20 anonymous employees, highlighted key trends in corruption reporting. While 74% of participants expressed willingness to report corruption and 82.2% favored digital platforms or apps, notable barriers remain. These include a lack of awareness about reporting channels (20.4%), personal involvement in corruption (19.8%), and cultural perceptions such as considering gift-giving as gratitude (13.8%) or not recognizing it as corruption (7.4%). These findings underscore the urgent need for public education, user-friendly reporting tools, and precise definitions of corruption.
In response, a centralized electronic reporting system, modeled after Korea’s Clean Portal platform, is under development. Additionally, the draft law “On the Protection of Persons Reporting Corruption-Related Offenses,” formulated by the Anti-Corruption Agency with support from the EU, UNDP, and international experts, integrates OECD Istanbul Action Plan recommendations and aligns with global best practices from countries such as the United States, South Korea, China, and Latvia.
The event also spotlighted international standards in whistleblower protection. Transparency International’s Marie Terracol introduced the EU Whistleblower Directive, emphasizing confidentiality, diverse reporting options, and follow-up mechanisms to build trust. Sorgatz Ingo, First Chief Detective Inspector at Germany’s Ministry of Interior, discussed Germany’s Whistleblower Protection Act, which accommodates both anonymous and named reporting across various violations.
These efforts form part of two broader UNDP initiatives: Strengthening the National Anti-Corruption Ecosystem in Uzbekistan, funded by the EU, and Establishing an Effective Corruption Reporting Mechanism in Uzbekistan based on Korea’s Clean Portal (SDG Partnership on Transparency & Accountability), implemented with the ACRC and the UNDP Seoul Policy Center.