PUBLIC PARTICIPATION IN ANTI-CORRUPTION MEASURES: FINDINGS FROM THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE ANTI-CORRUPTION STRATEGY 2021–2025

Abstract

This article examines public participation in anti-corruption initiatives in Ukraine. The outcomes of the implementation of the 2021–2025 Anti-Corruption Strategy are analysed through the lens of the experience of the NGO ‘Sprovit’, an anti-corruption civil society organisation with significant practical experience. The methodological basis of the study comprised the formal-legal method, the method of legal modelling, and the method of generalising empirical data. Their application made it possible to examine the subject matter not only from a theoretical perspective and from the standpoint of existing legislative regulation of public engagement in anti-corruption measures in Ukraine, but also to analyse it from the perspective of the practical challenges faced by anti-corruption civil society organisations in their day-to-day activities. The theoretical basis of the study was formed by publications by Ukrainian scholars devoted to the issues of public engagement in combating corruption in Ukraine. The legal framework of the study was formed by the relevant Law of Ukraine ‘On the Prevention of Corruption’ and the Law of Ukraine ‘On the Principles of State Anti-Corruption Policy for 2021–2025’. Their analysis made it possible to identify the principles of legal regulation of public participation in the fight against corruption in Ukraine, as well as the goals and objectives planned for 2021–2025 within the framework of the implementation of Ukraine’s state anti-corruption policy, which would contribute to enhancing the effectiveness of civil society institutions in the field of anti-corruption in Ukraine. The empirical basis of this study is the experience of the NGO ‘Sprovit’ as an anti-corruption civil society organisation dedicated to combating corruption in Ukraine. The study has revealed that a significant number of systemic problems have accumulated in the area of public participation in anti-corruption measures, which require urgent resolution. These include: the formal nature of interaction between government bodies and civil society organisations; inadequate public access to public information; obstruction of the lawful activities of anti-corruption civil society organisations; delays in the adjudication of cases in the courts; and ineffective interaction between the public and anti-corruption bodies, amongst others. A comprehensive solution to these and other problems concerning public engagement in anti-corruption measures is possible through dialogue between the state and anti-corruption civil society organisations. It is precisely this feedback from civil society institutions that will make it possible, on the one hand, to better identify the range of existing problems in this area and, on the other, to test in practice the effectiveness of the organisational and legal solutions proposed to address them. Furthermore, an important step towards resolving the current challenges of public participation in anti-corruption measures is to ensure they are properly reflected in the objectives of the forthcoming Anti-Corruption Strategy for 2026–2030.