Moody’s recent affirmation of Azerbaijan’s sovereign rating at ‘Ba1’ with a positive outlook underscores significant strides in the country’s economic stability and financial resilience. The report highlights pivotal reforms and effective policy measures that have bolstered Azerbaijan’s economic foundations amidst global uncertainties.
Day: July 9, 2024
Categories
Armenia News – NEWS.am
On July 9, the Council of Europe’s Group of States against Corruption (GRECO) published its fifth evaluation report on Georgia, calling for stronger oversight and accountability in the top executive and law enforcement bodies.
The Group of States against Corruption (GRECO) is a Council of Europe body that aims to improve the capacity of its members to fight corruption by monitoring their compliance with anti-corruption standards. GRECO helps states to identify deficiencies in national anti-corruption policies, prompting the necessary legislative, institutional and practical reforms.
Anti-Corruption Bureau Lacks Independence
The report gives a positive assessment of the amendment of the Georgian Law on Combatting Corruption, which led to the establishment of the Anti-Corruption Bureau in 2023.However, the report highlights the pitfalls and concerns that have been identified regarding the independence of the new body. It calls for a review of the Bureau’s legal framework to give it a greater operational independence and to provide it with adequate financial and personnel resources for effective operation.
Top Officials Corruption Unchecked
Georgia has “no specific strategy” to prevent corruption and promote integrity among top officials, the report says, noting that no anti-corruption strategy or action plan has been developed since 2020. The top officials mentioned in the report include the prime minister, ministers and deputy ministers, advisers to the prime minister and ministers, as well as the head of the state administration, his deputies and the parliamentary secretary of the government.
GRECO therefore calls for the adoption of a specific anti-corruption policy to prevent corruption within the executive branch. It also calls for the development of a code of conduct for senior officials and clear guidelines on conflicts of interest and other integrity issues. In addition, the report notes a lack of integrity checks in the appointment procedures for top executive positions. The report stresses the need for a risk-based approach to the selection of declarations of assets and financial interests.
GRECO recommends greater transparency in the appointment of government advisors and calls for stricter rules on gifts and other benefits, as well as the introduction of broadly applicable rules on post-employment restrictions.
In addition, the report notes that authorities should ensure the independence and effectiveness of criminal investigations and prosecutions of high-level individuals suspected of corruption-related crimes. The need for access to information in a timely manner is also stressed in the report.
Law Enforcement Requires Regular Integrity Checks
With respect to law enforcement, the report focuses on the Patrol Police, the Central Criminal Police and the Border Police, and notes that there is room for improvement in corruption-related issues. While noting that Georgia has established new risk management mechanisms, the report stresses that there is no specific operational anti-corruption strategy for the police, nor a comprehensive corruption risk mapping or risk assessment for individual law enforcement agencies, and recommends that they be established.
In addition, GRECO recommends Georgia to ensure that background checks/vetting of police officers are carried out regularly and more intensively for those with access to sensitive information. The report further notes the need for mandatory and continuous integrity training for police officers throughout their career, as well as the need to update police code of ethics, and introduction of ethical and integrity issues.
Finally, the report calls for the adoption and implementation of whisleblower protection measures in the police.
Also Read:
Georgia’s EU accession process has been stopped, the EU has frozen 30 million euros in assistance to Georgia, and further measures are being considered in case the situation in the country deteriorates further, EU Ambassador to Georgia Paweł Herczyński told journalists today, July 9.
The decisions were made against the backdrop of the adoption of the highly controversial foreign agents law and recent anti-democratic steps taken by the government, despite repeated calls from the West about the imminent consequences of the GD’s actions.
“The Law on Transparency of Foreign Influence is a clear backslide on nine steps, and the anti-Western, anti-European rhetoric is fully incompatible with the stated aim of joining the European Union,” Amb. Herczyński said, adding that as a result, “Georgia’s EU accession has been put on hold.”
According to the Ambassador, the decision to halt Georgia’s EU accession process was taken by EU leaders at the last European Council on June 27. He also noted that “EU leaders are unclear about the true intentions of the current Georgian authorities.”
Amb. Herczyński also expressed hope that the newly formed government will “restart serious work” on Georgia’s EU integration after the October parliamentary elections. “Everything can still be changed, but the time is running out,” he added.
In addition to the EU freezing EUR 30 million from the European Peace Facility (EPF) and earmarked for the Georgian Ministry of Defense, the Ambassador said, “other measures are being considered if the situation further deteriorates.” While he said sanctions are one such measure, EU leaders have no unanimity on imposing “restrictive measures” against anyone in Georgia.
The Ambassador noted that the EU’s direct support to the Georgian government will “gradually diminish” and that the EU will try to shift this support from the government to civil society and media.
Amb. Herczyński regretted that EU-Georgia relations are “at such a low point when they could have been at an all-time high.” “It is for Georgian people to elect their next government, and it is for the next Georgian government to decide on its policy towards the European Union,” Amb. Herczyński. He added, “Georgia is a candidate country and if the next government is interested in pursuing Georgia’s membership in the European Union, we are more than ready, more than willing in order to help, to assist in every way we can.”
“It is for Georgia and for Georgians to decide on the 26th of October [Parliamentary elections] if they want to be a member of the European Union or not, if they want to be part of the next big EU enlargement, or if they have other plans for their future,” Amb. Herczyński said.
Also Read:
- 24/06/2024 – HR/VP Borrell Says Georgian Government is Taking Georgia Away From EU, Announces Initial EU Response
- 24/06/2024 – HR/VP Borrell Warns EU Door Will Close for Georgia if Government Continues its Course
- 19/06/2024 – Paweł Herczyńsky: Adoption of Foreign Agents Law Has Frozen Georgia’s EU Integration
On July 9, the Council of Europe’s Group of States against Corruption (GRECO) published its fifth evaluation report on Georgia, calling for stronger oversight and accountability in the top executive and law enforcement bodies.
The Group of States against Corruption (GRECO) is a Council of Europe body that aims to improve the capacity of its members to fight corruption by monitoring their compliance with anti-corruption standards. GRECO helps states to identify deficiencies in national anti-corruption policies, prompting the necessary legislative, institutional and practical reforms.
Anti-Corruption Bureau Lacks Independence
The report gives a positive assessment of the amendment of the Georgian Law on Combatting Corruption, which led to the establishment of the Anti-Corruption Bureau in 2023.However, the report highlights the pitfalls and concerns that have been identified regarding the independence of the new body. It calls for a review of the Bureau’s legal framework to give it a greater operational independence and to provide it with adequate financial and personnel resources for effective operation.
Top Officials Corruption Unchecked
Georgia has “no specific strategy” to prevent corruption and promote integrity among top officials, the report says, noting that no anti-corruption strategy or action plan has been developed since 2020. The top officials mentioned in the report include the prime minister, ministers and deputy ministers, advisers to the prime minister and ministers, as well as the head of the state administration, his deputies and the parliamentary secretary of the government.
GRECO therefore calls for the adoption of a specific anti-corruption policy to prevent corruption within the executive branch. It also calls for the development of a code of conduct for senior officials and clear guidelines on conflicts of interest and other integrity issues. In addition, the report notes a lack of integrity checks in the appointment procedures for top executive positions. The report stresses the need for a risk-based approach to the selection of declarations of assets and financial interests.
GRECO recommends greater transparency in the appointment of government advisors and calls for stricter rules on gifts and other benefits, as well as the introduction of broadly applicable rules on post-employment restrictions.
In addition, the report notes that authorities should ensure the independence and effectiveness of criminal investigations and prosecutions of high-level individuals suspected of corruption-related crimes. The need for access to information in a timely manner is also stressed in the report.
Law Enforcement Requires Regular Integrity Checks
With respect to law enforcement, the report focuses on the Patrol Police, the Central Criminal Police and the Border Police, and notes that there is room for improvement in corruption-related issues. While noting that Georgia has established new risk management mechanisms, the report stresses that there is no specific operational anti-corruption strategy for the police, nor a comprehensive corruption risk mapping or risk assessment for individual law enforcement agencies, and recommends that they be established.
In addition, GRECO recommends Georgia to ensure that background checks/vetting of police officers are carried out regularly and more intensively for those with access to sensitive information. The report further notes the need for mandatory and continuous integrity training for police officers throughout their career, as well as the need to update police code of ethics, and introduction of ethical and integrity issues.
Finally, the report calls for the adoption and implementation of whisleblower protection measures in the police.
Also Read:
Georgia’s EU accession process has been stopped, the EU has frozen 30 million euros in assistance to Georgia, and further measures are being considered in case the situation in the country deteriorates further, EU Ambassador to Georgia Paweł Herczyński told journalists today, July 9.
The decisions were made against the backdrop of the adoption of the highly controversial foreign agents law and recent anti-democratic steps taken by the government, despite repeated calls from the West about the imminent consequences of the GD’s actions.
“The Law on Transparency of Foreign Influence is a clear backslide on nine steps, and the anti-Western, anti-European rhetoric is fully incompatible with the stated aim of joining the European Union,” Amb. Herczyński said, adding that as a result, “Georgia’s EU accession has been put on hold.”
According to the Ambassador, the decision to halt Georgia’s EU accession process was taken by EU leaders at the last European Council on June 27. He also noted that “EU leaders are unclear about the true intentions of the current Georgian authorities.”
Amb. Herczyński also expressed hope that the newly formed government will “restart serious work” on Georgia’s EU integration after the October parliamentary elections. “Everything can still be changed, but the time is running out,” he added.
In addition to the EU freezing EUR 30 million from the European Peace Facility (EPF) and earmarked for the Georgian Ministry of Defense, the Ambassador said, “other measures are being considered if the situation further deteriorates.” While he said sanctions are one such measure, EU leaders have no unanimity on imposing “restrictive measures” against anyone in Georgia.
The Ambassador noted that the EU’s direct support to the Georgian government will “gradually diminish” and that the EU will try to shift this support from the government to civil society and media.
Amb. Herczyński regretted that EU-Georgia relations are “at such a low point when they could have been at an all-time high.” “It is for Georgian people to elect their next government, and it is for the next Georgian government to decide on its policy towards the European Union,” Amb. Herczyński. He added, “Georgia is a candidate country and if the next government is interested in pursuing Georgia’s membership in the European Union, we are more than ready, more than willing in order to help, to assist in every way we can.”
“It is for Georgia and for Georgians to decide on the 26th of October [Parliamentary elections] if they want to be a member of the European Union or not, if they want to be part of the next big EU enlargement, or if they have other plans for their future,” Amb. Herczyński said.
Also Read:
- 24/06/2024 – HR/VP Borrell Says Georgian Government is Taking Georgia Away From EU, Announces Initial EU Response
- 24/06/2024 – HR/VP Borrell Warns EU Door Will Close for Georgia if Government Continues its Course
- 19/06/2024 – Paweł Herczyńsky: Adoption of Foreign Agents Law Has Frozen Georgia’s EU Integration
On July 9, the Council of Europe’s Group of States against Corruption (GRECO) published its fifth evaluation report on Georgia, calling for stronger oversight and accountability in the top executive and law enforcement bodies.
The Group of States against Corruption (GRECO) is a Council of Europe body that aims to improve the capacity of its members to fight corruption by monitoring their compliance with anti-corruption standards. GRECO helps states to identify deficiencies in national anti-corruption policies, prompting the necessary legislative, institutional and practical reforms.
Anti-Corruption Bureau Lacks Independence
The report gives a positive assessment of the amendment of the Georgian Law on Combatting Corruption, which led to the establishment of the Anti-Corruption Bureau in 2023.However, the report highlights the pitfalls and concerns that have been identified regarding the independence of the new body. It calls for a review of the Bureau’s legal framework to give it a greater operational independence and to provide it with adequate financial and personnel resources for effective operation.
Top Officials Corruption Unchecked
Georgia has “no specific strategy” to prevent corruption and promote integrity among top officials, the report says, noting that no anti-corruption strategy or action plan has been developed since 2020. The top officials mentioned in the report include the prime minister, ministers and deputy ministers, advisers to the prime minister and ministers, as well as the head of the state administration, his deputies and the parliamentary secretary of the government.
GRECO therefore calls for the adoption of a specific anti-corruption policy to prevent corruption within the executive branch. It also calls for the development of a code of conduct for senior officials and clear guidelines on conflicts of interest and other integrity issues. In addition, the report notes a lack of integrity checks in the appointment procedures for top executive positions. The report stresses the need for a risk-based approach to the selection of declarations of assets and financial interests.
GRECO recommends greater transparency in the appointment of government advisors and calls for stricter rules on gifts and other benefits, as well as the introduction of broadly applicable rules on post-employment restrictions.
In addition, the report notes that authorities should ensure the independence and effectiveness of criminal investigations and prosecutions of high-level individuals suspected of corruption-related crimes. The need for access to information in a timely manner is also stressed in the report.
Law Enforcement Requires Regular Integrity Checks
With respect to law enforcement, the report focuses on the Patrol Police, the Central Criminal Police and the Border Police, and notes that there is room for improvement in corruption-related issues. While noting that Georgia has established new risk management mechanisms, the report stresses that there is no specific operational anti-corruption strategy for the police, nor a comprehensive corruption risk mapping or risk assessment for individual law enforcement agencies, and recommends that they be established.
In addition, GRECO recommends Georgia to ensure that background checks/vetting of police officers are carried out regularly and more intensively for those with access to sensitive information. The report further notes the need for mandatory and continuous integrity training for police officers throughout their career, as well as the need to update police code of ethics, and introduction of ethical and integrity issues.
Finally, the report calls for the adoption and implementation of whisleblower protection measures in the police.
Also Read: