Ukraine passes foreign bribery legislation as part of OECD alignment efforts

The bill, No. 15056, is intended to align Ukrainian legislation with the OECD Anti-Bribery Convention, which targets bribery of foreign officials in international business transactions.

Ukraine's parliament said joining the convention would expand opportunities for international cooperation in investigating corruption and bring the country closer to standards set by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) and the European Union.

Lawmaker Yaroslav Zhelezniak said the legislation was important for Ukraine's efforts to engage with the OECD.

Before the vote, presidential chief of staff Kyrylo Budanov said the changes would strengthen accountability for international bribery, build trust among Ukraine's partners and help fulfill commitments related to the country's EU accession negotiations.

The OECD is an international organization that promotes economic cooperation, trade and policy standards among its member countries.

Passing the legislation does not itself make Ukraine a party to the OECD Anti-Bribery Convention or a member of the organization.