In the current global landscape, corruption inflicts damages estimated at around three trillion dollars. During an award ceremony for a prestigious international anti-corruption accolade, President Shavkat Mirziyoyev highlighted, “This staggering figure does not fully capture the true state of affairs or the actual extent of the damage. What’s worse is the inability to measure the scale of moral harm inflicted on society.”

Various studies, ratings, and indexes aimed at measuring the effectiveness of anti-corruption measures exist today. The Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) serves as a tool to gauge how state policies and measures address these challenges. It ranks 180 countries based on the perception of corruption in the public sector, calculated since 1995 from data sourced from 13 expert outlets including the World Bank, World Economic Forum, private consulting firms, rating agencies, analytical centers, among others. Countries are scored on a scale from 0 to 100, where 0 represents the highest level of perceived corruption and 100 the lowest. The CPI is among the most notable tools for comparative corruption assessment across countries.

Transparency International released the 2023 Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI), with Uzbekistan steadily improving its score to 33 points, ranking 121st out of 180 countries. For context, Denmark, Finland, and New Zealand top the list. However, experts note that while Western Europe and the EU remain the highest-scoring regions, their average score has dropped to 65 this year, indicating a weakening system of checks and balances and deteriorating political integrity. This underscores the need for systemic and consistent attention to political stability, government operation based on the rule of law, and the enforcement of a fair legal system.

Uzbekistan stands out in the region for its significant improvement in corruption perception over recent years, thanks to state policies where combating corruption has been a priority since 2017. Wide-ranging reforms have been undertaken to improve the legal and institutional foundations of state and society life, incorporate international standards into national legislation, and ensure stability and conditions for the development of civil society. Systematic anti-corruption measures have become a key criterion for the success of democratic transformations aimed at creating prosperous and dignified living conditions for every society member.

Legal and institutional frameworks have been established to combat corruption. For instance, the Agency for Combating Corruption of the Republic of Uzbekistan was formed to develop and implement state policy in this area. Over 80 regulatory acts have been adopted to introduce anti-corruption measures, enhance accountability and transparency of government bodies, leverage information technology, and engage civil society institutions and public oversight more broadly.

Emphasis is placed on the integrity standards of public service, mitigating corruption risks in the business sector, and addressing societal demands based on the principle of “Human interests above all.” Preventative mechanisms are widely implemented to ensure transparency, public activity, and government accountability, reduce bureaucracy, and simplify public service delivery to prevent corruption. In all government agencies, compliance control and efficiency rating systems have been established for monitoring and evaluating anti-corruption efforts. Government procurement has been fully digitalized, with further measures taken to mitigate corruption risks in this area.

National reports on combating corruption are now heard at the sessions of the chambers of the Oliy Majlis of the Republic of Uzbekistan. Ratings and indexes have been developed to identify the most corruption-prone sectors and regions. Projects like “Corruption-Free Sphere” and “Corruption-Free Territory” are being implemented, along with initiatives for anti-corruption education and awareness to foster a society intolerant of such practices.

International cooperation (UN, World Bank, Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, among others) is expanding to adopt best practices, including implementing the provisions of the UN Convention against Corruption in national legislation and law enforcement. These measures have also contributed to the country’s improved CPI rating over the last seven years (from 22 points in 2017 to the current 33). International experts note these positive changes are due to the implementation of various anti-corruption procedures, successful internal anti-corruption controls in ministries and departments, and strict enforcement against officials involved in corrupt practices.

These achievements are also attributed to the focus on creating conditions for enhanced public oversight, activating civil society institutions, and engaging with mass media. At the anti-corruption award ceremony on December 19, 2023, the head of state outlined several tasks, including adopting a National Anti-Corruption Strategy by 2030, establishing a Regional Research Center on Corruption Issues for experience sharing and dialogue enhancement, conducting research with active NGO involvement, broadly implementing the UN Global Resource Program on Anti-Corruption Education and increasing youth anti-corruption activity, holding a Global Media Forum for effective journalist involvement in combating corruption, further enhancing government transparency, digital transformation, and raising public awareness. These measures are expected to consolidate the efforts of government bodies and civil society in the fight against corruption, leading to even greater achievements in anti-corruption efforts.

Umida Tukhtasheva, Deputy Director of the Agency for Combating Corruption of the Republic of Uzbekistan, Doctor of Law, Professor.