OREANDA-NEWS. September 30, 2009. The international conference on "Creating Conditions for Sustainable Economic and Social Development in Eastern Europe and Central Asia: Fighting Corruption and Promoting Good Governance” – has taken place in Astana, Kazakhstan – was a key meeting on fighting corruption and good governance for Eastern Europe and Central Asia, reported the press-centre of IBC.
 
The conference was organized by the OECD and opened by the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan, Mr. Nursultan Nazarbayev. The symposium brought together representatives from about 45 countries from Eastern Europe and Central Asia, OECD member countries, and beyond to discuss policies, progress made and good practice in four key areas:

- Prosecution of transnational bribery;
- Preventing corruption in public procurement;
- Preventing corruption in education;
- Role of good corporate governance in economic development and attracting investments.
 
In light of the global economic crisis and rapid developments in Eastern Europe and Central Asia, the conference provided a unique opportunity to learn about and discuss with OECD member countries policy guidelines and standards developed by OECD drawing on common practice in member countries.
 
A Special High-Level Session reinforced political support for fighting corruption and ensuring good governance in the Central Asian region and re-confirmed the resolution of the Istanbul Anti-Corruption Action Plan countries to continue the implementation of this important initiative. The Astana Statement on Good Governance and Fighting Corruption was adopted at this Session.
 
Within the scope of the conference, the OECD Eurasia Competitiveness Program Central Asia Initiative held a back-to-back meeting “Promoting Investment in Times of Economic Crisis and beyond”. Topics that have been discussed in this session are the OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises and the importance of enhancing business integrity to create favorable conditions for investment. Case studies were presented to show what strategies have been developed by non-OECD countries to promote transparency and reduce administrative discretion in sensitive areas to reduce red tape and corruption in both the public and the private sector. Furthermore an overview of OECD instruments and guidelines related to cross border investment and the importance of keeping transparent and open investment regimes to mitigate the current crisis were presented. Challenges, country priorities and strategies to improve the investment climate and promote responsible business conduct from the perspective of policy makers and the private sector have been discussed.