On 3 April, the Head of the EU Anti-Corruption Initiative, Allan Pagh Kristensen, and the Zhytomyr City Mayor, Serhii Sukhomlyn, signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU).
The MoU confirms the intention of the two parties to continue working towards prevention of corruption, transparency, accountability and integrity.
"The concept and image of Zhytomyr as an Integrity City of the EUACI serves as a strong indicator for international partners. It demonstrates that the city is actively addressing corruption risks and is committed to transparent and accountable governance. The integrity tools we have developed will help the city to be more effective and more transparent," said Allan Pagh Kristensen, Head of the EUACI.
The focus areas of cooperation for the coming months are as follows:
▪️ strengthening the capacity to assess corruption risks and implement tasks outlined in the Municipal Integrity Plan;
▪️ ensuring the sustainable functioning of IT tools;
▪️ strengthening the capacity to perform internal audits, controls, and corruption prevention functions;
▪️ improving public procurement practices.
The five years of cooperation between the Zhytomyr City Council and the EUACI have yielded fruitful results. The City Council has implemented 9 modules of the Geographic Information System, completed 100% of all measures outlined in the Municipal Integrity Plan for 2020-2022, and launched an e-reception hall.
According to a recent assessment of the NGO “Chesno” Zhytomyr has become one of the most transparent cities in Ukraine.