Preventing conflicts of interest is an important step toward an honest and transparent civil service

In the Tashkent City Administration, systematic work continues consistently to ensure openness, honesty, and the rule of law in the civil service, to prevent corruption, and to early identify and eliminate conflicts of interest.

In recent years, a completely new legal and institutional system has been formed in our country in the field of combating corruption. The laws and presidential documents adopted in this area have defined important legal mechanisms aimed at ensuring openness, accountability, and the prevention of conflicts of interest in the activities of state bodies.

In particular, the Law of the Republic of Uzbekistan “On Conflicts of Interest”, adopted on June 5, 2024, established the legal foundations for the timely identification, assessment, and elimination of personal interests that may hinder the impartial performance of official duties in state bodies and organizations.

In accordance with this Law, employees of state bodies and organizations are obliged not to allow situations in which personal interests may affect state or public interests in the performance of official duties, and if such a situation arises, to provide information about it in the established manner to their immediate supervisor or the compliance service and to take measures to eliminate the conflict of interest.

Also, according to the relevant norms of the Law, a civil servant is not allowed to independently manage business entities, participate in their executive bodies, or engage in other activities that may affect the impartial performance of official duties.

The Compliance and Internal Anti-Corruption Control Service of the Tashkent City Administration thoroughly analyzed in the established manner the declarations on possible conflicts of interest submitted by employees of the city and district administrations.

During the studies, the information provided in the declarations was compared with state registers, information systems of authorized bodies, and other sources. This made it possible to early identify possible conflicts of interest and analyze the reasons for their occurrence.

As a result of the analyses carried out, it was established that a total of 167 employees, including 5 from the city administration, 26 from district administrations, and 136 from organizations within the administration system, in violation of the requirements of the Law of the Republic of Uzbekistan “On Conflicts of Interest”, established business entities or participate in their management bodies.

These circumstances were assessed from a legal point of view in order to further strengthen the principles of honesty in the civil service and to ensure unconditional compliance with the requirements imposed on the status of a civil servant.

Regarding the identified cases, the Compliance and Internal Anti-Corruption Control Service of the Tashkent City Administration took appropriate measures in accordance with the requirements of current legislation.

In addition, the responsible employees were discussed at Ethics Commissions, preventive conversations were held with them, and they were officially warned about the need for strict compliance with the requirements of legislation on service discipline, ethics, and conflicts of interest.

In the modern compliance system, the main purpose of managing conflicts of interest is not to punish the employee, but to ensure impartiality and transparency in the civil service.

In international practice, a conflict of interest is also assessed not as corruption itself, but as a factor that may create a risk of corruption. Therefore, its timely identification, declaration, and elimination are considered one of the most effective preventive measures.

Also, in the decrees and resolutions of the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan adopted in the field of combating corruption, strengthening compliance control systems in state bodies, effective management of conflicts of interest, and raising the honesty standards of civil servants have been defined as priority tasks.

The work being carried out in the Tashkent City Administration primarily serves to ensure openness, transparency, and the rule of law in the civil service.

By early identifying and eliminating conflicts of interest, the impartiality of civil servants in decision-making is ensured, public trust in state bodies is strengthened, and factors that may lead to corruption are eliminated.

Honesty, transparency, and the rule of law are the most important criteria of effective public administration. Preventing conflicts of interest is one of the most important conditions for implementing these principles, and the Tashkent City Administration continues to consistently implement a preventive, open, and systematic approach in this area.

Deputy Mayor of Tashkent City

for Compliance and Internal Anti-Corruption Control                         M. Mirkhamidov