Parliament restores independence to Ukraine’s corruption-fighters – The Economist

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Jul 31, 2025 - 19:00
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Parliament restores independence to Ukraine’s corruption-fighters – The Economist

 

Report on Ukrainian Legislative Action in Support of Sustainable Development Goal 16

Legislative Developments and Institutional Integrity

  • On July 31st, the Ukrainian Parliament, the Rada, passed a bill to restore the full independence of the nation’s anti-corruption agencies.
  • The legislative measure received overwhelming support, passing with 331 votes in favor, nine abstentions, and zero votes against.
  • This near-unanimous decision marked a significant reversal of the position held by a majority of parliamentarians just nine days earlier.

Alignment with Sustainable Development Goals

  1. SDG 16: Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions: This legislative action represents a direct and substantial contribution to SDG 16.
  • Target 16.5: By ensuring the independence of anti-corruption bodies, the bill directly supports the goal to substantially reduce corruption and bribery in all their forms.
  • Target 16.6: The measure is fundamental to developing effective, accountable, and transparent institutions at all levels, a core tenet of good governance and sustainable development.
  • Broader SDG Impact: The reinforcement of anti-corruption frameworks is a foundational element for achieving wider development objectives, including fostering inclusive economic growth (SDG 8) and reducing inequalities (SDG 10) by promoting a fair and transparent institutional environment.

    • Which SDGs are addressed or connected to the issues highlighted in the article?

    SDG 16: Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions

    • The article focuses on a legislative bill passed by Ukraine’s parliament to restore the “full independence of the country’s anti-corruption bodies.” This action directly supports the goal of building effective, accountable, and inclusive institutions, which is the cornerstone of SDG 16. By strengthening institutions designed to fight corruption, the country is working towards ensuring justice and the rule of law.

    What specific targets under those SDGs can be identified based on the article’s content?

    Target 16.5: Substantially reduce corruption and bribery in all their forms

    • The primary purpose of creating and ensuring the independence of “anti-corruption bodies” is to combat corruption. The article’s entire subject matter revolves around this effort, making Target 16.5 the most relevant and specific target. The unanimous vote to pass the bill demonstrates a political commitment to addressing this target.

    Target 16.6: Develop effective, accountable and transparent institutions at all levels

    • Restoring the “full independence” of these bodies is a direct attempt to make them more effective and accountable, free from political interference. An independent anti-corruption agency is a key feature of a transparent and accountable government, aligning perfectly with the objective of this target.

    Are there any indicators mentioned or implied in the article that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets?

    Implied Indicators for Target 16.5

    • The article does not explicitly state any numerical indicators. However, the action of empowering anti-corruption bodies implies that the intended outcome is a reduction in corrupt practices. Therefore, the official indicators for Target 16.5 are implicitly relevant for measuring the long-term success of the legislation mentioned. These would include:
    • Indicator 16.5.1: Proportion of persons who had at least one contact with a public official and who paid a bribe to a public official, or were asked for a bribe by those public officials, during the previous 12 months.
    • Indicator 16.5.2: Proportion of businesses that had at least one contact with a public official and who paid a bribe to a public official, or were asked for a bribe by those public officials, during the previous 12 months.
    • The effectiveness of the independent anti-corruption bodies would be measured by a decrease in these proportions over time.

    SDGs, Targets, and Indicators Analysis

    SDGs Targets Indicators
    SDG 16: Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions
    1. Target 16.5: Substantially reduce corruption and bribery in all their forms.
    2. Target 16.6: Develop effective, accountable and transparent institutions at all levels.
    		 Implied: The article does not state specific indicators. However, the success of the policy to restore independence to “anti-corruption bodies” would be measured by progress against indicators for Target 16.5, such as 16.5.1 (prevalence of bribery among the general population) and 16.5.2 (prevalence of bribery among businesses).

    Source: economist.com