Anti-Corruption and Public Governance in Ukraine: Corporate Governance, Stakeholder Engagement, and Institutional Culture

Ukraine’s struggle against corruption has intensified amidst its recent political and security challenges. This study examines anti-corruption mechanisms in Ukrainian state authorities through the lens of corporate governance principles – especially stakeholder engagement and institutional culture – and situates them within OECD and EU governance frameworks. Recent reforms (2022–2024) include a new National Anti-Corruption Strategy (2021–25) and supporting State Programme, meritocratic appointments to the NABU and SAPO, restoration of asset-declaration systems, and landmark laws on whistleblowers and lobbying. Ukraine has enacted advanced regulations (conflict of interest, public procurement, political finance) meeting OECD standards. Civil society and digital tools (e.g. the ProZorro e-procurement platform) play a growing watchdog role. However, implementation gaps persist: only 42% of planned anti-corruption measures were completed by end-2023, and entrenched cultural norms (hierarchy, patronage) still undermine reforms. Applying corporate governance ideals (transparency, accountability, broad stakeholder accountability) to public bodies has helped strengthen oversight and integrity (e.g. independent audit, open data, ethics codes), but lasting impact depends on cultural change. Comparisons to OECD and EU benchmarks show Ukraine’s framework is now relatively strong on paper (at times outperforming OECD peers), yet ongoing challenges include fully engaging stakeholders (lobbying law pending, audit functions unclear) and shifting institutional culture. This analysis suggests that robust anti-corruption requires not only formal rules and agencies, but also the cultivation of an integrity-oriented culture and genuine multi-stakeholder participation, in line with OECD/EU good governance guidance.