Parliament passes law on combating bribery of foreign public officials

On 10 November 2026, the Verkhovna Rada adopted Law No. 15056. The document was voted for by 247 People's Deputies. This initiative is aimed at unifying current national legislation with the provisions of the Convention on Combating Bribery of Foreign Public Officials in International Business Transactions.

Opening up opportunities for cooperation

Accession to the Convention opens up opportunities for international cooperation in the investigation of corruption crimes. This is an important step towards bringing Ukraine closer to the standards of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) and the European Union.

The path to OECD membership

According to the explanatory note to the document, the Government of Ukraine submitted an application for OECD membership back in 2022. One of the steps towards obtaining membership is accession to the Convention on Combating Bribery of Foreign Public Officials in International Business Transactions, as well as to the OECD Working Party on Bribery in International Business Transactions.

On 23 October 2025, the OECD Working Party on Bribery in International Business Transactions invited Ukraine to accede to the Convention.

Amendments to the Criminal Code

The adopted law introduces amendments to the Criminal Code. Head of the Presidential Office Kyrylo Budanov commented on the importance of adopting the bill:

«Для України це посилення відповідальності за міжнародну корупцію, зміцнення довіри партнерів та виконання зобов’язань у межах переговорів про вступ до Європейського Союзу» (For Ukraine, this strengthens liability for international corruption, reinforces partners' trust, and fulfils obligations within the framework of accession negotiations to the European Union).