The development of a public service code of ethics began as part of the Preventive Anti-Corruption Programme in Public Administration approved by the Government in March. The Ministry also relies on the experience of experts from the OECD in the making of the code. The experts of the international organisation held a seminar under the title Codes of Ethics in Practice at the Ministry of Public Administration and Justice on Thursday.

At the event, experts from the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) shared international experiences with Hungarian civil servants responsible for the preparation of codes of ethics and their implementation in practice. Attendees of the seminar had the opportunity to learn about international best practices in the introduction and practical implementation of codes of ethics and the key problems in the application of codes of ethics. The participants of the workshop will make recommendations regarding the proposed local rules and guidelines with a view to the local and international practices and experiences and will integrate the conclusions drawn into the green book containing the foundations of the codes of ethics.

Upon the passage of its Preventive Anti-Corruption Programme in Public Administration, (en/ministry-of-public-administration-and-justice/news/govt-launches-2-year-anti-graft-programme) the Government decided in April on the drafting of codes of ethics for the training of those working in public administration as part of the programme. The goal is to reinforce the “immunity” of public administration, state administration and government agencies against corruption by also relying on the ethical training of those working in the public services sector.

The Ministry of Public Administration and Justice and the OECD entered into a cooperation agreement for supporting the implementation of the Magyary Zoltán Public Administration Development Programme (en/ministry-of-public-administration-and-justice/news/the-hungarian-programme-for-development-of-public-administration-can-be-an-international-model) in March. Pursuant to the agreement, the Ministry maintains an ongoing professional dialogue with the international organisation in five areas; one of these is the fight against corruption. The OECD provides advice within the framework of the programme with a view to international best practices, thereby helping the Government with the implementation of its reforms.

(kormany.hu)