In recent weeks the office of the Commissioner for Standards in Public Life has contributed to initiatives in other countries that are aimed at improving ethical standards.

In April, Chief Justice Emeritus Joseph Azzopardi, Commissioner for Standards, made a presentation to officials from anti-corruption agencies in Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan. The Commissioner spoke about the role of his office and the codes of ethics for ministers, MPs and persons of trust in Malta.

The Council of Europe asked the Commissioner to make this presentation as part of a capacity-building programme organised by it with support from the European Union. The programme was held in Strasbourg, France, but the Commissioner delivered his presentation by video link from Malta.

In March Charles Polidano, Director General in the Commissioner’s office, provided feedback on a draft report on the control of conflicts of interest in a Baltic country. The report had been drawn up by the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), where it is the practice to engage “peer reviewers” to provide feedback on draft reports. Mr Polidano served as peer reviewer for this particular report at the OECD’s request.

Photo: Commissioner Joseph Azzopardi.