Central Asian Judges Join the Launch of New Global Judicial Integrity Network

Vienna, 9-10 April 2018 - The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) this week launched a new Global Judicial Integrity Network. Over 350 judges and other criminal justice practitioners gathered at UNODC Headquarters in Vienna to join forces to strengthen judicial integrity and prevent corruption in the justice system. A group of senior level judges from all Central Asian States attended the event to witness the occasion.

The Global Judicial Integrity Network is going to be a platform to promote networking, peer learning and support activities among judges and other justice sector stakeholders, and to facilitate access to guidance materials and other resources on judicial integrity. 

During the two-day event, discussions focused on good practices in drafting codes of conduct for judges, judicial selection and appointment, financial disclosure for judges, transparency and efficiency in court administration and a range of other issues. The event was concluded with the adoption of terms of reference and appointment of members to the Advisory Board to kickstart the new network.

At the margins of the launch event, the Chair of the Supreme Court of Kyrgyzstan, Supreme Court justices from Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan, and city and provincial level judges from Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Turkmenistan came together for an exchange of experiences. They briefed each other on anti-corruption policies and criminal justice reforms that have an impact on judicial integrity in their countries. Relevant training needs were also discussed.

UNODC is currently developing new ethics training tools to use in judicial sector.  An 'e-learning' course, as well as a manual and other training materials for face to face workshops and self-paced learning on judicial integrity are under preparation. The judges from Central Asia expressed interest to learn more about the new tools and consider their application.