In an unprecedented move on 19 March 2019, GRECO publicly proclaimed in a Declaration that Belarus does not comply with the anti-corruption standards of the CoE.

Of the 24 recommendations that GRECO had addressed to Belarus in 2012, twenty were not followed and the rest were only at a “generally unsatisfactory” level of conformity. The majority of the recommendations concerned basic anti-corruption requirements, such as strengthening the independence of the judiciary, increasing the operational autonomy of law enforcement, and limiting immunity protection. In addition, Belarus has never authorised the publication of any evaluation or compliance reports by GRECO.

Such continued non-compliance calls into question both the commitment and cooperation of Belarus as such in the fight against corruption. Marin Mrčela, President of GRECO, stressed that these recommendations are not only elements of an effective fight against corruption, but are also the core principles of GRECO and the CoE.

GRECO urged all its 49 Member States to disseminate the Declaration within their administrative and financial institutions and also warned them to take this situation into account in their future contacts with Belarus. In the meantime, GRECO continues to monitor the situation.