Prevention and settlement of conflict of interests in public service: Ukrainian realities and foreign experience

Abstract

The paper analyzes the definition of the concept of “conflict of interests”. A systematic, differentiated approach to the interpretation of the phenomenon of conflict of interests in the professional activity of public servants was formulated. The structure and types of conflict of interest are determined. Conflict of interest is defined as the presence of a private interest of a public official, which may or does affect the objectivity or impartiality of decision-making or the commission or failure to act, in the exercise of his official, representative or other public authority. The problem character of this phenomenon is noted. The analyzes of existing domestic legislation designed to regulate the process of prevention and settlement of the conflict of interest. This paper describes the phenomenon of corruption, its impact on the system of government; investigated a conflict of interest in public service as a kind of malfeasance. The paper stressed that the conflict of interest is a corruption risk in the work of the public servants. The paper noted the importance of creating an effective system to prevent corruption. Corruption is a significant problem in modern Ukraine, which significantly impedes the development of Ukraine as a democratic, legal and social state, impinges on the rule of law, and slows down the development of the economy. Therefore, effective prevention of corruption is an important task for the authorized bodies of public authority of Ukraine. The legislation includes the person’s plan of action in case of the conflict of interest. A comparative analysis of foreign experience in legal regulation of conflicts of interest, conceptual approaches are formulated of prevention and settlement of the conflict of interests in public-law relations by means of administrative law are given. In order to improve mechanisms for prevention and settlement of conflict of interest on the basis of international experience suggested, certain mechanisms aimed at preventing conflicts of interest.