All PGA affiliated persons who are employed by the Government of Ukraine (all three branches), local governments, as well as those who are elected or appointed to the positions where they represent the public interest (e.g. people deputies or independent directors of state-owned enterprises) should adhere to the following standards of professional conduct:
1) Adherence to law:
- PGA affiliated persons shall comply with all laws, rules, and regulations governing their activities. If ambiguous or subjective understanding is possible they must treat them in a way that poses the highest restrictions on themselves.
- PGA affiliated persons shall not knowingly participate or assist in and shall dissociate from any violation of laws, rules, or regulations.
- PGA affiliated persons shall prevent violations of the Law by other public servants, always disclose information about known violations and never conceal actual or alleged violations by their colleagues, managers or subordinates (whistleblowing).
2) Professional Integrity:
- PGA affiliated persons shall not engage in any professional conduct involving dishonesty, fraud, blackmail or deceit or commit any act that reflects adversely on their reputation, integrity, or competence.
- PGA affiliated persons shall refrain from accepting or soliciting any gifts, other tangible or intangible benefits (including honors, degrees, awards) that may compromise their independence and objectivity.
- PGA affiliated persons shall not use public office, resource or information that becomes available to them when acting in official capacity for their own benefit or benefit of any related persons (family, business partners, friends).
3) Conflicts of interest:
- PGA affiliated persons shall make full and fair disclosure of all matters that could reasonably be expected to impair their independence and objectivity or interfere with respective duties to the public, ensure that such disclosures are prominent, are delivered in plain language, and communicate the relevant information effectively.
4) Duties to the public:
- PGA affiliated persons shall act for the benefit of society and place the public interests before interests of the government, particular government bodies, individual public servants, or their own interests.
- PGA affiliated persons shall deal fairly and objectively with all persons without giving some of them any preferences or imposing any limitations not prescribed by law.
- PGA affiliated persons shall communicate to the public in a direct and clear way, avoid the boilerplate language, pretexts, and evasion from addressing the point.
5) Specific duties of PGA affiliated persons employed by the central or local governments:
- PGA affiliated persons shall not deprive their employer of the advantage of their knowledge, skills, abilities, experience and must act for the benefit of their employer.
- PGA affiliated persons shall make no unauthorized commitments or promises of any kind purporting to bind their employer.
- PGA affiliated persons shall not take any other paid job, except for the cases when it is explicitly allowed and upon getting a written consent of their employer.
- PGA affiliated persons shall utilize their working hours, employer’s property, authority and access to the information exclusively for fulfilling their job responsibilities, with due prudence and care.
- PGA affiliated persons shall keep all nonpublic information made known to them while performing their duties confidential unless its disclosure is prescribed by law.
6) Specific duties of PGA affiliated persons elected to act as public representatives (i.e. deputies):
- PGA affiliated persons shall perform the duties for which they got their mandate from the public.
- PGA affiliated persons shall put forth honest effort to fulfill all promises made during the elections or appointment campaign and shall not materially deviate in their actions from their promises.
- PGA affiliated persons shall not engage in outside employment or activities that conflict with their mandate.
7) Specific duties of PGA affiliated persons acting as contractual representatives of public interest (i.e. independent directors of state-owned enterprises):
- PGA affiliated persons perform the duties stipulated in their contract with due prudence, diligence, and care.
- PGA affiliated persons shall put forth honest effort to exercise objective independence judgment in the paramount interest of the public and shall not act in the interest of the person or organization that appointed them to the office.
- PGA affiliated persons shall devote sufficient time and attention for informed and balanced decision making when representing the public interest.