The code of ethics for officials was developed based on the principles of humanism and moral purity

The Ministry of Labor of the Russian Federation has developed a draft code of ethics for state and municipal employees, which is proposed to be put into effect by decree of the President of Russia. The latest version of this document was published on the federal portal of draft regulatory legal acts.

The code lists the fundamental principles that should guide officials: humanism and patriotism, honesty and social responsibility, integrity, impartiality and objectivity.

A public servant, in particular, must “act with integrity, moral purity, simplicity and modesty in public and private life.” He should “show respect for the institution of the family,” as well as “respect the customs and traditions, cultural and other characteristics of various ethnic and social groups.” In addition, the official must “serve for the benefit of society without political preferences or bias.”

Civil servants are prohibited from infringing on the interests of individuals and legal entities, abusing their official position, allowing red tape, resorting to threats and insults, and accepting gifts that could compromise the official.

The draft presidential decree approving the code states that the head of state will recommend that civil servants be guided by the principles set out in the code.

• At the end of 2010, the Anti-Corruption Council under the President of the Russian Federation presented a model code of ethics and official conduct for state and municipal employees. The Ministry of Labor stated that the model code is not enforced because it is declarative in nature.
• While working on the draft of the new code, the director of the department of state policy in the field of state and municipal services of the Ministry of Labor, Dmitry Basnak, noted that the ministry’s employees used Soviet experience. The point about moral purity and modesty, according to him, was borrowed precisely from documents of the Soviet period.
• When discussing the draft code in the Public Chamber, the chairman of its commission for social support of citizens, Vladimir Slepak, noted , speaking about the public service system: “Decent people, when they come and see this whole system, they leave. And we are losing the most decent people.”