Business entities wishing to implement projects funded by Multilateral Development Banks (MDBs, also referred to as International Financial Institutions) will be interested to know that six major MDBs have agreed and published new General Principles for Business Integrity Programmes. Such programmes play an important part in the MDBs’ efforts to fight fraud and corruption in the projects they finance or otherwise support. _These General Principles provide non-exhaustive, non-binding guidance

What is the role of business in reducing illicit financial flows in the Southern Africa subregion? How is it evolving? What can businesses do to address corruption and money laundering risks in order to boost market growth and development and to strengthen governance systems? To explore these questions, the Basel Institute on Governance together with the National Business Initiative (NBI), the Center for International Private Enterprise (CIPE) and Covington organised a multi-stakeholder Thought

In last week’s interview on how Collective Action has cut corruption in Nigerian ports, Cecilia Müller Torbrand of the Maritime Anti-Corruption Network and Soji Apampa of the Convention on Business Integrity explained their data-driven approach and the measurable impact it has had. In the second part of the interview, Cecilia and Soji _offer lessons for anti-corruption practitioners

Nominations are now open for the Anti-Corruption Collective Action Award 2023, which this year focuses on Southern Africa. Launched last year, the Collective Action Awards celebrate inspiring and outstanding Collective Action initiatives to tackle corruption and raise standards of business integrity. Last year's winners were the Maritime Anti-Corruption Network and UN Glob

The Maritime Anti-Corruption Network (MACN) delivers leading examples of Collective Action against corruption around the world and Nigeria is one of its flagship success stories. In _collaboration with the Convention on Business Integrity (CBi), the initiative has kept seafarers calling at Nigerian ports safe from corrupt demands since 2019. Their installation of the world’s first real-time incident reporting tool and connected HelpDesk has significantly reduced corrupt demands and earned them

In this guest blog, France Chain and Vitor Geromel of the OECD Anti-Corruption Division present the new OECD Toolkit for raising awareness and preventing corruption in SMEs. Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are the backbone of many countries’ economies. They represent 99 percent of all businesses in the OECD area, generating about 60 percent of employment and totalling

The European Commission has issued a strong endorsement of anti-corruption Collective Action as a “best practice” in the fight against corruption. Its Handbook of good practices in the fight against corruption explains how Collective Action can bring together “stakeholders in the private and public sectors, civil society, and international organisations to tackle shared problems of corrupt

The future is looking bright for Collective Action as our community and Collective Action Mentoring Programme continue to grow. The programme provides free hands-on support for organisations working with the private sector on corruption issues. Programme leaders Scarlet Wannenwetsch and Liza Young look back on the first year and reflect on what we – not just our mentees! – have learned. We look back on a successful year

_Brazil’s huge agricultural sector is no stranger to corruption scandals – but now a group of agribusinesses are working together with government and civil society to raise standards of integrity and prevent corruption from damaging their business opportunities and reputation. This guest blog by Ana Aranha and Jacqueline Oliveira, Anti-Corruption Manager and Anti-Corruption Coordinator at the UN Global Compact Network Brazil, explains how Collective Action is helping the group to collaborate on

The Basel Institute on Governance is delighted to have been selected by the B20 India as a Network and Knowledge Partner. For the 12th consecutive year, the Basel Institute on Governance will bring its expertise in Collective Action, integrity and anti-corruption compliance to support the B20 process in shaping an impactful and business-oriented response. This year, in view of the growing significance for the private sector to adhere to Environment, Social and

Finding effective ways to achieve environmental, social, and governance (ESG) business goals has just become a lot more critical for companies in the EU. On 29 November 2022, the EU Council adopted the European Parliament’s Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD). This amends the Non-Financial Reporting Directive and requires EU companies, and other companies who have substantial business activity in the EU, to c

At the B20 Summit in Bali, Indonesia on 12–13 November, political and business leaders repeatedly emphasised the imperative for all sectors of society to work together to address problems that affect us all. Chief among those problems are corruption and unfair business practices, which stand in the way of achieving a strong pandemic recovery and each and every of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG). Our call for B20 companies and G20 governments to foster, facilitate and engage in anti-corr

This blog by Liza Young, Project Associate for Collective Action in the Basel Institute’s Private Sector team, draws on her newly published Policy Brief in English and French on how anti-corruption Collective Action can help West African coastal states achieve their development potential. Africa is estimated to [lose an unbelievable USD 88.6 billion](https://unctad.org/news/africa-could-gain-89-billion-annually-curbing

A delegation from the Basel Institute will attend the International Anti-Corruption Conference (#IACC2022) in Washington DC on 6–10 December 2022. We will be distributing some of our recent publications and are looking forward to meeting our friends, partners and hopefully future partners in anti-corruption. Please see this summary of plenary sessions and panels we are leading or involved in, plus details of how to meet us there.

The rapid expansion of anti-corruption Collective Action is offering businesses, governments and civil society groups powerful ways to enhance business integrity and create fair business conditions. What does Collective Action look like in practice? What benefits does it bring, what is success, and how do you measure it? And what should we expect from each other in these multi-stakeholder initiatives? A Basel Institute webinar on 19 October 2022 brought together four leading speakers in Collect

The B20-G20 dialogue has the potential to transform the way that both the B20 and G20 work towards a more streamlined and impactful process. But what does it take? And how do we get there? Insights from Scarlet Wannenwetsch, who serves as Deputy Co-Chair of the B20 Indonesia Integrity and Compliance Taskforce. The Basel Institute on Governance has been honoured to support this year’s Taskforce as both [Co-Chair and Network Partner](https://baselgovernance.org/news/basel-institute-serve-co

Economic crimes are significant obstacles to the UN Sustainable Development Goals, and professional accountants can play a pivotal role to clear a path. This guest blog by Kevin Dancey, CEO of the International Federation of Accountants (IFAC), marks the launch of IFAC’s new Action Plan for Fighting Corruption and Economic Crime. In 2015 all United Nations Member States adopted the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, a shared blu

A guest interview with Bani Bains, Communications Manager at the Global Platform for Sustainable Natural Rubber (GPSNR), for the B20 Collective Action Hub. What does your initiative seek to achieve, and how? At the Global Platform for Sustainable Natural Rubber, of which the Basel Institute on Governance is an NGO member, stakeholders representing all parts of the natural rubber industry come together to find

Publishing information on the real owners of companies, also known as beneficial owners, can help governments curb corruption and support a more transparent environment for business. A session at the 4th International Collective Action Conference in Basel discussed how the new ‘Opening Extractives_’ programme seeks to create new momentum for beneficial ownership transparency in a sector tha

Over 200 leading anti-corruption professionals from the public and private sectors, civil society and academia came together at the 4th International Collective Action Conference on 30 June and 1 July 2022. Their goal: to reach across silos and add momentum to the growing global recognition that Collective Action needs to be a central element of corruption prevention. The Basel Institute on Governance hosted the conference with t

Companies and business associations play an important role in preventing and reducing corruption in the markets where they operate – something that governments also want to achieve. So how can governments and the private sector work together better to raise standards of integrity and fair business in specific countries and industries? To answer this, our Collective Action team has worked with the people on the front lines of governments’ corruption prevent efforts – anti-corruption authoriti

Collective-action.com is the new website of the B20 Collective Action Hub, a free resource centre on tools and strategies to prevent corruption and raise standards of business integrity through Collective Action. Since its establishment nearly 10 years ago, the B20 Collective Action Hub has become the go-to platform for information, ideas and connections to others on anti-corruption Collective Action. New look, better features Visit the all-new website to

Multinational companies are no strangers to problems of corruption in their supply chains, which can bring significant legal, financial and reputational risks. Especially when entering new markets, many companies find it difficult to identify credible local partners and to assess their adherence to anti-corruption regulations. Anti-corruption Collective Action can be a means of bridging this gap and facilitating market access for both multinational companies and local suppliers or partners. So

As part of ongoing efforts to support Collective Action initiatives aimed at addressing corruption in particular markets and regions, the Basel Institute launched a Mentoring Programme in January 2022. Following a comprehensive selection process, we are pleased to announce that six organisations have been selected as mentees in this first c

The Wolfsberg Group – an association of 13 global banks that develops frameworks and guidance to manage financial crime risks – became an independent legal entity in October 2021. Its new home is at the Basel Institute on Governance headquarters in Switzerland. We are proud to host what continues to be a ground-breaking Collective Action against financial crime. Our rol

By Gemma Aiolfi, Head of Compliance, Corporate Governance and Collective Action at the Basel Institute on Governance, and Cecilia Müller Torbrand, CEO, Maritime Anti-Corruption Network Our joint chapter in a new book on Perspectives on Antitrust Compliance answers a common question that arises when compliance officers and company lawyers first hear about anti-corruption Collective Action: are there antitrust risks in engaging with o

The Natural Resource Governance Institute (NRGI) has launched tailored guidance on measures that companies in the oil, gas and mining sectors can adopt to reduce corruption risks when partnering with state-owned enterprises (SOEs). Published on a user-friendly website, Anticorruption Guidance for Partners of State-Owned Enterprises also recommends measures SOEs can take to strengthen their own anti-corruption safeguards. The guidance was [la

What are the four biggest developments in anti-corruption Collective Action in the last years? And what are some examples of these around the world? _Gemma Aiolfi spoke on these topics to delegates at a Members Meeting of Etik ve İtibar Derneği (TEİD) – the Turkish Ethics and Reputation Society. TEİD is an inspiring cross-sectoral Collective Action initiative that has been working tirelessly since 2010 to promote business ethics in Turk

The Basel Institute has launched a Collective Action Helpdesk, a free advice service on Collective Action approaches to fight corruption and promote fair business. Through the Helpdesk, our team provides free, practical and independent advice on how to work collaboratively across stakeholder groups to address shared corruption challenges and promote fair and responsible business. Free and open to all The He

We are delighted to have been invited to participate in the B20 Indonesia Integrity and Compliance Task Force as Network Partner and Co-Chair. Gemma Aiolfi, Head of Compliance and Collective Action, will serve as Co-Chair together with Deputy Co-Chair Scarlet Wannenwetsch, Collective Action Specialist in our Collective Action team. They join other leading voices in the international integrit

Key takeaways and perspectives on how to “step up global action for business integrity” from the 9th Conference of the States Parties (CoSP 9) to the United Nations Convention against Corruption at Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt. The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), in collaboration with Siemens AG, organised a side event at this year’s Conference of the States Par

What can we learn from studying corrupt informal networks linking the public and private sectors? A lot – including how to build stronger multi-stakeholder partnerships against corruption through Collective Action. Our latest Policy Brief draws on the Basel Institute's recent research in East Africa into ho

A guest blog by Bernard O’Donnell, Head of Fraud Investigations at the European Investment Bank (EIB), and Sabine Zindera, Vice President, Legal and Compliance at Siemens AG and head of the Siemens Integrity Initiative. When companies are sanctioned for wrongdoing, is there a way to turn the punitive sanction into a positive force – not only for those wronged, but for wider busi

The Organisation for Economic Co-Operation and Development (OECD) has recommended the use of Collective Action to address corruption in its long-anticipated revised Recommendation of the Council for Further Combating Bribery of Foreign Public Officials in International Business Transactions ("2021 Anti-Bribery Recommendation"). This is a positive step in efforts to bring together the public and private sectors, civil society and othe

Our Collective Action team has launched a Mentoring Programme to support civil society / non-profit organisations that work with the private sector and other stakeholders on tackling corruption. Through the Mentoring Programme, eligible organisations can gain tailored advice, support and technical assistance from our team's experts in anti-corruption compliance and Collective Action – all for free. Our aim is to support organisa

The Metals Technology Initiative (MTI), an anti-corruption Collective Action initiative of four leading firms in the metals technology industry, has launched a website to make its guidance on Gifts and Hospitality and on Third-Party Due Diligence freely accessible to all. MTI is an anti-corruption and fai

In 2020, the Basel Institute on Governance with the support of the Siemens Integrity Initiative launched a series of roundtable discussions that brought companies together to analyse the potential nexus between corporate efforts to protect human rights and prevent corruption. While bribery has been a prohibited practice under the laws of a majority of countries for over 20 years, and in many places corporate criminal liability for corruption has also been introduced, the corporate responsibili

A guest blog by Elisabeth Danon, Legal Analyst, OECD Anti-Corruption Division. How can governments in South East Europe partner with the vibrant business sector and civil society to help combat corruption? OECD experts and practitioners shared some novel ideas on this question at a two-day webinar on Collective Action – Building Alliances Against Corruption in South East Europe on 16 and 17 September. The event convened the Collective Action community in South East Europe to take stock o

Speaking at a B20-G20 dialogue on 13 September, the Basel Institute’s Managing Director Gretta Fenner called on G20 Member States to commit to and support the implementation of a multi-stakeholder approach to promoting integrity in procurement. In concrete terms, she said, this means adopting proven Collective Action tools such as [Int

The Presidency of the G20 rotates each year between member countries, as does the leadership of the B20 – the G20’s voice of business. The key issue of tackling corruption is picked up almost every year, but not always in the same way or using the same format. This can make it challenging to find historical information including past anti-corruption commitments and related recommendations. With this in mind, the B20 Collective Action Hub has just launched a new information resource on the [B

The Covid-19 pandemic has brought issues of ethics and business integrity in the healthcare sector into the public spotlight. Citizens everywhere are demanding well-governed, transparent healthcare systems and industries – not only to address the health consequences of the pandemic but as a backbone of resilient and sustainable economic growth. Health outcomes are better when government, industry, and civil society work together well. The fast development and roll-out of Covid-19 vaccines, as

A new sector-wide integrity programme seeks to transform and harmonise standards of ethics and compliance across all Moscow City Transport organisations. Alexandr Rusetskiy, a Deputy General Director in the Moscow Directorate of Transport Services, together with Ilsur Akhmetshin of the Compliance-Elements partnership, explain the motivation, approach and challenges in this effort to bring state-of-the-art anti-corruption practices to the sector and beyond. Briefly, what is the Sectora

The Siemens Integrity Initiative is boosting the Basel Institute’s capacity to promote anti-corruption Collective Action with an additional USD 3.5 million in funding under its “Golden Stretch” round. This funding complements an existing USD 2.86 million project of our Collective Action team under the Siemens Integrity Initiative, with both

How do illegal wildlife products, live animals, exotic marine species and illegally logged timber end up in stores, zoos, aquariums and homes on the other side of the world? Too easily, is the answer. Weaknesses in global supply chains make them vulnerable to exploitation by organised crime groups and bad actors working in legitimate businesses. Corruption opens the door to that exploitation. And the easy possibilities for laundering money from environmental crimes makes this illicit activity

The Basel Institute on Governance and the Thai Institute of Directors (IOD), in conjunction with the Thai Private Sector Collective Action Against Corruption (Thai CAC), have today signed a Memorandum of Understanding to jointly support the promotion of anti-corruption compliance. The agreement covers the launch of a pilot project that aims to encourage the local certification of anti-corruption compliance programmes in SMEs, while alle

The following statement by the Basel Institute's Managing Director, Gretta Fenner, was aired at the Special Session of the UN General Assembly against Corruption on 4 June 2021. Watch the video here. Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen, I thank you for the opportunity to deliver a short statement on behalf of the Basel Institute on Governance. We welcome the political declaration as a text that provides useful guidance. In particular, we welcome those parts o

_H.E. Ambassador Stefan Estermann, Head of the Prosperity and Sustainability Division, Swiss Federal Department of Foreign Affairs, made the following opening remarks at our joint virtual side event on Collective Action at the 2021 Special Session of the General Assembly against Corruption (UNGASS) on 2 June. View the full [recording of the side event](https://yout

On Wednesday, 2 June, we are honoured to be co-hosting a virtual side event at the 2021 Special Session of the General Assembly against Corruption (UNGASS) in collaboration with the Swiss Federal Department of Foreign Affairs. Register here for the 60-minute session at 19:00 CET/13:00 EST: Collective Action: Building Efficient Public-Private Partnerships. About the event Why does the draft UNGASS Political Decl

Our Collective Action team asked the London-based Institute of Business Ethics how it makes its research so practical and useful to decision-makers on the ground. Head of Research, Guen Dondé, explains: Since its foundation in 1986, the Institute of Business Ethics (IBE) has always strived to be a safe space for organisations of all kinds to join forces and tackle the ethical issues they are facing. Today, more tha

The Basel Institute on Governance has joined forces with the Alliance for Integrity and more than 60 partners from 12 countries to raise awareness of the importance of business integrity – and the challenges it can present to individuals, their families, business partners and society. The Alliance for Integrity is a global business-driven, multi-stakeholder initiative seeking to promote transparency and integrity in the economic system. Its global #Unit

A guest blog by Olga Savran, Manager of the OECD Anti-Corruption Network for Eastern Europe and Central Asia, and Elisabeth Danon, Legal Analyst, OECD Anti-Corruption Division. _This guest blog post explains a new initiative by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) and the Business Ombudsman Council of Ukraine to evaluate regional Business Ombudsman institutions and provide a platform to exchange experiences.

Our partners at the OECD have just published a set of Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) to help companies involved in minerals sectors better address bribery and corruption risks throughout their supply chain. Find it here: FAQ: How to address bribery and corruption risks in mineral supply chains The FAQs complement the user-friendly and interactive online version of the gold-standa

Local certification is emerging as an interesting way for large companies and their supply chains to help address compliance and due diligence issues that can be a barrier to business. A recent Basel Institute working paper showed how local certification programmes developed with a Collective Action approach can help: _SMEs to develop and demonstrate robust anti-corruption compliance pr

The Basel Institute on Governance is delighted to join the Global Coalition to Fight Financial Crime (GCFFC) in support of its core mission to make the fight against financial crime more effective. Together with her senior leadership team, Basel Institute Managing Director Gretta Fenner will chair the Coalition's new Anti-Corruption Expert Working Group. Founded in 2018, the Global Coalition to Fight Financial Crime brings together 20 organisations from the public sec

Collective Action is at the heart of the new Strategy 2021–23 of the United Nations Global Compact, an ambitious corporate sustainability initiative that supports companies around the world in achieving sustainable and responsible business operations throughout their supply chains. The UN Global Compact’s 10th Principle on Anti-Corruption has long [recommended Collective Action](ht

An interview with Gilbert Sendugwa, Senior Regional Manager Africa of the Uganda chapter of CoST – the Infrastructure Transparency Initiative. He gives an insight into a recent UK Business Integrity Initiative-funded project on “Promoting fair business practices between the government and the private sector". Can you tell us about the problem you are working to solve? Yes: corruption in infrastructure procurement in Uganda. It undermines our cou

We are delighted to have been selected by the B20 Italy 2021 Integrity and Compliance Task Force as a Network Partner. This will enable us to bring to the table our many years of expertise in anti-corruption Collective Action and other novel approaches to private-sector integrity and compliance. As a global go-to centre on anti-corruption Collective Action, the Basel Institute he

How can local certification of small and mid-sized enterprises (SMEs) help to alleviate anti-corruption due diligence for SMEs as well as multinational corporations (MNC) seeking to work with them? A new Working Paper by the Basel Institute's Collective Action team attempts to answer that question, which is of real practical relevance to businesses around the world. The paper offers six clear recommendations to practitioners based on discussions and analysis of current local certification init

An illuminating new report by our OECD partners on Responsible Business Conduct and Anti-Corruption Compliance in Southeast Asia illustrates three points we have long emphasised at the Basel Institute. First, how corruption, environmental, human rights and other elements of sustainable and responsible business conduct are increasingly being integrated within company-wide risk m

Gold industry experts from across the private and non-profit sectors came together at Basel Gold Day on 9 October 2020 to explore perspectives on the challenges of ensuring responsible and sustainable gold supply chains. The event was organised by Professor Mark Pieth, President of the Basel Institute on Governance and author of the book [Gold Laundering](https://collective-action.com

This case study and Q&A looks at a recent UK Business Integrity Initiative-funded project in Ghana to create and implement 10 service delivery charters for government licensing and approval authorities through a Collective Action approach. The project was carried out by the Ghana Integrity Initiative, which is the local chapter of Transparency International, in collaboration with the Private Enterprise Federation. What is

In this short video, Gabriel Cifuentes, former Secretary of Transparency in the Office of the President in Colombia, talks about his experience in implementing the second High Level Reporting Mechanism (HLRM) to ensure a clean procurement process for the construction of the Bogotá Metro. Developed by the Basel Institute on Governance, OECD and Transparency International, the HLRM is a preventive tool that acts as an early warning system in connection with potential corruption. Acting as a comp

How effectively does the Business 20 (B20) process channel recommendations on anti-corruption from the business community up to the Group of Twenty (G20) leaders? Are there ways to increase the uptake of B20 recommendations by the G20 Anti-Corruption Working Group (ACWG) and in the final Communiqué at the G20 Summit? The hundreds of business representatives that take part in B20 process each year, including in its anti-corruption workstreams, are keen to know the answers to those questions.

The Basel Institute’s Collective Action team has facilitated the co-development of a set of indicators that health care companies may wish to consider when reporting on the effectiveness of their anti-corruption efforts to external stakeholders. The guidance note containing the indicators was developed over seven months by a group of health care companies under an innovative project of Norges Bank Investment Management. Voluntary

*By Vanessa Hans. * Oil, Gas & Energy Law (OGEL) has just published a detailed paper I wrote on Anti-Corruption Disclosure in the Oil and Gas Industry: Challenges and Opportunities for Collective Action. The oil and gas industry is particularly affected by the evolving regulatory landscape and growing jigsaw of standards and guidelines focusing on non-financial (extra-financial) reportin

As aid, donations and recovery packages are deployed to cope with the pandemic, the risk of corruption is surging in many countries. Funds for emergency healthcare procurements are flooding in. These fast procurement processes often have limited corruption prevention measures in place and therefore present an increased risk for both governments and businesses. In his recent publication “[It’s Only the Beginning: COVID-19, Public Procurement, and Corruption](https://www.paulhastings.com/publica

A guest blog by William Loo, Senior Legal Analyst and Deputy Head of the OECD Anti-Corruption Division and Elisabeth Danon, Legal Analyst at the OECD Anti-Corruption Division. The OECD has released a new study on the ingredients for a successful High-Level Reporting Mechanism (HLRM). HLRMs were designed in 2012 by the Basel Institute on Governance,

Our Collective Action team has launched a new online resource on local certification initiatives aimed at making third-party due diligence quicker, easier and more effective for companies large and small. It contains the initial findings of an ongoing research project funded by the KBA-NotaSys Integrity Fund. The project explores how local certification for compliance

Our Collective Action team has just published some of the latest thinking on anti-corruption Collective Action. The online resource is aimed primarily at practitioners that are leading Collective Action initiatives to decrease corruption and increase business integrity in specific contexts. It is also eye-opening for anyone seeking to understand how Collective Action works in practice. The i

Representatives from nine leading Collective Action initiatives that offer local anti-corruption compliance certification gathered yesterday at a virtual roundtable. The event was part of a wider Basel Institute's project on certification initiatives funded by the KBA-NotaSys Integrity Fund. The idea is to support local certification of anti-corruption compliance programmes in particular in small and medium-sized enterpr

The Basel Institute's Collective Action team is working with companies to find synergies in human rights and anti-corruption compliance. The idea: Companies invest significant resources in anti-corruption and human rights compliance programmes, often developing them separately. We believe there are synergies between these areas that will contribute to the effectiveness and cost efficiencies of both programmes. The proposal: We are convenin

At a high-level B20 panel on “Enhancing Integrity for Responsible and Inclusive Growth” on 24 August, Gemma Aiolfi, the Basel Institute’s Head of Compliance, Corporate Governance and Collective Action, discussed how small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) have been forced to focus on survival in recent months. Companies that do manage to survive the pandemic lockdowns and economic fallout, she said, are likely to be looking for new markets and new customers. They may have to adapt to new way

The University of Basel's Law Faculty will host a virtual Basel Gold Day on Friday, 9 October from 14:00–16:15. Led by Mark Pieth, Professor of Criminal Law and President of the Basel Institute on Governance, the workshop will gather gold industry leaders and experts to explore "How to obtain clean gold: the consumer perspective". The event responds to growing public disquiet about environmental and human rights violations in gold supply chains. Some of these issues were highlighted in a 201

By Gretta Fenner, Managing Director, Basel Institute on Governance. Where corruption is already rampant, a crisis makes it worse. There are flash floods of relief money landing in contexts where power is imbalanced, governance is weak and criminals already know how to game the system. But we can fight back by making anti-corruption an integral part of crisis relief efforts. Like emergencies in the past, the covid-19 pandemic demonstrates that anti-corruption is not just a nice-to-have but

Our Head of Compliance and Collective Action Gemma Aiolfi has turned her decades of experience in anti-corruption compliance and corporate governance into a practical guide for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). Published this July by Edward Elgar, the book offers step-by-step guidance to small and mid-sized companies and non-profit organizations in managing corruption risks in overseas markets. It covers how and why to build a

By Gemma Aiolfi, Head of Compliance and Collective Action at the Basel Institute on Governance. I recently spoke about Collective Action as part of a virtual panel discussion along with Andrey Tsyganov, Deputy Minister of Russia's Federal Antimonopoly Service, on the topic of New Russian Antimonopoly Regulations. The webinar was organised by the Russian Business Ethics Network and The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania Zicklin Center for B

The success of the Construction Transparency Initiative (CoST) in Malawi shows the impact Collective Action can have on addressing corruption and levelling the playing field even in difficult environments. But it needs perseverance, leadership and systematic efforts to drive policy change, as our interview below with Joe Chingani, Chairperson of CoST Malawi, demonstrates. First, some background. The costs of corruption in infrastructure projects Public infrastructure p

In this article, Juhani Grossmann, IWT Team Leader at the Basel Institute on Governance, explores the role of public-private partnerships in tackling illegal wildlife trade (IWT). This is the second article in our short series of perspectives on IWT and financial crime, in collaboration with the International Academy of Financial Crime Litigators. White elephant or panacea? Public-private partnerships and their role in wildlife protection

Gemma Aiolfi, Head of Compliance and Collective Action, will explore some thorny areas of anti-corruption and human rights risk assessment and compliance during a forthcoming virtual “pre-evening dialogue” of the UN Global Compact Network in Switzerland and Liechtenstein. The focus is on small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) with limited resources to address due diligence, and more broadly compliance risks. The topic, though, is relevant to all companies who need to address both corruption

The recently published Global Mapping of Anti-Corruption Authorities fills a critical gap in information about national anti-corruption authorities (ACAs) around the world. ACAs are key institutions to prevent and combat corruption, but until now centralised data on their mandates, activities and even existence has been lacking. The survey is a project of the French Anti-Corruption Agency ([AFA](https://www.agence-fran

A guest blog by Andrew Blasi and Katherine Nunner of Crowell & Moring International. The global disruption from covid-19 to health and economic systems has magnified risks to preserving business integrity that will have longstanding impact. As a result, the pandemic is drawing significant attention to several of the world’s largest Collective Action initiatives that are reinforcing ethical business conduct in healthcare. The timing and actions of these initiatives could not be more critical

Integrity risks for businesses trading overseas have shot up due to the pandemic. Anti-corruption and human rights compliance approaches designed to protect companies during “business as usual” can come under strain in these unusual circumstances. How can companies – especially smaller companies with limited resources – protect themselves from integrity risks in these times of crisis? There are no easy answers, but it’s important to talk about the questions. Gemma Aiolfi, the Basel Institute

In this short interview, Susanne Friedrich, Director of the Alliance for Integrity, offers her insights into the current challenges faced by SMEs and how Collective Action can help them emerge stronger on the other side. What challenges are SMEs facing right now related to integrity and compliance? SMEs around the globe are facing considerable uncertainty and economic pressure as demand is down and supply chains are disrupted. Many countries have st

The Banknote Ethics Initiative (BnEI) has made great strides since 2013 in promoting the highest standards of integrity and fair competition in the banknote sector. Now it's one of the first business-led initiatives to promote Integrity Pacts as a tool to safeguard banknote-related procurement from corruption risks. The high level of confidentiality needed in this sector adds an

The Basel Institute on Governance is delighted to announce it has recently become an affiliated partner to the Network of Corruption Prevention Authorities (NCPA). The NCPA Network was launched in 2018 to address the need for cooperation between anti-corruption authorities at the operational level. The size, powers, activities and visibility of anti-corruption authorities around the world varies greatly. In some cases, they play a major r

Can Integrity Pacts stop corruption in Covid-19 procurement? What do they look like? How do they increase trust between governments, companies and citizens? How much money can they save in public tenders? Where have Integrity Pacts been used and what were the results? The Basel Institute has launched a free online resource with hands-on guidance on these and other common questions around the how, what, where, when and why of Integrity Pacts. Find it at [integritypacts.baselgovernance.org](http

The UK government's British Integrity Initiative has announced that from now until the end of July, the Department for International Development will cover the full cost of the Basel Institute’s integrity guidance services for eligible small- and medium-sized businesses. Companies currently benefiting from the programme, which until now has been subsidised by 60–80 percent depending on the company’s size, will also see their fees waived. As our partners in the British Integrity Initiative re

One of our two submissions to the UN General Assembly Special Session against Corruption 2021 concerns private-sector engagement in the fight against corruption through anti-corruption Collective Action. Our recommendation UN Member States should put measures in place to promote the inclusion of anti-corruption Collective Action by the private sector as part of a risk-based approach to prevent corruption (in line with Article 5, UN Convention against Corruption (UNCAC)). The reasons

By Gemma Aiolfi, Head of Compliance and Collective Action, Basel Institute on Governance Governments are already contemplating life after lockdown and are keen to permit as many businesses as possible to resume operations, ramp up global trade once more, and to galvanise their economies as best they can - even as forecasts about global recession get bleaker by the day. As economic activity resumes, what will be the effects of the pandemic on the health and well-being of corporate integrity

Mark Pieth, Professor Emeritus of the University of Basel President of the Board of the Basel Institute on Governance, offers an insight into the risks of human rights and environmental harms in gold supply chains. Where are the risks and responsibilities? Collective Action with gold refineries, suppliers and other stakeholders, he concludes, could help ensure more responsible and sustainable sourcing of gold. What is gold laundering? On its way from the ground to your wedding ring or mo

By Gemma Aiolfi, Head of Compliance and Collective Action, Basel Institute on Governance. In March 2017, the World Customs Organization (WCO) formally adopted Collective Action as an innovative approach to enhance integrity and combat corruption in Customs administrations – a development that we welcomed and supported. On 21 February 2020, I returned to the WCO’s [Integ

The Basel Institute has been collaborating with the OECD’s Trust in Business Initiative on an innovative project to build anti-corruption capacity in state-owned enterprises (SOEs). Compliance without Borders is a project co-developed with industry leaders under the B20 Argentina presidency. It brings together experienced compliance experts via short-term secondments to SOEs to help them build their compliance capacity and address corruption-rel

Industry leaders committed to tackling wildlife crime gathered at St. James's Palace today for a high-level joint meeting of the United for Wildlife Taskforces. The UfW Transport and Financial Taskforces, an initiative of The Royal Foundation of The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, bring together major transport companies and financial institutions from around the world with law enforcement and experts in illegal wildlife trade (IWT). Today's meeting marks a new phase of joint action against

A new Working Paper by our Collective Action experts explores private-sector engagement in the fight against illegal wildlife trade. Part of a multi-disciplinary Basel Institute programme focused on financial crime in illegal wildlife trade (IWT), the working paper explores efforts by and with private-sector organisations to combat the multibillion-dollar illegal trade and strengthen their resistance to the risks it poses to their business.

The Basel Institute on Governance is pleased to announce that it has received renewed funding to deepen its anti-corruption Collective Action work from the Siemens Integrity Initiative’s Third Funding Round. The project will run from 2019 through 2024 and will be implemented in collaboration with the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). The [Siemens Integrity Initiati

Congratulations to our partners in Malawi on the launch of the new Malawi National Anti-Corruption Strategy (NACS II). We are delighted to have been able to contribute our multi-disciplinary expertise to what we believe is a state-of-the-art anti-corruption strategy that will have real impact on corruption in Malawi over the next five years. What makes Malawi’s new strategy stand out NACS II is evidence-based. It draws on multi-stakeholder consultations and extensive research on the stat

The Banknote Ethics Initiative (BnEI) and Basel Institute on Governance are partnering to promote the use of Integrity Pacts in banknote-related procurement to further promote the highest standards of integrity and fair competition in the industry. Established in 2013, the BnEI is a Collective Action Initiative that promotes tailored anti-corruption and fair competition standards

Following the inaugural OECD Trust in Business Forum that took place in Paris on 1-2 October 2019, we are pleased to announce that Gemma Aiolfi, Head of Compliance, Corporate Governance and Collective Action, has become an official member of the Trust in Business Network (TriBuNe), the advisory board of the [OECD’s Trust in Business initiative](http://www.oecd.org/cor

The B20 – or Business 20 – is an engagement group that brings the voice of the business community to the G20 process.  The G20/B20 presidency rotates on an annual basis with Saudi Arabia succeeding Japan in this role in December. We have actively supported the B20 process over the past ten years, with a particular emphasis since 2013 when the Basel Institute was mandated to host the B20 Anti-Corruption Collective Action Hub. As a Network Partner, alongside the World Economic Forum, the Inter

Given the vast dimensions of the multibillion-dollar illegal wildlife trade (IWT), it may be surprising that until recently, global efforts to tackle IWT came mainly from the conservation sector. This has typically consisted of numerous donor-funded efforts to catch poachers and raise public awareness of the plight of endangered species. Valuable as those efforts are, they do little to impact the organised crime networks, corruption and illicit financial flows that allow the lucrative illegal