News & Blog

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 ideas, insights and inspirin

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 enterprise

Our 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 convening and facilitating a

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 ways

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 2019

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 culture of integrity, develop a risk-based anti-corruption

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

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’s

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 role

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](https

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 reco

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

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-rela

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 th

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. Despite

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 Initiative]

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 state

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 for the banknote sector. Currently, 14 accredited member companies have passed rigorous audi

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/corporate/t

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 Internat

Does your company do business in emerging markets? Wouldn’t it be helpful if you could really rely on the certification of a local business partner in those markets? If you know you can trust the certifier and the certification process, due diligence will be quicker and easier - at least in theory. The Basel Institute’s International Centre for Collective Action is launching an innovative project to explore certification and its role in anti-corruption due diligence. If you’re interested in b

The International Centre for Collective Action (ICCA) has launched two projects to bolster the evidence base and business case for two different types of Collective Action initiatives: Integrity Pacts and Certification Initiatives. With financial support from the KBA-NotaSys Integrity Fund, the projects involve analysis and sharing of lessons learned. Findings and new resources on Integrity Pacts and Certification Initiatives will be added to the ICCA’s B20 Collective Action Hub.

The Basel Institute is providing anti-corruption guidance services to SMEs as part of the UK government’s pioneering Business Integrity Initiative. Subsidised by the UK Department for International Development (DFID) for eligible SMEs, the guidance services are focused on: Anti-corruption compliance Corruption and bribery prevention Anti-corruption Collective Action Find out more about the services and how to app

Mirna Adjami of the Basel Institute’s International Centre for Collective Action attended the 18th Annual Currency Conference in Dubai, U.A.E. from 7–10 April 2019, in the context of the Basel Institute’s ongoing collaboration with the Banknote Ethics Initiative (BnEI). The BnEI and Basel Institute are working together to advise Central Banks and Monetary Authorities of the option of implementing Integrity Pacts or othe

Some 13 students from all over the world are in Basel this week completing the final sessions of their International Master in Anti-Corruption Compliance and Collective Action, awarded by the International Anti-Corruption Academy (IACA). The final course includes an intensive series of sessions on Collective Action taught by members of the [International Centre for Collective Action](https://www.baselgovernance.org/collectiv

The Basel Institute will be launching an innovative project promoting systematic, intelligence-led action against illegal wildlife trafficking (IWT) networks along the East Africa – Southeast Asia trading chain. Supported by PMI Impact’s Second Funding Round, the project focuses on uncovering and targeting illicit financial flows, strengthening the ability of law enforcement agencies to investigate and prosecute transnational IWT-related financial crimes, and imp

The Basel Institute is delighted about and welcomes the Wolfsberg Group’s endorsement of the United for Wildlife Financial Taskforce Mansion House Declaration. This is a significant step in gaining the active support of the financial sector in combating the multibillion-dollar illegal wildlife trade. The Basel Institute is the implementing partner of the intelligence-sharing mechanism of the [United for Wildlife Financial Taskforce](https://www.unitedforwildlife.org/projects/financial-taskforce

There’s a lot of buzz about Collective Action as a means to tackle corruption. But what is it exactly? What is its value? How is it good for business? Who gets involved in Collective Action initiatives and why? This week, we will be releasing five short videos about Collective Action. Filmed during the International Centre for Collective Conference in November 2018, they feature leading voices in the field of anti-corruption Collective Action. Here is the first video: [What is Collective Actio

We are delighted that a tailored High Level Reporting Mechanism will be established for the construction of the first line of the Bogotá Metro. The HRLM will allow complaints related to possible acts of corruption to be analysed rapidly and dealt with pragmatically and transparently. Developed by the Basel Institute on Governance, OECD and Transparency International, the HLRM is designed to meet private sector demands for a fast, independent and effective mechanism to address bribe solicitatio

The Basel Institute was shocked and saddened to hear of the death of Rafael Merchan, the former Secretary of Transparency of Colombia, at his home over the Christmas holiday. He had been due to testify in the Odebrecht related case concerning the Ruta del Sol road development; his death follows the suspicious demise of another witness in the case, the former auditor [Jorge Enrique