News & Blog

Building sectoral anti-corruption agreements among competitors can be a significant challenge in Collective Action. Sectoral agreements, or sectoral pacts, aim to create conditions of fair and transparent markets through discouraging certain practices of corruption by defining clear rules among competitors. For businesses, sectoral agreements can be more effective than working in isolation, as many companies may fear being excluded from markets of interest for daring to announce having been sub

Last month, I had the pleasure of attending and speaking at the conference “Integrity Pacts – Safeguarding EU Funds” in Brussels, hosted by Transparency International (TI) and with the participation of the European Commission. The conference was held in the context of a pilot project recently launched by the Commission - "Integrity Pacts - Civil Control Mechanism for

As we soon approach the one year anniversary of the 2014 ICCA Conference “Collective Action: Going Further Together to Counter Corruption” this blog piece returns to one of the key messages to emerge from the event, on the topic of engagement with government in Collective Action. Corruption happens mostly at the interface between business and public authorities. Consequently, effective anti-corruption measu

This piece was originally published by the TRACE International Blog on 8 May 2015. Republished here with permission. Last week’s (ed: 28 April 2015) decision by the Chief Justice of Singapore’s Supreme Court entitled Public Prosecutor v Syed Mostofa Romel is important for shipping companies

IRU Secretary General, Umberto de Pretto, unveils the scale and damages of corruption on roads and explains how the world road transport organisation is tackling this issue head on. What is the Global Anti-Corruption Initiative? In short, it’s a joint effort between the IRU and United Nations Global Compact to fight extortion and corruption along major road transport corridors. We’re working together to secure the sustaina

As the problems created by corruption affect society as a whole, everyone would benefit from its eradication. Unfortunately, however, perceptions of corruption may not always align with this view which is why it is of utmost importance to raise awareness of corruption by way of education and training, and greater knowledge of the consequences of corruption may enable its elimination. That being said, corruption cannot be tackled alone, and the concept of Collective Action could ensure that busin

TRACE named the Maritime Anti-Corruption Network (MACN), a global business network of companies and associations involved in the maritime industry, the winner of its second annual Innovation in Anti-Bribery Compliance Award. The MACN was recognized for its efforts to create an industry-wide compliance culture through collective action. In the selection of the winner [TRACE](http://www.traceinterna

Joe Murphy recently talked in a post on the FCPA Blog about antitrust concerns under U.S. law for competitors who band together to fight corruption. I’d like to explain how and why the antitrust issue can be mitigated. Before I start, it’s worth noting that various U.S. companies such as GE, Lockheed, General Dynamics, and others are already active members of various collective anti-corrup

The Government of Panama will evaluate the implementation of a High Level Reporting Mechanism (HLRM), through a pilot project in collaboration with the Basel Institute on Governance and the British Embassy in Panama. Mark Pieth and Gemma Aiolfi of the Basel Institute met with Vice President Isabel de Saint Malo de Alvarado and several government ministers on Wednesday, 11 February 2015, to discuss the HLRM and its corruption prevention capacities, overall function and potential application with

Gemma Aiolfi, Head of Compliance and Corporate Governance / Collective Action, discussed anti-corruption Collective Action and High Level Reporting Mechanisms in Vol. 36, Issue 5 of the Thai Institute of Directors’ (IOD) Boardroom Magazine. Boardroom Magazine, geared towards board-level and top executives, appears bi-monthly in both print and electronic formats. The remarks were given on the occasion of [Thailand’s 5th National Conference on Collective Action Against Corruption](http://www.thai

By Patricia E. Dowden and Philip M. Nichols. This article was originally published by the Russian International Affairs Council on 25 December, 2014. Republished here with permission. What standards should businesses observe in their own countries, or abroad? Businesses now have resources and influence that rival or surpass those of governments and certainly of ordinary people.(1)

At the recent celebration of the 10th anniversary of the UN Global Compact’s 10th principle on anti-corruption in New York, the Basel Institute and UNGC have formally launched their partnership to develop and maintain the B20 Collective Action Hub. To mark this occasion, the two organisations jointly hosted a workshop on Collective Action, bringing together an impressive panel of experienced Collective Action practitioners from the private sector, business associations and NGOs. Participants ag

In the context of a series of capacity building workshops by the German Development Cooperation (GIZ) to strengthen governance in Central Africa’s extractive sector, the Basel Institute contributed to a 4-day seminar on good governance in the extractive industries in the Central African Monetary Community (CEMAC), held in Douala, Cameroon, in December 2014. This workshop aimed to enhance the skills of public servants in the field of good governance and to raise awareness of corruption risks inh

The Basel Institute on Governance, through its International Centre for Collective Action (ICCA), has been commissioned by the International Forum on Business Ethical Conduct for the Aerospace and Defence Industry (IFBEC) to conduct a comprehensive study on global offset practices, in conjunction with a working group of offset experts and practitioners within IFBEC’s membership. Offsets refer to arrangements whereby government purchasers of aerospace and defence industry goods and services reque

At the upcoming UN Conference of States Parties (CoSP) to the UNCAC in Panama City during 25-29 November 2013, the Basel Institute will officially launch its most recent publication, Emerging Trends in Asset Recovery (see above under “Recent publication”). The book will be distributed at our information booth where we look forward to welcoming you. During the CoSP, the Institute will also be hosting and participating in a series of workshops, notably: “Constructive public-private partner

In an effort to increase understanding and interest in Collective Action as a tool to prevent and combat corruption through business and business-public partnerships, the ICCA trained representatives from the private and public sectors from Thailand, including Thailand’s National Anti-Corruption Commission, on available Collective Action tools and methodologies, in the course of an information session held at the International Anti-Corruption Academy (IACA) in Vienna. Experts of the ICCA presen

By Virna Di Palma, Director of the TRACE Anti-Bribery Specialist Accreditation and Senior Director of Global Strategy and Communications at TRACE International, an anti-bribery business organisation. Last week I joined leading anti-corruption experts and academics from all over the world in Vienna, Austria to discuss effective teaching and pedagogy in anti-corruption studies within institutions of higher learning. The [

By Frederic Wehrlé Due to their low profile and size, small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) are easy targets for lower-level government officials seeking to supplement their incomes with facilitation payments and petty corruption. As SMEs continue to face bribery solicitation and extortion in many countries of the world, the same characteristics – low profile and size – puts them in front of particular challenges when it comes to coping with bribery. Finding innovative ways for SMEs to prev

Although there is no statutory obligation for companies to engage in anti-corruption Collective Action, there are references to it in guidance documents that have been issued by governments in relation to laws prohibiting bribery. These guidelines are used by companies when developing or reviewing their anti-corruption compliance programs, as well as when defining the scope of internal policies and procedures. The UK Ministry of Justice issued the best-known [guidance](https://asse

In recognition of the Basel Institute on Governance having received the mandate from the B20 Task Force on Anti-Corruption and Transparency in June 2013 to host the B20 Collective Action Hub, working along with the United Nations Global Compact (UNGC), the two organisations have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), further reinforcing their collaboration in this endeavour. Working in a spirit of cooperation and acknowledging the strengths and expertise of both parties, the MoU provides

Comments from the Basel Institute on Governance Conference on Anti-Corruption Collective Action to address corporate and multi-stakeholder initiatives against bribery and extortion: Some 150 experts from the worlds of business, civil society and government as well as international organisations began meeting today in Basel, Switzerland, to discuss the role of Collective Action as a tool in the fight against corruption. Anti-corruption Collective Action consists of initiatives that are formed

On 12 May 2014 the government of Ukraine took a step to help encourage much needed foreign investment into the country by signing a Memorandum of Understanding with the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), the Organisation for Economic Co-Operation and Development (OECD) and several business associations, addressing bribery and promoting transparency and accountability. At the signing ceremony the President of the EBRD, Sir Suma Chakrabarti spoke about the importance of the

On 12 May 2014, the Government of Ukraine signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) and several business associations, addressing bribery and promoting transparency and accountability. Mandated by the EBRD to develop a mechanism to address unfair business practices and bribery for the purpose of improving the overall business climate in Ukraine, including prospects

On Monday 26th November 2013, representatives from the World Economic Forum’s Partnering Against Corruption Initiative (PACI), the OECD, the Basel Institute on Governance, and Siemens discussed the need for businesses to use Collective Action in the fight against corruption. This was addressed on the occasion of the Fifth Conference of the State Parties (CoSP) to the United Nations Convention against Corruption, held in Panama City, Panama. For companies to focus their efforts on where to star

The Basel Institute worked closely with the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) to develop the Business Reporting Institution for the Ukraine, which represents a High Level Reporting Mechanism to address business corruption risks. An official agreement in respect of this new Institution was due to be signed in early November by the EBRD and the Government of Ukraine. This process has currently been postponed by the Ukraine Government due to their need and request for further

The B20 Task Force on Anti-Corruption and Transparency has awarded the establishment of the B20 Collective Action Hub to the Basel Institute on Governance, which will work on this in close partnership with the UN Global Compact. This comes at the same time as leading global companies from the energy and transport sector have agreed to establish a Working Group on Integrity to collaborate with the Basel Institute on anti-corruption Collective Action initiatives in those sectors. B20 Anti-Corrupt

The World Economic Forum has joined IACA, OECD, TRACE, Transparency International and the Universidad de San Andrés as a founding institutional partner of the ICCA. Through its Partnering Against Corruption Initiative (PACI), a global, cross-sectoral anti-corruption initiative set up to raise ethical business standards and to contribute to a competitive, transparent and accountable business society, the WEF is acting on the very forefront of private sector driven anti-corruption efforts. It is

A high-level conference in Bogota, Colombia, on 2 April saw the launch by the President of the Republic of Colombia, Juan Manuel Santos, of the world’s first ‘High Level Reporting Mechanism’ (HLRM). This mechanism, the concept of which was developed by the Basel Institute on Governance and the OECD (see concept note) offers a prevention-oriented approach to address demand-side issues of corruption. It aims

The Basel Institute on Governance has been instrumental to the design, development and implementation of industry standards through collective action across the world and in a large variety of sectors. Examples of this experience are the PACI Principles, the Wolfsberg Anti Money Laundering Principles, the Clovis Principles and our ongoing efforts in the Power Systems, Logistics & Transport and Art Trade sectors. As its work continues to expand into other business sectors, the Basel Institute on