Scarlet Wannenwetsch
Head, Collective Action
Scarlet Wannenwetsch joined the Basel Institute in 2017 and is currently Head of Collective Action. In this role, she is responsible for leading, implementing and expanding the Institute’s Collective Action programme, ensuring its strategic integration across the organisation and advancing its conceptual development and uptake.
She also leads the Collective Action Mentoring Programme and the Institute’s Collective Action activities. These include project managing the implementation of the Siemens Integrity Initiative, as well as leading the Institute’s international policy work on Collective Action, with a particular focus on the Southern African region and ASEAN.
Scarlet also heads the Institute’s engagement with the Business 20 (B20) on corruption and served as Deputy Co-Chair of the Integrity and Compliance Task Force in 2021/22, having previously acted as a network and knowledge partner.
Between 2021 and 2024, she lectured on the Master’s programme in Anti-Corruption Compliance and Collective Action at the International Anti-Corruption Academy.
Prior to joining the Institute, Scarlet gained experience at the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC Germany) and worked as a legal advisor for an international start-up.
She holds a law degree (LLB) from King’s College London and an LLM in Public International Law and Alternative Dispute Resolution from the Free University of Berlin.
Publications
Anti-corruption Collective Action in the G20/B20 process: Charting progress 2020–2024
This report analyses the approaches of the previous five B20 presidencies to addressing anti-corruption Collective Action. It captures lessons learned and provides recommendations for future B20/G20 cycles. It is primarily intended for upcoming B20/G20 presidencies, B20 Integrity & Compliance Task Force members and organisations engaging with the B20/G20.
About this report
You may share or republish this report under a Creative Commons CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 licence.
Suggested citation: Scarlet Wannenwetsch. 2025. ‘Anti-corruption Collective Action in the G20/B20 process: Charting progress 2020–2024.’ Basel Institute on Governance.
The report was funded by the Siemens Integrity Initiative, which supports organisations in the fight against corruption and fraud through Collective Action, education and training. The views and opinions expressed in this report are those of the author and do not reflect the position of Siemens or the Siemens Integrity Initiative.
Working Paper 56: Anti-corruption Collective Action: A typology for a new era
Since its first use by the World Bank in 2008, the concept of “anti-corruption Collective Action” has evolved into a well-established best practice to prevent corruption and strengthen business integrity.
This paper captures the specific characteristics of anti-corruption Collective Action that have emerged over time and translates them into an easy-to-grasp typology that reflects both the variety and unifying principles that make up the Collective Action ecosystem. It aims to:
- spark new impetus for engagement;
- open the concept to new stakeholders, topics and environments; and
- support existing initiatives in developing their long-term visions and aims.
In addition to supporting practitioners, updating the typology will also help strengthen the case for Collective Action as a normative corruption prevention practice.
About this report
The paper is published as part of the Basel Institute on Governance Working Paper series, ISSN: 2624-9650. You may share or republish it under a Creative Commons BY-NC-ND 4.0 International Licence.
The contents are the sole responsibility of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official position of the Basel Institute on Governance, its donors and partners, or the University of Basel.
Suggested citation: Wannenwetsch, Scarlet. 2025. ‘Anti-corruption Collective Action: A typology for a new era.’ Working Paper 56, Basel Institute on Governance. Available at: baselgovernance.org/publications/wp-56.
Engaging the private sector in Collective Action against corruption: A practical guide for anti-corruption agencies in Africa
This guidance seeks to capture and explore the innovative approaches that African governments have developed to address the demand and supply sides of corruption more effectively and sustainably. It is designed to help government institutions, in particular national anti-corruption agencies, engage with the private sector more effectively to prevent corruption.
The document highlights good practices identified through interviews, desk research and a 2021 Southern African Development Community (SADC) training on “Emerging anti-corruption issues and private-sector engagement for SADC anti-corruption agencies”.
Africa offers many examples of innovative, unique and context-sensitive approaches to engage the private sector in anti-corruption efforts. Ghana’s National Anti-Corruption Action Plan, for instance, offers an award scheme and is looking into providing tax benefits to companies that enforce anti-corruption measures and demonstrate leadership in the fight against corruption. Other agencies and governments in the region, such as Morocco, are currently discussing implementing a reward system for compliant companies that can be considered when companies bid for public tenders.
These examples demonstrate how African governments proactively seek to tackle corruption and collaborate with the private sector.
From the initiatives captured, three common strategic approaches can be identified to underpin effective and impactful engagement:
- Raising awareness, guiding and working with the private sector to more effectively address corruption risks.
- Identifying and providing incentives to companies investing in their compliance programmes.
- Demonstrating leadership by actively participating in Collective Action and public-private partnerships.
This document is a follow-up of a practical global guide published in July 2022 and was produced with the support of the Siemens Integrity Initiative.
It is freely shareable under a Creative Commons CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 licence. Please credit the Basel Institute on Governance.
The B20 Integrity and Compliance Recommendations: An International Framework for Action
This article was published by Gemma Aiolfi and Scarlet Wannenwetsch of the Basel Institute on Governance together with Daniel Malan of Trinity Business School and Klaus Moosmayer of Novartis for California Management Review. The authors argue that businesses seeking to integrate compliance and integrity at the core of their business model would do well to look at the Business 20’s recommendations.
The authors explain how the recommendations of the B20 Integrity and Compliance Taskforce can act as a framework for action by businesses seeking to strengthen the G in ESG. Among the Taskforce’s recommendations: fostering Collective Action by actively collaborating with like-minded businesses and other stakeholders, including governments, and by investigating new models of public-private partnerships.
The Basel Institute on Governance has supported the B20 process for years, including this year’s B20 India as a Network and Knowledge Partner of the ESG Business Action Council.
InMagazine: Collective Action Conference and Mentoring Programme
This article by Scarlet Wannenwetsch appeared in the September issue of InMagazine, published by the TEID Ethics & Reputation Society.
It covers the 4th International Collective Action Conference in Basel, Switzerland, and the Basel Institute’s Mentoring Programme for civil society/non-profit organisations working together with the private sector to address corruption challenges.
Engaging the private sector in Collective Action against corruption
This practical guide is designed to help governments, and in particular National Anti-Corruption Agencies, engage with the private sector more effectively to prevent corruption.
It explains how governments can engage with the private sector to prevent corruption in three ways:
- Collaborate and consult on corruption prevention activities in the private sector - by setting up events and platforms, providing advisory support and engaging the private sector in developing National Anti-Corruption Strategies.
- Support and incentivise the private sector to engage in corruption prevention activities and initiatives - by creating tangible business benefits for companies investing in compliance, incentivising companies to externalise their compliance programmes, and supporting compliance certification.
- Demonstrate leadership by becoming an active participant in Collective Action - by establishing Collective Action as the go-to approach for engaging with the private sector, by implementing integrity tools in public procurement, and by fostering compliance in state-owned enterprises.
Each point is supported with examples of such actions around the world. Many of the examples were provided by a core group of members from the Network of Corruption Prevention Authorities (NCPA), who worked together with the Basel Institute on Governance to develop this guidance. The Basel Institute’s participation in developing these guidelines is funded by the Siemens Integrity Initiative.
The guidance will be updated on a regular basis to continue the discussion around government and private-sector engagement on issues of corruption.
This document is freely shareable under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License (CC BY-NC-ND 4.0). Please credit the Basel Institute on Governance and Network of Corruption Prevention Authorities (NCPA).
Policy Brief 8: It takes a network to defeat a network – What Collective Action practitioners can learn from research into corrupt networks
This Policy Brief distils recommendations for Collective Action practitioners based on empirical insights on certain forms of corruption involving private-sector actors.
Field research carried out in Tanzania and Uganda produced detailed case studies that show how informal networks link private and public sector actors to pursue common illicit goals, such as gaining an unfair business advantage, avoiding a sanction, decreasing taxes owed or jumping the queue at the point of delivery of public services. Corruption, most often bribery, is the currency that works to cement and nurture those networks.
This Policy Brief is based on that research and a series of in-depth interviews with Collective Action practitioners working in Africa, Eastern Europe and Latin America. The goal is to extract insights from what we have learned about the networks that fuel corruption and discuss implications for anti-corruption Collective Action initiatives.
About this Policy Brief
This publication is part of the Basel Institute on Governance Policy Brief series, ISSN 2624-9669.
It is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License (CC BY-NC-ND 4.0). Suggested citation: Baez Camargo, C., Costa, Hans,V., J., Koechlin, L. and Wannenwetsch, S. (2021) It takes a network to defeat a network: What Collective Action practitioners can learn from research into corrupt networks. Policy Brief 8, Basel Institute on Governance.
The research underpinning this Policy Brief was funded by the Global Integrity Anti-Corruption Evidence Programme, funded with UK Aid from the British people.
Working Paper 34: Local certification through Collective Action: an innovative approach to anti-corruption compliance and due diligence
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. This Working Paper by the Basel Institute’s Collective Action team attempts to answer that question based on discussions and analysis of current local certification initiatives in different countries and sectors.
Local certification in this context means the assessment of a company’s anti-corruption compliance standards according to a method devised through a Collective Action and developed within a domestic (local) market. The local component also involves verification (certification) by a reputable organisation based in the same country as the entity that is being certified.
The paper explores:
- Due diligence dilemmas faced by both SMEs and MNCs.
- How local certification can help SMEs develop and demonstrate robust anti-corruption compliance procedures.
- How a trusted certification programme can help alleviate due diligence on third parties by MNCs, using a risk-based approach.
- Wider benefits, including raising standards of compliance across the board.
- How a Collective Action approach boosts the potential of local certification to achieve these wins.
- Special considerations and six practical recommendations for practitioners seeking to raise levels of anti-corruption compliance through a local certification scheme.
About this Working Paper
This paper is part of the Basel Institute on Governance Working Paper Series, ISSN: 2624-9650.
The paper was funded by the KBA-NotaSys Integrity Fund of Koenig & Bauer Banknote Solutions. It is part of the Basel Institute’s local certification project, which aims to support innovative approaches to anti-corruption compliance and due diligence through Collective Action. .
The views and opinions expressed in this report are those of the authors and do not reflect the position of the KBA NotaSys Integrity Fund, Koenig & Bauer Banknote Solutions, any affiliates or any persons acting on their behalf.
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License (CC BY-NC-ND 4.0).
Citation: Hans, V., Wannenwetsch, S. and Aiolfi, G. (2020). Local certification through Collective Action: an innovative approach to anti-corruption compliance and due diligence. Working Paper 34, Basel Institute on Governance.
The G20’s responsiveness to B20 anti-corruption recommendations 2010–2017. Part I: Baseline report
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?
This paper helps to answer the questions by analysing the responsiveness of the G20 leaders to the B20’s recommendations on anti-corruption from 2010 to 2017. The analysis uses three previous attempts to measure the impact of the B20 process on G20 outcomes, by the German and Russian presidencies and by the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC).
About this report
This report was funded by the Siemens Integrity Initiative, which supports organisations in the fight against corruption and fraud through Collective Action, education and training. The views and opinions expressed in this report are those of the author and do not reflect the position of Siemens or the Siemens Integrity Initiative.
Collective Action against illegal wildlife trade: Engaging freight forwarders and logistics providers
This report emerges from the Basel Institute’s Green Corruption programme, a multi-disciplinary engagement that targets environmental degradation through tested anti-corruption, asset recovery and governance methods. It was funded by PMI Impact as part of a wider project on intelligence-led on financial crime in illegal wildlife trade (IWT).
The freight forwarding and logistics industry has been identified by IWT specialists and transport companies as being a crucial but not yet fully engaged sector when it comes to addressing IWT. This report sets the industry in its wider context and explores how it is affected by the risks around IWT. Understanding the industry, and how the illicit trade affects companies and their risk management, will help to build a strong business case for companies to catalyse their efforts to prevent and combat IWT both individually and through Collective Action.
The ultimate aim of the report is to create a baseline for greater dialogue between counter-IWT practitioners and industry representatives, and to help practitioners identify pathways to strengthen the engagement of this vital sector in the fight against IWT. The report is based on publicly available information.
Section 3 explores the industry and current trends affecting its vulnerability to abuse by wildlife traffickers. It looks at the specific services and actors involved in the cross-border transportation of goods, the main exposure to corruption and criminal acts, and the role of Customs.
Section 4 gives a picture of the global market for logistics services, identifying relevant players and setting out how the industry is distributed regionally and globally.
Section 5 discusses the main legal, financial and security risks for logistics providers related to IWT. It also offers five recommended risk mitigation measures for companies exposed to these risks.
Section 6 offers potential pathways for practitioners seeking to engage the industry in these collective efforts, taking advantage of the momentum of existing private sector-focused IWT forums. It also digs deeper into the business case for logistics providers to engage in Collective Action to address IWT.
News and blog
B20 Brazil rings in a new era for Collective Action
We are thrilled that anti-corruption Collective Action has received fresh impetus under the Brazilian presidency of the B20 – the voice of business of the G20 intergovernmental forum. This reflects a shift in mindset among global business leaders, towards recognising the power and necessity of multi-stakeholder collaboration for anti-corruption and integrity. Fostering Collective Action initiatives is one of three policy recommendations of the B20 Integrity and Compliance Task Force. These were handed over to G20 leaders at the B20 Summit in São Paulo on 25 October 2024. A Key Performance Indicator or KPI will track countries’ adoption of concrete Collective Action approaches and initiatives, based on the data in the Basel Institute’s B20 Collective Action Hub – which itself has been selected as a B20 legacy project. So what’s new and why does it matter? Return of the Integrity & Compliance Task Force "I was pleased to represent the Basel Institute at this year’s Summit, joining political and business leaders from around the world plus representatives from international organisations and financial institutions. The Basel Institute has supported the B20 process for over a decade, including this year as Network Partner to the Integrity & Compliance Task Force." – Scarlet Wannenwetsch, Senior Specialist, Collective Action The B20 Integrity & Compliance Task Force has existed since 2011, with the exception of the Chinese and Indian presidencies. It convenes a variety of stakeholders engaged in anti-corruption, compliance, integrity and transparency in business. Unlike other B20 Task Forces it has a direct counterpart: the G20 Anti-Corruption Working Group. It is thus a powerful voice for business integrity on the global stage. Its recommendations also reflect evolving understandings of how businesses should integrate ethics and integrity into their systems and value chains. Responsible business, ethical leadership and Collective Action The Task Force’s 2024 recommendations include longstanding B20 priorities that encourage the implementation of integrity and anti-corruption measures to enhance responsible business. New this year, there is also a focus on promoting ethical leadership to cultivate inclusive growth. Though anti-corruption Collective Action has been a reoccurring theme under the B20 over the past 12 years, this year we are pleased that: Collective Action is one of only three recommendations. This highlights the weight and importance given to Collective Action as a tool for companies to engage and lead in the fight against corruption. The Collective Action recommendation is specific. It calls on B20 and G20 leaders to stimulate Collective Action by “promoting collaboration of public sector, private sector, and civil society to strengthen integrity and resilience in the value chain”. There is a strong focus on “developing specific approaches for situations related to environmental and human rights issues”, recognising the synergies between ethical business and these areas. The recommendation calls on governments to strengthen their own engagement in Collective Action, calling out Integrity Pacts and High-Level Reporting Mechanisms that help to protect public procurement from corruption and unfair practices. A Key Performance Indicator KPI will enable scrutiny and monitoring of countries’ uptake of Collective Action approaches and initiatives. This is a first in the history of the B20. The B20 Collective Action Hub has been chosen as one of five B20 Brazil legacy projects. This demonstrates clear buy-in and support for the continuation of the KPI and key Collective Action tools beyond the current B20 cycle. Tracking support for Collective Action among G20 countries The newly developed 2024 Collective Action KPI measures the number of G20 governments that are engaged in or provide support to at least one Collective Action initiative. The scope of “G20 countries" is wide, comprising core members and associated members, including all countries in the African Union and the European Union. The measurement is based on data from the B20 Collective Action Hub, which has a global database of Collective Action initiatives. Currently, 43 of the 96 G20 governments – or 45 percent – support or are engaged in at least one Collective Action Initiative. This result demonstrates the success of two decades of effort by the Basel Institute and others who champion multi-stakeholder approaches to business integrity. But it also highlights room for improvement. The aim is to reach 100 percent by 2030. This new KPI allows the B20 and the Collective Action community to track something many companies and practitioners identify as crucial for the success of Collective Action: government support. Government support for Collective Action strengthens incentives for companies to engage and invest in corruption prevention. Learn more Download the 2024 B20 Integrity & Compliance Policy Paper View the panel discussion on day 2 of the B20 Summit in Brazil Learn more about the B20's work on integrity, compliance and Collective Action
FCPA Blog: Strong leadership breathes new life into B20 Integrity & Compliance Task Force
This blog was originally published on the FCPA Blog, which was discontinued in February 2024. 2023 was a mixed bag for the business integrity community. On the one hand, the B20 – the voice of business of the G20 forum of major economies – had no Integrity & Compliance Task Force under the Indian Presidency. That was a major missed opportunity for all of us who care about raising standards of business integrity around the world. The B20 Integrity & Compliance Task Force is a unique platform to discuss and build consensus among businesses on compliance and integrity topics across G20 countries. It provides an opportunity to present G20 governments with specific issues for consideration and implementation. On a more positive note, the OECD Integrity Forum and U.S.-led Summit for Democracy discussions highlighted the private sector’s critical role in the fight against corruption, particularly in high-risk sectors such as infrastructure and energy. 2023 also finished on a high note: For the first time, the UN Conference of the States Parties CoSP in Atlanta included a forum dedicated to business integrity. More than 500 companies supported a call to action on business integrity, which was presented to government delegates at the CoSP. Upon taking over the G20 Presidency in December, Brazil announced that the B20 Integrity & Compliance Task Force would be re-introduced. The Task Force will be led by renowned Brazilian business leader, Claudia Sender, with the Brazilian National Conference of Industry CNI leading the B20 overall. As the B20 kicks off in Rio de Janeiro at the end of January, strong participation and engagement of the Brazilian and global business community can be expected – including on the integrity agenda. Business integrity: the backbone of the wider business agenda 2023 offered some sobering reminders of the need for continued efforts by companies and governments to manage their corruption risks. A notable example was the corruption case in Portugal’s renewable energy sector, which led to the resignation of the Portuguese prime minister. Fueled by geopolitical tensions, corruption is evolving, and economic, social, and political systems are shifting alongside it. “To stay abreast of these interconnected challenges, companies need to look beyond their internal processes, to increase their engagement in policy platforms and in spaces for dialogue with their communities”, says Robin Hodess of The B Team, a long standing B20 Task Force member. Active business participation in multi-stakeholder settings can help ensure that new standards, laws, and policies reflect business realities including stakeholder demands and can be effectively implemented. The B20 Task Force at the forefront of efforts to advance business integrity As a multi-stakeholder group with a strong and international business representation, the B20 Integrity & Compliance Task Force has achieved tangible impacts under previous G20 Presidencies. For example, it was one of the first business groups to recommend the introduction of public digital beneficial ownership registers and transparent and competitive procurement processes. Both of these issues continue to be front and center for business integrity – and corporate transparency is key to global efforts to curb illicit financial flows. The B20 also co-authored with the G20 a guidance document on Compliance for SMEs and worked on an Anti-Corruption Technology Road Map to promote integrity and compliance. Current debates about the impact of artificial intelligence on business will no doubt have huge implications for business integrity as well in the years to come. The ongoing focus on transparency makes business integrity efforts key to the wider agenda for economic transformation, such as the just energy transition. Disclosure on company policies, processes, and impact – whether on anti-corruption or on carbon – helps create accountability, which is critical for businesses and their commitments to a sustainable economy, as the Task Force noted across the past few B20 cycles. Transparency is also a key element for stakeholder engagement, which is increasingly part of the business integrity agenda. The B20 is a community of practice not just a process One positive takeaway from the hiatus of the Integrity & Compliance Task Force in 2023 was the continued engagement and commitment of previous Task Force members. Together, we worked to integrate key transparency and business integrity topics in other task forces. As a group, we have also been proactive and vocal in the process to reinstate the Integrity & Compliance Task Force during the 2023/24 Brazilian B20 Presidency. Members met regularly, despite having no official home in the B20. We updated a guidance document that captures a range of good practices and learnings for incoming B20 presidencies, such as: Promoting consistent engagement between the Integrity & Compliance Task Force and the G20 Anti-Corruption Working Group, which advises the G20 leaders on anti-corruption topics. Ensuring consistency, continuity, and follow-up across G20/B20 Presidencies, including by tracking progress. Enhancing governance in Task Force management. This all reflects what makes the B20 anti-corruption workstream unique: the voice and historical knowledge of its community. Looking forward Through the Task Force, the business integrity community is actively engaged in shaping the B20 process rather than the other way around. This allows for community ownership. It also means there is impact on the wider business community beyond the recommendations made to the G20 every year. Under the Brazilian leadership, the B20 in 2024 promises a re-invigorated Integrity and Compliance Task Force, whose work is cut out for it. The community of practitioners committed to business integrity is ready for the challenge. To find out more about the Integrity and Compliance work at the B20 or to join the informal community, see the Basel Institute’s resource pages and reach out to Robin Hodess, The B Team, rh@bteam.org.
Southern Africa’s fight against corruption needs Collective Action
A high-level meeting of heads of anti-corruption agencies in the Southern African Development Community SADC last month was a chance to take stock of member countries’ efforts to tackle corruption. The meeting allowed for a reflection on many ongoing activities and discussions around Collective Action in the region this year. It was the perfect opportunity to reflect on how to galvanise joint efforts against the region’s biggest scourge. Speaking to delegates, Scarlet Wannenwetsch, Collective Action Specialist, highlighted the underused capacity of the private sector. Businesses are full of dynamism and talent, both of which are critical in fighting corruption and other transnational crimes. To harness the private sector’s potential, she emphasised the importance of building trust by fostering regional multi-stakeholder networks. Bringing together anti-corruption champions from the public sector, private sector and civil society helps to create “good” networks – ones powerful enough to fight the corrupt networks that are holding back development in the region. Appetite for engagement The Basel Institute has been a long-standing partner of the SADC Secretariat through the work of the Private Sector team. Our team has been impressed by the level of innovation in the region. Some feature in a publication capturing good practices that was created by, with and for anti-corruption agencies in Africa. We have also been training SADC corruption prevention officers on how to engage with the private sector through Collective Action approaches. Our partners consistently express a desire for more opportunities to engage and exchange with other stakeholders. They realise that no one group can tackle corruption alone. Working towards building a community of practice To sow the seeds for such a regional multi-stakeholder network, we launched the first Southern African Anti-Corruption Collective Action Forum earlier this year in collaboration with the Southern African Anti-Corruption Network SAACoN and The Ethics Institute. The event brought together participants from the private sector, civil society and government institutions to discuss concrete opportunities for learning and collaboration. For many, it was the first time they had met at the regional level. The event was also a chance to celebrate progress. CoST Uganda won our Southern Africa Anti-Corruption Collective Action Award for its outstanding achievements in tackling corruption and raising business integrity in the region. What’s next? In order to build on the momentum of the Forum and on the energy of the SADC region’s anti-corruption leaders, it is crucial that member states continue to prioritise collaboration and Collective Action. Government anti-corruption agencies needs close, sustained collaboration with the private sector and civil society if they want to develop a more inclusive strategy to prevent corruption – and if they want that strategy to actually work in practice. That applies not only at the country and sector level, but at the regional level too. And that’s what Collective Action can bring. We look forward to continuing our fruitful collaboration with the SADC Secretariat and wider partners to support anti-corruption Collective Action in the region. Learn more about our work on the B20 Collective Action Hub and find inspiration in its global database of initiatives.
Partnering against money laundering and corruption in South Africa and the subregion
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 Leadership Dialogue on "Partnering Against Money Laundering and Corruption in South Africa and the Subregion". The event took place on 21 February 2023 in hybrid format in Johannesburg, South Africa. The role of business in addressing corruption The lively exchange between company representatives, government officials and civil society allowed for consensus to build amongst stakeholders. The resulting strong common call to action highlighted the importance of three things: Curbing systemic corruption, which remains a constant thorn in Southern Africa’s development prospects. We need more experiments with impact-oriented private sector-led Collective Action against corruption. This will help move the private sector to a more active role in building accountability ecosystems and setting high standards of integrity for commercial and public finance and service. Effectively disrupting the cycle of illicit financial flows, which requires us to prioritise collaborative partnerships between the private and public sectors. The encouraging examples that exist in the region need be highlighted so other countries can benefit and build on existing approaches and good practices. Understanding that in order to slow down the fast-evolving phenomenon of corruption, business needs to take a stand. This means the private sector requires bold, transformative and courageous leadership to fight the fight, because it is a fight against corrupt activities in the private and public sectors. Businesses must be champions against corruption and not only enablers or victims of corruption. Public-private initiatives to tackle illicit financial flows The event also facilitated more in-depth discussion and exchange on leading regional public-private initiatives that aim to tackle illicit financial flows. During the day's second panel, champions from the public and private sectors shared their experiences of building and actively engaging in Collective Action to address money laundering risks. Pieter Alberts, a Senior Operations Manager of the South African Financial Intelligence Centre, and Yiannis Gerakaris, Head of the Financial Crime Intelligence Unit at FirstRand Bank Group South Africa, explained their roles in the financial information-sharing partnership of the South African Anti-Money Laundering Integrated Taskforce SAMLIT , highlighting what is possible when the private sector and public sector come together. Led by the South African Financial Intelligence Centre, SAMLIT brings together financial institutions and financial regulatory authorities to share information that will enhance the fight against financial crime. This understanding feeds into the work of the Fusion Centre, a public-public initiative also located at the South African Financial Intelligence Centre that involves law enforcement and intelligence agencies. This collaboration between partnerships has enabled a closer and more trusted relationship between law enforcement authorities and the financial sector. Identifying cases and sharing information has proven quicker and more efficient. "The sooner we engage, connect and share information, the better.” – Pieter Alberts, South African Financial Intelligence Centre Beyond the banking sector However, the banking sector is just one of many sectors with a key role to play to address money laundering risks. Other gatekeeping institutions, such as lawyers, accountants and real estate agents, need to step up. Some encouraging initiatives in these sectors are also springing up in the region. For example, in Malawi, Anita Mankhambo, Head of Compliance at the Malawi Financial Intelligence Authority, leads a Collective Action initiative that works with local real estate agents to professionalise the sector and reduce money laundering risks. It seeks to do this while not overburdening the small and often still unlicensed real estate agents and the budding sector overall. An urgent need for action With billions in illicit financial flows leaving Southern Africa every year, time is of the essence to act. Building resilient partnerships and networks that allow for early detection and prevention of illicit financial flows have to be a priority to make it harder for corrupt and criminal networks to thrive in the region. We look forward to continuing to support these initiatives and discussions with our regional partners. Listen to the full recording. Read the full Call to Action.
Collective Action mentoring and peer learning to scale up in 2023
The future is looking bright for Collective Action as our community and Collective Action Mentoring Programme continues 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 of building the programme and fruitful exchange with our mentees. Both have exceeded our expectations and highlighted once again the importance of building a strong community of like-minded organisations that can help advance the use of Collective Action to address business integrity challenges. 2023: a year of growth In 2023 we are excited to see the programme expand as we welcome five new organisations to the group. We look forward to supporting and collaborating with: CoST Infrastructure Transparency Initiative chapter in Malawi Fight Against Facilitation Payments Initiative FAFPI Alliance Nationale des Consommateurs et de l’Environnement ANCE Togo Transparency International Mauritius TIM Transparency International Sri Lanka We also look forward to the new perspectives and approaches these organisations will bring to our quarterly Collective Action community discussions and meetings. Stronger together in the fight against corruption The key takeaway of the programme's first year has been the need to create more dedicated spaces and opportunities for Collective Action practitioners to exchange and learn from one another. Initially, the programme was designed to provide one-on-one tailored mentoring for individual organisations. It soon expanded to enable regular exchange between the mentees, which includes via a dedicated and secure online portal to allow mentees to exchange working documents, tools and other relevant information. This expansion in the scope of the mentoring programme responds to the mentees’ call for more opportunities for engagement during the first in-person mentees' workshop. The workshop took place in Basel, Switzerland, in July 2022, on the margins of our International Collective Action Conference. Building bridges and facilitating synergies Shortly after the first in-person meeting, we received a message and picture from two of our mentees who met along the Abidjan waterfront in the Ivory Coast to exchange on their respective projects in the country. Noah Arshinoff from the Canadian Centre of Excellence for Anti-Corruption CCEAC met with Aman Baptiste Ado from the Réseau Ivoirien des Jeunes Leaders pour l'Intégrité RIJLI . They quickly realised they were working with the same partner on different anti-corruption Collective Action projects. This conversation also allowed Noah and Aman to discuss their respective approaches to working with small and medium enterprises in the Ivory Coast, paving the way for potential collaboration in the future. Looking ahead We look forward to more stories and examples of collaboration in the coming year. We also want to thank all of our Collective Action mentees for their active engagement and openness to share and help build this community. We look forward to continuing to build together in 2023 and the years to come. Want to find out more about our Collective Action Mentoring Programme? Find it on the B20 Collective Action Hub, our platform for information and engagement on anti-corruption Collective Action. Keen to keep up with our Collective Action community? Subscribe to the Collective Action quarterly newsletter. The Mentoring Programme is funded by the Siemens Integrity Initiative.
Improving B20–G20 engagement – insights from the Indonesian B20–G20 dialogue on Integrity and Compliance
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 . For those unfamiliar with the B20–G20 process on integrity and anti-corruption, you can learn more on the B20 and anti-corruption resource pages on the B20 Collective Action Hub. The Indonesian presidency of the 2022 G20/B20 process is wrapping up, the policy papers are in their final drafts, and we are all gearing up for the B20 and G20 Summit marathon in November 2022. And while it is too early to speculate on which of the integrity and anti-corruption recommendations of the B20 make their way into the G20 Leaders’ Declaration or the G20 Anti-corruption Working Group policy documents, we want to take this opportunity to spotlight an important platform that reflects the spirit of this process like no other: the B20–G20 dialogue. Integrity: a topic that transcends borders and stakeholders The difficulties faced by this year’s process, including the Covid-19 pandemic and the war in Ukraine, underscore the need to exchange, engage and work together more closely. Only in this way can we strive toward our common goals and values that are at the core of the G20-B20 community. This holds especially true for a topic that transcends borders, industry sectors and stakeholders in the way corruption does. The need to bring together not only the B20 and G20 workstreams but at a more fundamental level its members and stakeholders to raise integrity and address common issues of corruption was also the resounding message at this year’s B20–G20 Integrity and Compliance dialogue on 18 August in Yogyakarta, Indonesia. This is a message that has transcended the Integrity and Compliance Task Force and is being picked up by the leadership both at the B20 and G20 level. The Chair of the B20, Ms. Shinta Widjaja Kamdani CEO of the Sintesa Group , called on all participants to: continue to push and leverage collaboration amongst business players and governments in the years to come. Rolliansyah Soemirat, Chair of G20 Indonesia Anti-corruption Working Group, echoed this sentiment when he underscored the: importance of having strong collaboration between all the sectors and stakeholders, namely business societies, youth, think tank communities and Ministries. This, he said, is the way to increase integrity and reduce corruption effectively. A strong endorsement of anti-corruption Collective Action We are pleased to see that fostering and promoting anti-corruption Collective Action for greater integrity is one of the core recommendations of this year’s B20 Integrity and Compliance policy paper. The Integrity and Compliance Co-Chairs brought the recommendation to life during the dialogue. They shared examples and avenues for action to highlight the potential impact these kinds of Collective Action initiatives can have. Learn more about these and the other B20/G20 anti-corruption priorities by watching the whole B20-G20 dialogue on YouTube. Rotating presidency: strength or limitation? So, it seems everyone is in agreement: We need stronger collaboration between the B20 and G20 workstreams to facilitate more multistakeholder and innovative approaches to strengthen integrity across stakeholder divides. But how can we achieve this when each new G20/B20 presidency takes over the process and makes it their own? A core strength of the G20 process is its flexibility and how it offers ownership of the process to each incoming presidency. This means it can respond to changes in the political landscape and pick up new topics as soon as they arise. This flexibility does, however, come with certain limitations. One is the issue of continuity between cycles and the ability to streamline and build on previous discussions and established working relationships. This perceived lack of continuity has led to periodic calls for the establishment of a permanent Secretariat or similar function, with little success to date. It could be said that the freedom for each country to define its own priorities and process overrides other considerations. Leveraging the B20–G20 dialogue platform How can we utilise and strengthen existing structures? A start could be to work more closely with consistently engaged stakeholders. This would help to leverage existing capacities and processes to bridge the gaps arising from the rotating presidency. It is important to state here that although there is no permanent Secretariat, "soft” structures and processes have developed over time that provide continuity even when the presidency changes each year. These have already demonstrated their ability to stand the test of time, as they are voluntarily carried from one presidency to the next. The B20–G20 dialogue is one such “soft” platform that has become a staple of each annual process since its inception. Before the establishment of the G20 Anti-corruption Working Group in 2010, for example, the B20–G20 dialogue was the main way for the B20 anti-corruption workstream to connect with the G20. The B20–G20 dialogue has taken on many different formats, but over the last years has become an annual platform for the B20 and G20 workstreams to present and inform each other on focus topics and the outcome of their policy discussions. Typically, this exchange happens after the policy papers have been finalised, a month or two before the Summits. This has not always been the chosen format. In 2013, for example, a G20–B20 Dialogue Efficiency Taskforce was set up, which assessed and rated the efficiency of previous B20 cycles and made recommendations on how the B20 can increase its impact at the G20 level. This setup led to active and consistent engagement between the B20 and G20 throughout this cycle, but has not since been replicated. If both the G20 and B20 sides are committed to working together more closely, as we heard again during this year’s dialogue, the B20–G20 dialogue should be the obvious platform to leverage. One dialogue is great, but two would be better While it’s an important achievement that this type of exchange between the B20 and G20 workstreams has become institutionalised, it does beg the question whether the current set-up best serves the process. Having only one dialogue per cycle doesn’t allow for constructive dialogue over time, or the identification of common areas of interest and potential for collaboration through each G20/B20 cycle. Under the current modus operandi, each B20–G20 dialogue is a one-off event for each presidency. The next cycle will bring together a different B20 Secretariat, a new G20 ACWG Chairperson, and new focus topics and recommendations to present and discuss. This setup makes it difficult to build strong working relationships and facilitate ongoing exchange and alignment between the B20 and G20 anti-corruption workstreams. Setting up a two-part B20–G20 dialogue for each cycle could be an easy way to strengthen and reinvigorate the dialogue. It would make it a more constructive and impactful engagement format without adding new bureaucratic structures. Considering the timing of the dialogues can also be an effective tool to increase its potential impact. For example, a good time for the first dialogue could be between the first and second iterations of the draft policy papers. That gives both the G20 and B20 workstreams enough time to internally build consensus. It allows for a productive discussion between the workstreams in the early stages of the process, where alignment is still possible. If the second dialogue remains in the same format and timing as currently, it can continue as an important exchange platform on the core policy recommendations that are being developed each year. But it would have the added benefit of being able to build and reflect on the first dialogue and outcomes as well. This approach would allow both the G20 and B20 processes to identify areas for collaboration throughout the process and to assess engagement and alignment throughout each cycle. How the OECD and other international organisations can help International organisations that work and support both the G20 and B20 processes could take on more of an active role. They could help identify areas for collaboration and facilitate those discussions on an ongoing basis to help break down silos and bridge communication gaps. The OECD has played a particularly important role in supporting the G20/B20 process since its inception. It has even been described as taking on some unofficial Secretariat duties within the G20/B20 process. This positions the OECD well to facilitate more impactful collaboration between the G20/B20 process. Leveraging existing resources and knowledge Each G20/B20 presidency has the opportunity to put its own stamp on their process. But it also has the opportunity to benefit and learn from work done in previous cycles. For the Integrity and Compliance Taskforce, this includes B20-mandated resources such as the B20 Collective Action Hub. Developed and maintained by the Basel Institute on Governance, this free website offers resources and guidance for companies, governments and civil society interested in developing and engaging in anti-corruption Collective Action. The B20 Collective Action Hub also provides a repository of all B20 Integrity and Compliance Taskforce documents since its inception, plus analysis on the uptake of recommendations and impact of the process. In addition to existing resources, the consistently engaged members in the taskforces also have a lot of knowledge to bring to the table regarding what works and what doesn’t work so well. In the context of the anti-corruption work of the B20, engaged taskforce members have set up regular meetings to discuss how to better engage and support the process. In 2021, this informal group published some of the key lessons learned over the last couple of years. The way forward: Gradual improvements We don’t have to reinvent the wheel or add new processes to make the G20/B20 process more impactful. Sometimes a coordinated effort of minor tweaks can also have significant results. As we look from Indonesia to India, which will take over the presidency in 2023, we hope to see the core message from this year’s B20–G20 Integrity and Compliance dialogue – more collaboration and engagement between the G20 and B20 – translated into practice. A final word of thanks to the Indonesian B20 Integrity and Compliance Taskforce leadership from Gemma Aiolfi, Head of Collective Action and Compliance, at the Basel Institute: The Basel Institute on Governance was honoured to serve as Network Partner and Co-Chair of this year's B20 Integrity and Compliance Taskforce. I want to give a special thanks to the Taskforce leadership for their dedication to a process that built on engaging the taskforce members to work together to co-develop actionable and impactful policy recommendations. We very much hope to see these translated into action in the near future.
Stepping up global action for business integrity – takeaways from a CoSP 9 side event
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 Parties to discuss recent trends, challenges and shared experiences on how to strengthen integrity in global business practices. Held on Tuesday 14 December, the event brought together representatives from a mix of ministries, international organisations, businesses and – moderated by our Managing Director – non-state actors. By gathering together such a diverse group of stakeholders, the event itself illustrated the concept of Collective Action. Multi-stakeholder approaches to business integrity through Collective Action is something that Siemens AG has been promoting for many years, including through its funding of organisations such as UNODC, our own Collective Action team and many courageous civil society and business organisations around the world. The benefit of this joined up, collective approach was stressed by all panelists. Opening the event in a pre-recorded video statement, Dr. Andreas C. Hoffmann, General Counsel and Head of Legal and Compliance at Siemens, together with his colleagues Annette Kraus Chief Compliance Officer and Sabine Zindera Head of Collective Action & External Affairs , highlighted the importance of building sustainable Collective Action networks to enable fair market conditions. This is a message that Siemens lives up to not only by funding projects projects across the globe through the Siemens Integrity Initiative, but also by including Collective Action as a prevention tool in its compliance system. Mr El-Bagoury, CEO of Siemens Egypt, shared examples of how the company lives up to this in its day-to-day work. It consists of a combination of tangible Collective Action tools – in Egypt in the form of an Integrity Pact between Siemens and its respective business partners – and significant investment in building the capacity of the workforce, partners and intermediaries. Originally developed for a large infrastructure project to build the third-largest powerplant in the world, the model is now being replicated for a big mobility project in Egypt. Other panelists also highlighted the importance of education and training, within companies but also across society as a whole, in order to significantly shift the business environment towards a culture of integrity. This concept is at the heart of the work presented by UNODC which, over the past years and with support from Siemens, has reached over 7,000 students worldwide. The UNODC programme also makes an important contribution to mainstreaming integrity across all types of businesses, with its Collective Action project providing tailored support and training to small and medium-sized businesses. This need to reach out to all types of businesses was strongly supported by H.E. Mr. Wagner de Campos Rosário, Minister of the Office of the Comptroller General, Brazil. Sharing some of the lessons learned by the Brazilian government from the Lava Jato/Odebrecht case, he underscored the importance of regulating state-owned enterprises SOEs similarly to the rules applicable to privately owned enterprises. He also emphasised the need to invest in the development of SOE compliance systems, as SOEs form an integral part of the business environment in many countries. The value of constantly reviewing and, if needed, amending the applicable regulatory framework was supported by the representatives from the Egyptian Ministry for Electricity and Renewable Energy. As part of Egypt’s desire to open up the country’s energy sector while also ensuring transparency and fair competition, significant efforts were made to strategically amend and develop relevant laws, reduce red tape by establishing e-platforms, and set up accountability mechanisms. Ms. Shirazi, Head of Legal at construction company Orascom, the first Egyptian multinational corporation, agreed that a clear regulatory framework is important. This is because when the rules are clear, companies like Orascom can focus on embracing business integrity and compliance as an asset and not a cost. When openly declared and unequivocally supported from the top, ethics and integrity are a protective shield for companies, even in high-risk sectors. These “soft factors” are extremely important, and should also include harnessing business integrity as a currency to build trust with other stakeholders. Pedro Gomez Pensado, the Head of the World Economic Forum’s WEF ’s Partnering against Corruption Initiative PACI , confirmed that he observed similar trends in the WEF community as previous panelists have noted. In particular, he stressed the increased emphasis of the next generation on integrity and broader environmental, social and governance ESG topics. Gomez Pensado expects this to have a significant impact on the labour market of tomorrow, where a company’s commitment to integrity is increasingly seen as a decisive factor in employment decisions taken by young entrants to the labour force. This momentum is likely to be bolstered by a growing recognition that ESG is about more than “just” the environment. Indeed. strong ESG momentum will inevitably shift its emphasis on establishing a culture of integrity as a foundation for all other ESG requirements. New technologies such as artificial intelligence and blockchain bring new opportunities but also potential ethical risks. Companies and governments should get ahead of this development. Overall, panelists agreed that business integrity was a fast-developing concept, and that rapid progress has been made in recent years. To wrap up, the panel moderator Gretta Fenner, Managing Director of the Basel Institute on Governance, noted that the discussion was almost a recipe for how business integrity can and will work: through a joined-up effort tackling corruption at every level and from every angle, bringing together culture and laws, spanning the smallest and largest enterprises, uniting competitiveness and integrity, and building on awareness, understanding and trust. Or, in two words: Collective Action. Find out more about Collective Action for business integrity on the B20 Collective Action Hub.
Basel Institute to continue B20 engagement as B20 Saudi Arabia Integrity & Compliance Taskforce Network Partner in 2020
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 International Chamber of Commerce, Business at OECD and others, we will be able to further intensify our support to the B20 process. B20 Saudi Arabia has announced that the taskforces will follow an inclusive and collaborative approach with the goal of reaching impactful and differentiated policy recommendations. This is welcome, as over the years of our engagement with the B20, we have found that where the B20 process allows for meaningful consultation with stakeholders, the greater the chance that the recommendations reflect the needs and realities of businesses. It also increases ownership and the chances that the B20 recommendations will be implemented. In this year’s B20 cycle, the Institute will actively participate and share its expertise with the Integrity & Compliance Taskforce and engage with our partners and new stakeholders to disseminate its work and outcomes. As part of the same process in the past, the Institute for example facilitated work streams of the 2015 B20 Turkey Anti-Corruption Taskforce, which resulted in the joint development of an Anti-Corruption Toolkit for SMEs. More recently, the Institute contributed to the B20 Argentina Integrity & Compliance Taskforce’s recommendations in 2018, which included a call to promote Collective Action among state-owned enterprises, governments, and the private sector. Since then, the Basel Institute is engaging in discussions at the OECD with multiple stakeholders on how to operationalise this recommendation. The Basel Institute encourages integrity and compliance experts from the widest possible range of companies to engage in the B20 process. More information on the priorities of the B20 Saudi Arabia in addition to Integrity & Compliance can be found on their website here. Update October 2020: Download the B20 Saudi Arabia Integrity and Compliance Policy Paper here.
Scarlet Wannenwetsch’s quick guide to the role of business in tackling illegal wildlife trade
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 trade in wildlife products to continue. Now, triggered in part by recent high-profile conferences and initiatives targeting IWT, there is greater and growing awareness of the need to involve the private sector in efforts to combat the illegal trade. Which industries are affected? The transport and financial industries are the most clearly affected. Illegal products such as elephant ivory, rhino horn and timber are usually trafficked via commercial land, sea and air transport services, and financial transactions take place via regulated financial services providers and the global banking system. However, other industries are involved too. e-commerce and social media sites can be exploited as illegal trading platforms, and logistics or warehousing companies can unwittingly facilitate the storage and shipping of illegal goods. IWT as a risk management issue Companies in these sectors are starting to perceive of IWT not just as a conservation issue, and therefore confined to corporate social responsibility departments, but in terms of the risks this illegal trade presents to their business. These risks are tightly intertwined with other risks, particularly corruption and security. Profits from wildlife crime that enter global financial markets are proceeds of crime, linked by default to other forms of financial crime such as money laundering and tax fraud. This leaves companies open to legal risks. Security is a major worry: if transport companies can be exploited through corruption or security loopholes to carry illegal wildlife products, what else might be stashed away in those dark lorries and containers? Reputational risks in this age of conscious consumerism are an additional, not insignificant category. This shift in approach has started to trigger systemic and sustainable change in businesses worldwide. Plus, it’s the law Private-sector efforts are being boosted by increasingly stronger laws and involvement of supervisory bodies. For example: The EU's 6th Anti Money Laundering Directive 6AMLD , which comes into effect in December 2020, makes environmental crimes a predicate offence to money laundering. The Financial Action Task Force FATF has announced that illegal wildlife trade is "one of the priorities under the Chinese Presidency" and has recently launched a project "to develop good practices in tackling the financial flows linked to illegal wildlife trade. This project will analyse common supply chains and payment methods, as well as case studies from countries that have experience in investigating the financial flows from illegal wildlife trade. It will also consider the role of public-private partnerships and international cooperation in combating this crime." These changes in the regulatory landscape evidence the shift from perceiving IWT as a conservation issue to recognising it as a serious transnational organised crime, with implications for both law enforcement and business. Multi-stakeholder initiatives – the solution? Current multi-stakeholder initiatives aimed specifically at tackling industry-specific IWT risks, such as the United for Wildlife Transport and Financial Taskforces and the ROUTES Partnership led by wildlife trade monitoring network TRAFFIC, show great promise to create a virtuous circle of engagement and action. But they face some major hurdles. Challenges include getting all relevant stakeholders around the table and building a strong business case for engagement that takes into account companies' specific risks and needs. Companies want data A basic but major identified need is for more reliable, targeted and actionable information and intelligence on IWT, to enable companies to take informed internal measures, co-develop industry guidelines and effect real systems change. This can best be achieved through mechanisms that allow all stakeholders to pool information and resources in pursuit of their common goals. The chance to share and benefit from valuable intelligence that enables businesses to strengthen their resilience against IWT, along with other forms of trafficking and financial crime, represent a powerful argument for companies to engage in multi-stakeholder initiatives against IWT. Such an approach will also generate a sustainable and long-term engagement by the private sector. The answer: Collective Action? The challenges faced by multi-stakeholder initiatives focused on IWT echo some of the challenges addressed over the years by Collective Action initiatives focused on tackling shared corruption challenges. This similarity, as well as the strong links between corruption and IWT, means that practitioners can benefit from lessons learned from anti-corruption Collective Action initiatives and do not need to reinvent the wheel. Which is good, because there's still a long way to go and we'll need some fast wheels if we want to overtake the traffickers before any more endangered species go extinct. More information Read the full Working Paper 32 on Private-sector engagement in the fight against illegal wildlife trade. Find out more about the Basel Institute's programme to combat financial crime in the illegal wildlife trade. Download a PDF of this quick guide.
No time like the present for anti-corruption Collective Action in Malawi
There's no time like the present for anti-corruption Collective Action in Malawi, as the country gears up to review and update its National Anti-Corruption Strategy. Malawi, also known as the warm heart of Africa, is famous for its open and welcoming people and of course for one of the most spectacular lakes in the world, but it is also a county that has been shaken-up by massive corruption scandals in the past decade that have left their mark. To this day Malawi is recovering from the fall-out of such a corruption scandal, known as cash-gate, which became public in 2013 and saw the misuse of an electronic payment system to divert over USD 250 million in public funds which were paid out to companies through an elaborate web of sham public contacts for products and services that were never rendered. The payouts were done in scenes reminiscent of an action-movie with cars being loaded up with cash in the streets behind banks and driven off into the sunset. Cash-gate has dramatically shaped the country, this becomes clear even at the first glance when you drive into the capital city of Lilongwe, where you are greeted by a hill overlooking the city built up with luxury villas dubbed by locals as “cash-gate hill”. In the years following the scandal, a huge effort has been made to bring those responsible to justice and recuperate the stolen assets, which can be a lengthy and extremely complex process. So, five years on, the National Anti-Corruption Bureau ACB is settings its sights on updating its National Anti-Corruption Strategy NACS to strengthen the preventative aspects of fighting corruption and reinvigorate the engagement of citizens and relevant stakeholders. The role of the private sector in fighting corruption – CoST Malawi: a Collective Action success story Despite the omnipresent effects of cash-gate it hasn’t all been doom and corruption gloom. There are also some encouraging examples of stakeholders coming together to tackle corruption, such as the Infrastructure Transparency Initiative Malawi CoST , which was set up in 2008. CoST Malawi is a private sector-driven Collective Action that works together with the public sector and civil society to build trust through increased transparency in public infrastructure projects, improving the quality of services and the efficient use of public funds. During the last six years, the Initiative had to manoeuvre a difficult political environment with at times little political will and support for their work and, in the wake of cash-gate, even threats to their supporters. But rather than closing shop, CoST Malawi developed some innovative tools to support their work by focusing on building a strong network with other stakeholders through their media and citizens engagement program. This involved setting up a citizen reporting channel to enable citizens to report any concerns relating to ongoing infrastructure projects via a toll-free number. Further public officials are given the opportunity to address these concerns and outline their proposed solutions on a public radio show. CoST Malawi has also engaged the local media through capacity building initiatives aimed at sensitising investigative journalist to corruption issues in the infrastructure sector as well as recognising important news pieces covering issues of transparency and corruption in the infrastructure sector at the annual CoST Malawi media award. In the last couple of years, the Initiative has also taken on the important role of representing the private sector voice on law reforms related to public procurement by giving their expert opinion and supporting the process towards a new procurement law that came into effect in late 2018. CoST Malawi is a great example of a private sector driven Collective Action initiative that has been able to achieve longevity and impact despite a difficult political climate through building strong networks with other stakeholder and maintaining a certain level of flexibility within their Initiative to adapt to changes in the political environment. Collective Action outlook At the end of February 2019, the Anti-Corruption Bureau concluded its final private sector consultation as part of the review process of the National Anti-Corruption Strategy which brought together representatives of the key industry sectors to discuss their perspective on corruption. The overwhelming message from the private sector has been that they are ready and willing to become a more active partner in fighting corruption and are sick of haemorrhaging money into a corrupt system. Highlighting, in particular, the need to develop and implement new and innovative tools such as Collective Action to achieve a more sustainable and strategic engagement of the private sector in the fight against corruption. So in conclusion, there really is no time like the present to establish a strategic anti-corruption Collective Action approach to strengthen the involvement of the private sector in the fight against corruption in Malawi. Further reading Learn more about Collective Action on the B20 Collective Action Hub.
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