[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":447},["ShallowReactive",2],{"scarlet-wannenwetsch":3,"team-authored-scarlet-wannenwetsch":32,"i-fluent:call-20-regular":439,"i-fluent:mail-20-regular":443,"i-heroicons:arrow-left-20-solid":445},[4],{"id":5,"status":6,"sort":7,"user_created":8,"date_created":9,"user_updated":8,"date_updated":10,"first_name":11,"last_name":12,"position":13,"phone":14,"email":15,"image":16,"cv":17,"category":18,"division":19,"location":20,"tags":21,"nid":23,"slug":24,"function":25,"country":26,"directorate":28,"hidden":30,"author":31},7,"published",27,"b0662e2a-864d-4888-a1b7-4342b7570b30","2022-08-23T19:51:45.000Z","2026-06-23T15:59:58.000Z","Scarlet","Wannenwetsch","Head, Collective Action","+41 61 205 56 75","scarlet.wannenwetsch@baselgovernance.org","3b51baba-037e-4032-a1ce-f02f08906ee8","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.\n\nShe 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.\n\nScarlet 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\u002F22, having previously acted as a network and knowledge partner.\n\nBetween 2021 and 2024, she lectured on the Master's programme in Anti-Corruption Compliance and Collective Action at the International Anti-Corruption Academy.\n\nPrior 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.\n\nShe 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.","Management","Collective Action","Basel HQ",[19,22],"Team","53","scarlet-wannenwetsch",null,[27],"Switzerland (HQ)",[29],"Business Integrity",false,293,{"publications":33,"news":293},[34,55,71,134,147,159,174,204,219,232,255,268,282],{"id":35,"title":36,"slug":37,"image":38,"type":39,"date_published":41,"publisher":42,"summary":25,"body":43,"area":25,"programme":25,"languages":44,"countries":46,"tags":47},2418,"Anti-corruption Collective Action in the G20\u002FB20 process: Charting progress 2020–2024","anti-corruption-collective-action-g20b20-process-charting-progress-2020-2024","7f5abe00-7eca-48f7-a600-067f05b7871a",[40],"Report","2025-08-29","Basel Institute on Governance","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\u002FG20 cycles. It is primarily intended for upcoming B20\u002FG20 presidencies, B20 Integrity & Compliance Task Force members and organisations engaging with the B20\u002FG20.\n\n### About this report\n\nYou may share or republish this report under a Creative Commons \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fcreativecommons.org\u002Flicenses\u002Fby-nc-nd\u002F4.0\u002Fdeed.en\">CC BY-NC-ND 4.0\u003C\u002Fa> licence.\n\nSuggested citation: Scarlet Wannenwetsch. 2025. 'Anti-corruption Collective Action in the G20\u002FB20 process: Charting progress 2020–2024.' Basel Institute on Governance.\n\nThe 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.",[45],"English",[],[48,52],{"tags_id":49},{"id":50,"name":51},982,"Anti-corruption",{"tags_id":53},{"id":54,"name":19},909,{"id":56,"title":57,"slug":58,"image":59,"type":60,"date_published":62,"publisher":42,"summary":25,"body":63,"area":25,"programme":25,"languages":64,"countries":65,"tags":66},2397,"Working Paper 56: Anti-corruption Collective Action: A typology for a new era","wp-56","f85696db-c15c-4ab1-becb-82429bfcbec8",[61],"Working Paper","2025-03-26","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.\n\nThis 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:\n\n\n- spark new impetus for engagement;\n- open the concept to new stakeholders, topics and environments; and\n- support existing initiatives in developing their long-term visions and aims.\n\n\nIn addition to supporting practitioners, updating the typology will also help strengthen the case for Collective Action as a normative corruption prevention practice.\n\n### About this report\n\nThe 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 \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fcreativecommons.org\u002Flicenses\u002Fby-nc-nd\u002F4.0\u002Fdeed.en\">BY-NC-ND 4.0\u003C\u002Fa> International Licence.\n\nThe 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.\n\nSuggested 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\u002Fpublications\u002Fwp-56.",[45],[],[67,69],{"tags_id":68},{"id":54,"name":19},{"tags_id":70},{"id":50,"name":51},{"id":72,"title":73,"slug":74,"image":75,"type":76,"date_published":78,"publisher":42,"summary":25,"body":79,"area":25,"programme":25,"languages":80,"countries":81,"tags":133},2280,"Engaging the private sector in Collective Action against corruption: A practical guide for anti-corruption agencies in Africa","engaging-private-sector-collective-action-against-corruption-practical-guide-anti","4e5c3e4d-e346-47c7-ae6c-6516f36c0abd",[77,40],"Guidelines","2024-11-06","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.\n\nThe 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”.\n\nAfrica 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.\n\nThese examples demonstrate how African governments proactively seek to tackle corruption and collaborate with the private sector.\n\nFrom the initiatives captured, three common strategic approaches can be identified to underpin effective and impactful engagement:\n\n\n- **Raising awareness,** guiding and working with the private sector to more effectively address corruption risks.\n- **Identifying and providing incentives** to companies investing in their compliance programmes.\n- **Demonstrating leadership** by actively participating in Collective Action and public-private partnerships.\n\n\nThis document is a follow-up of a \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fcollective-action.com\u002Fexplore\u002Fpublications\u002F2199\">practical global guide\u003C\u002Fa> published in July 2022 and was produced with the support of the Siemens Integrity Initiative.\n\nIt is freely shareable under a Creative Commons \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fcreativecommons.org\u002Flicenses\u002Fby-nc-nd\u002F4.0\u002F\">CC BY-NC-ND 4.0\u003C\u002Fa> licence. Please credit the Basel Institute on Governance.",[45],[82,85,88,91,94,97,100,103,106,109,112,115,118,121,124,127,130],{"countries_id":83},{"name":84},"Morocco",{"countries_id":86},{"name":87},"Ghana",{"countries_id":89},{"name":90},"Zambia",{"countries_id":92},{"name":93},"Malawi",{"countries_id":95},{"name":96},"Gabon",{"countries_id":98},{"name":99},"Mauritius",{"countries_id":101},{"name":102},"Mozambique",{"countries_id":104},{"name":105},"South Africa",{"countries_id":107},{"name":108},"Kenya",{"countries_id":110},{"name":111},"Cameroon",{"countries_id":113},{"name":114},"Namibia",{"countries_id":116},{"name":117},"Nigeria",{"countries_id":119},{"name":120},"Rwanda",{"countries_id":122},{"name":123},"Seychelles",{"countries_id":125},{"name":126},"Democratic Republic of Congo",{"countries_id":128},{"name":129},"Lesotho",{"countries_id":131},{"name":132},"Côte d'Ivoire",[],{"id":135,"title":136,"slug":137,"image":138,"type":139,"date_published":141,"publisher":142,"summary":25,"body":143,"area":25,"programme":25,"languages":144,"countries":145,"tags":146},2277,"The B20 Integrity and Compliance Recommendations: An International Framework for Action","b20-integrity-and-compliance-recommendations-international-framework-action","751df5c8-919b-48ae-8dc4-c1d209dba0fd",[140],"Article","2023-05-16","California Management Review","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.\n\nThe 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.\n\nThe 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.",[45],[],[],{"id":148,"title":149,"slug":150,"image":151,"type":152,"date_published":153,"publisher":154,"summary":25,"body":155,"area":25,"programme":25,"languages":156,"countries":157,"tags":158},2233,"InMagazine: Collective Action Conference and Mentoring Programme","inmagazine-collective-action-conference-and-mentoring-programme","2614ccac-3b4c-4b32-8b29-403d0d742dbc",[140],"2022-09-01","TEID Ethics & Reputation Society","This article by Scarlet Wannenwetsch appeared in the September issue of InMagazine, published by the TEID Ethics & Reputation Society.\n\nIt covers the 4th International Collective Action Conference in Basel, Switzerland, and the Basel Institute's Mentoring Programme for civil society\u002Fnon-profit organisations working together with the private sector to address corruption challenges.",[45],[],[],{"id":160,"title":161,"slug":162,"image":163,"type":164,"date_published":165,"publisher":42,"summary":25,"body":166,"area":25,"programme":25,"languages":167,"countries":168,"tags":169},2199,"Engaging the private sector in Collective Action against corruption","engaging-private-sector-collective-action-against-corruption","d1e59a3d-4f55-44c0-8202-0de5ff67f5ec",[77],"2022-06-16","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.\n\nIt explains how governments can engage with the private sector to prevent corruption in three ways:\n\n\n- **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.\n- **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.\n- **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.\n\n\nEach 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 \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.coe.int\u002Fen\u002Fweb\u002Fcorruption\u002Fncpa-network\">Network of Corruption Prevention Authorities (NCPA)\u003C\u002Fa>, 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 \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fsiemens.com\u002Fintegrity-initiative\">Siemens Integrity Initiative\u003C\u002Fa>.\n\nThe guidance will be updated on a regular basis to continue the discussion around government and private-sector engagement on issues of corruption. \n\nThis document is freely shareable under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License (\u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fcreativecommons.org\u002Flicenses\u002Fby-nc-nd\u002F4.0\u002F\">CC BY-NC-ND 4.0\u003C\u002Fa>). Please credit the Basel Institute on Governance and Network of Corruption Prevention Authorities (NCPA).",[45],[],[170],{"tags_id":171},{"id":172,"name":173},1373,"Corruption prevention",{"id":175,"title":176,"slug":177,"image":178,"type":179,"date_published":181,"publisher":42,"summary":25,"body":182,"area":25,"programme":25,"languages":183,"countries":184,"tags":191},1773,"Policy Brief 8: It takes a network to defeat a network – What Collective Action practitioners can learn from research into corrupt networks","policy-brief-8-it-takes-network-defeat-network-what-collective-action-practitioners","e139b149-ae15-42eb-a076-1dccd23e562f",[180],"Policy Brief","2021-12-14","This Policy Brief distils recommendations for \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fbaselgovernance.org\u002Fcollective-action\">Collective Action\u003C\u002Fa> practitioners based on empirical insights on certain forms of corruption involving private-sector actors.\n\n\u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fbaselgovernance.org\u002Fpublications\u002Finformal-networks-investment-east-africa\">Field research carried out in Tanzania and Uganda\u003C\u002Fa> 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.\n\nThis 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. \n\n## About this Policy Brief\n\nThis publication is part of the Basel Institute on Governance Policy Brief series, ISSN 2624-9669.\n\nIt 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.\n\nThe research underpinning this Policy Brief was funded by the \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Face.globalintegrity.org\u002F\">Global Integrity Anti-Corruption Evidence Programm\u003C\u002Fa>e, funded with UK Aid from the British people.",[45],[185,188],{"countries_id":186},{"name":187},"Tanzania",{"countries_id":189},{"name":190},"Uganda",[192,196,200,202],{"tags_id":193},{"id":194,"name":195},1309,"Informality",{"tags_id":197},{"id":198,"name":199},830,"Business integrity",{"tags_id":201},{"id":50,"name":51},{"tags_id":203},{"id":54,"name":19},{"id":205,"title":206,"slug":207,"image":208,"type":209,"date_published":210,"publisher":42,"summary":25,"body":211,"area":25,"programme":25,"languages":212,"countries":213,"tags":214},1818,"Working Paper 34: Local certification through Collective Action: an innovative approach to anti-corruption compliance and due diligence","working-paper-34-local-certification-through-collective-action-innovative-approach","5dd44698-4bf4-4948-9e55-99be6f25fb9d",[61],"2021-01-19","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.\n\n*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. \n\nThe paper explores:\n\n\n- Due diligence dilemmas faced by both SMEs and MNCs.\n- How local certification can help SMEs develop and demonstrate robust anti-corruption compliance procedures.\n- How a trusted certification programme can help alleviate due diligence on third parties by MNCs, using a risk-based approach.\n- Wider benefits, including raising standards of compliance across the board.\n- How a Collective Action approach boosts the potential of local certification to achieve these wins.\n- Special considerations and six practical recommendations for practitioners seeking to raise levels of anti-corruption compliance through a local certification scheme.\n\n\n### About this Working Paper\n\nThis paper is part of the Basel Institute on Governance Working Paper Series, \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.baselgovernance.org\u002Fpublications?type[]=255\">ISSN: 2624-9650\u003C\u002Fa>.\n\nThe paper was funded by the KBA-NotaSys Integrity Fund of Koenig & Bauer Banknote Solutions. It is part of the Basel Institute’s \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fbaselgovernance.org\u002Fb20-collective-action-hub\u002Fcertification\">local certification project\u003C\u002Fa>, which aims to support innovative approaches to anti-corruption compliance and due diligence through Collective Action. .\n\nThe 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.\n\nThis work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License (CC BY-NC-ND 4.0). \n\nCitation: 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.",[45],[],[215],{"tags_id":216},{"id":217,"name":218},1236,"Compliance",{"id":220,"title":221,"slug":222,"image":223,"type":224,"date_published":225,"publisher":42,"summary":25,"body":226,"area":25,"programme":25,"languages":227,"countries":228,"tags":229},1820,"The G20’s responsiveness to B20 anti-corruption recommendations 2010–2017. Part I: Baseline report","g20s-responsiveness-b20-anti-corruption-recommendations-2010-2017-part-i-baseline","377e6c2e-8e4a-4236-b4c1-7e76578bda36",[140,40],"2020-12-09","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?\n\nThis 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).\n\n### About this report\n\nThis report was funded by the \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fnew.siemens.com\u002Fglobal\u002Fen\u002Fcompany\u002Fsustainability\u002Fcompliance\u002Fcollective-action.html\">Siemens Integrity Initiative\u003C\u002Fa>, 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.",[45],[],[230],{"tags_id":231},{"id":50,"name":51},{"id":233,"title":234,"slug":235,"image":236,"type":237,"date_published":238,"publisher":42,"summary":25,"body":239,"area":25,"programme":25,"languages":240,"countries":241,"tags":242},1867,"Collective Action against illegal wildlife trade: Engaging freight forwarders and logistics providers","collective-action-against-illegal-wildlife-trade-engaging-freight-forwarders-and","49b99db7-8810-4cc5-bc1f-0f6af9f9e82c",[40],"2020-03-01","This report emerges from the Basel Institute's \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fbaselgovernance.org\u002Fnode\u002F665\">Green Corruption\u003C\u002Fa> 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).\n\nThe 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.\n\nThe 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.\n\nSection 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.\n\nSection 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.\n\nSection 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.\n\nSection 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.",[45],[],[243,247,251],{"tags_id":244},{"id":245,"name":246},973,"Corruption",{"tags_id":248},{"id":249,"name":250},1303,"Environment",{"tags_id":252},{"id":253,"name":254},859,"Corruption risks",{"id":256,"title":257,"slug":258,"image":259,"type":260,"date_published":261,"publisher":42,"summary":25,"body":262,"area":25,"programme":25,"languages":263,"countries":264,"tags":265},1873,"Working Paper 32: Private-sector engagement in the fight against illegal wildlife trade","working-paper-32-private-sector-engagement-fight-against-illegal-wildlife-trade","89845d62-4981-4ea2-9452-b1957b18d303",[61],"2019-12-20","This working paper explores efforts by and with private-sector organisations to combat the multibillion-dollar illegal wildlife trade (IWT) and\u002For strengthen their resistance to IWT risks, with a focus on the East Africa – Southeast Asia trading chain.\n\n### Executive summary\n\nThere is widespread and growing awareness of the need for greater involvement of the private sector in efforts to prevent IWT. The transport and financial industries are the most clearly affected: the illegal products 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. \n\nFor their part, companies 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.\n\nCurrent multi-stakeholder initiatives aimed specifically at tackling industry-specific IWT risks show great promise to create a virtuous circle of engagement and action, but are still in their infant stages. 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. At the moment, key industry sectors remain unrepresented and will therefore act as a weak link that wildlife traffickers can exploit. \n\nCompanies' levels of engagement in multi-stakeholder initiatives vary wildly and most are still unclear as to which departments and job functions are the most relevant in this sphere. Action is often ad-hoc and driven by individual \"champions\", and funding is neither adequate nor sustainable. \n\nLastly, there is clearly difficulty in moving from commitment to action, in other words for companies to not only sign commitments on paper but operationalise them. Clearer monitoring and evaluation mechanisms would help to increase accountability in this regard.\n\nA 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.\n\nThese challenges echo some of the challenges addressed over the years by Collective Action initiatives focused on tackling shared corruption challenges. \n\nThis 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.\n\n### About this Working Paper\n\nThis paper is part of the Basel Institute on Governance Working Paper Series, \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.baselgovernance.org\u002Fpublications?type[]=255\">ISSN: 2624-9650\u003C\u002Fa>.",[45],[],[266],{"tags_id":267},{"id":249,"name":250},{"id":269,"title":270,"slug":271,"image":272,"type":273,"date_published":275,"publisher":42,"summary":25,"body":276,"area":25,"programme":25,"languages":277,"countries":278,"tags":279},1880,"Quick Guide 12: The role of business in tackling illegal wildlife trade","quick-guide-12-role-business-tackling-illegal-wildlife-trade","8a6830cc-326c-43b3-b08a-4ad75195c27c",[274],"Quick Guide","2019-10-22","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.\n\nValuable 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.\n\nNow, 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.\n\nThis quick guide by Scarlet Wannenwetsch, Project Associate Anti-Corruption Collective Action, explores the role that businesses can play in tackling illegal wildlife trade.\n\n### About this Quick Guide\n\nThis work is licensed under a \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fcreativecommons.org\u002Flicenses\u002Fby-nc-nd\u002F4.0\u002F\">Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License\u003C\u002Fa>. It is part of the Basel Institute on Governance Quick Guide series, \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.baselgovernance.org\u002Fpublications?type=2428\">ISSN 2673-5229\u003C\u002Fa>.",[45],[],[280],{"tags_id":281},{"id":249,"name":250},{"id":283,"title":284,"slug":285,"image":25,"type":286,"date_published":287,"publisher":288,"summary":25,"body":289,"area":25,"programme":25,"languages":290,"countries":291,"tags":292},1999,"Promoting Private Sector Engagement in the Open Government Partnership","promoting-private-sector-engagement-open-government-partnership",[140],"2017-01-01","Open Government Partnership","There has been limited private sector engagement in OGP to date. This discussion paper commissioned by the \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.opengovpartnership.org\u002Fabout\u002Fabout-ogp\u002Fogp-support-unit\">OGP Support Unit\u003C\u002Fa> seeks to explain why this is so and suggests some options for promoting increased private sector engagement going forward.\n\n### History\u002FContext\n\nOGP’s policy and guidance documents take an ambivalent position towards the private sector as a stakeholder to engage, without acknowledging the private sector’s unique potential value. The private sector includes a diverse set of actors and an effective OGP engagement strategy must pay attention to different entry points and concerns of the private sector at various levels.\n\nTwo attempts at engaging the private sector – through OGP’s Networking Mechanism and the Private Sector Council – failed to gain traction, mostly because they focused on creating a “supply” of private sector expertise without facilitating the demand from governments and civil society. Among the many actors in the global governance and sustainability fields, OGP is poorly known by the private sector.\n\nArticulating clear value propositions regarding the mutual benefit of the private sector to open government\u002FOGP is critical to attracting private sector interest. ",[],[],[],[294,304,313,322,332,341,352,363,374,384,395,403,412,421,430],{"id":295,"title":296,"slug":297,"image":298,"type":299,"date":300,"body":301,"language":25,"tags":302,"translations":303},10503,"B20 Brazil rings in a new era for Collective Action","b20-brazil-rings-in-a-new-era-for-collective-action-2711","09dd2874-9359-4c37-841f-380c53260a07","Blog","2024-10-25","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.\n\nFostering Collective Action initiatives is one of three [policy recommendations of the B20 Integrity and Compliance Task Force](https:\u002F\u002Fb20brazil.org\u002Fintegrity-compliance). These were handed over to G20 leaders at the [B20 Summit](https:\u002F\u002Fb20brasil.org\u002Fthe-summit) in São Paulo on 25 October 2024.\n\nA 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](https:\u002F\u002Fcollective-action.com\u002F) – which itself has been selected as a B20 legacy project.\n\nSo what’s new and why does it matter?\n\n### Return of the Integrity & Compliance Task Force\n\n> \"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.\"\n> \n> – Scarlet Wannenwetsch, Senior Specialist, Collective Action\n\nThe 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.\n\nIt 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.\n\n### Responsible business, ethical leadership and Collective Action\n\nThe 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.\n\nThough anti-corruption Collective Action has been a reoccurring theme under the B20 over the past 12 years, this year we are pleased that:\n\n*   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.\n*   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”.\n*   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.\n*   The recommendation calls on governments to strengthen their own engagement in Collective Action, calling out [Integrity Pacts](https:\u002F\u002Fcollective-action.com\u002Fexplore\u002Fintegrity-pacts) and [High-Level Reporting Mechanisms](https:\u002F\u002Fcollective-action.com\u002Fexplore\u002Fhlrm) that help to protect public procurement from corruption and unfair practices.\n*   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.\n*   The [B20 Collective Action Hub](https:\u002F\u002Fcollective-action.com\u002F) 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.\n\n### Tracking support for Collective Action among G20 countries\n\n[](https:\u002F\u002Fbaselgovernance.org\u002Fsites\u002Fdefault\u002Ffiles\u002F2024-10\u002FKPI%20Number%20of%20G20%20countries%20engaging%20in%20at%20least%20one%2)\n\nThe 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.\n\nThe measurement is based on data from the B20 Collective Action Hub, which has a global [database](https:\u002F\u002Fcollective-action.com\u002Fexplore\u002Finitiatives) of Collective Action initiatives.\n\nCurrently, 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.\n\nThis 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.\n\n### Learn more\n\n*   Download the [2024 B20 Integrity & Compliance Policy Paper](https:\u002F\u002Fcollective-action.com\u002Fexplore\u002Fpublications\u002F2371)\n*   View the [panel discussion on day 2 of the B20 Summit in Brazil](https:\u002F\u002Fwww.youtube.com\u002Flive\u002FFIJTLVtq9vY?si=TV2QO0PaShcmqbn_&t=28746)\n*   Learn more about the [B20's work on integrity, compliance and Collective Action](https:\u002F\u002Fcollective-action.com\u002Fexplore\u002Fb20-g20)",[],[],{"id":305,"title":306,"slug":307,"image":308,"type":299,"date":309,"body":310,"language":25,"tags":311,"translations":312},10429,"FCPA Blog: Strong leadership breathes new life into B20 Integrity & Compliance Task Force","fcpa-blog-strong-leadership-breathes-new-life-into-b20-integrity-compliance-task-force-2598","5e6e9e50-d014-4914-952a-ca023c123b49","2024-01-29","_This blog was originally published on the FCPA Blog, which was discontinued in February 2024._\n\n2023 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.\n\nThe B20 Integrity & Compliance [Task Force](https:\u002F\u002Fcollective-action.com\u002Fexplore\u002Fb20-g20) 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. \n\nOn a more positive note, the [OECD Integrity Forum](https:\u002F\u002Fwww.oecd-events.org\u002Fgacif2023) and U.S.-led [Summit for Democracy](https:\u002F\u002Fwww.state.gov\u002Fsummit-for-democracy\u002F) discussions highlighted the private sector’s critical role in the fight against corruption, particularly in high-risk sectors such as infrastructure and energy. \n\n2023 also finished on a high note: For the first time, the UN Conference of the States Parties (CoSP) in Atlanta included a forum [dedicated](https:\u002F\u002Fbusinessintegrity.unodc.org\u002Fbip\u002Fen\u002Fevents\u002Fprivate-sector-forum.html) to business integrity. More than 500 companies supported a [call to action](https:\u002F\u002Funglobalcompact.org\u002Ftake-action\u002Faction\u002Fanti-corruption-call-to-action) on business integrity, which was presented to government delegates at the CoSP. \n\nUpon taking over the G20 Presidency in December, Brazil [announced](https:\u002F\u002Fb20brazil.org\u002Fintegrity-compliance) 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. \n\nAs the B20 [kicks off](https:\u002F\u002Fb20brazil.org\u002Fevent) 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.\n\n### Business integrity: the backbone of the wider business agenda\n\n2023 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.\n\nFueled by geopolitical tensions, corruption is evolving, and economic, social, and political systems are shifting alongside it. \n\n“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. \n\nActive 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. \n\n### The B20 Task Force at the forefront of efforts to advance business integrity\n\nAs 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. \n\nFor example, it was one of the first business groups to [recommend the introduction of public digital beneficial ownership registers](https:\u002F\u002Fcollective-action.com\u002Fexplore\u002Fb20-g20\u002Fb20-2018-argentina) 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. \n\nThe B20 also co-authored with the G20 a [guidance document](https:\u002F\u002Firp-cdn.multiscreensite.com\u002Fe0b6c17a\u002Ffiles\u002Fuploaded\u002FB20-G20%20Anti-corruptionToolkit%20for%20SMEs%202015.1.pdf) on Compliance for SMEs and worked on an [Anti-Corruption Technology Road Map](https:\u002F\u002Fbaselgovernance.org\u002Fsites\u002Fdefault\u002Ffiles\u002F2021-03\u002FB20-Integrity-Compliance-Policy-Paper-30092020.pdf) 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. \n\nThe 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](https:\u002F\u002Fbaselgovernance.org\u002Fsites\u002Fdefault\u002Ffiles\u002F2022-11\u002FB20%20I%20and%20C%20summary.pdf), as the Task Force noted across the past few B20 cycles.\n\nTransparency is also a key element for stakeholder engagement, which is increasingly part of the business integrity agenda.\n\n### The B20 is a community of practice not just a process \n\nOne 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. \n\nAs a group, we have also been proactive and vocal in the process to reinstate the Integrity & Compliance Task Force during the 2023\u002F24 Brazilian B20 Presidency. Members met regularly, despite having no official home in the B20.\n\nWe updated a [guidance document](https:\u002F\u002Fcollective-action.com\u002Fexplore\u002Fpublications\u002F1792) that captures a range of good practices and learnings for incoming B20 presidencies, such as:\n\n*   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.\n*   Ensuring consistency, continuity, and follow-up across G20\u002FB20 Presidencies, including by tracking progress.\n*   Enhancing governance in Task Force management.\n\nThis all reflects what makes the B20 anti-corruption workstream unique: the voice and historical knowledge of its community. \n\n### Looking forward\n\nThrough 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.\n\nUnder 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.\n\nTo 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](https:\u002F\u002Fcollective-action.com\u002Fexplore\u002Fb20-g20) and reach out to Robin Hodess, The B Team, [rh@bteam.org](mailto:rh@bteam.org).",[],[],{"id":314,"title":315,"slug":316,"image":317,"type":299,"date":318,"body":319,"language":25,"tags":320,"translations":321},10403,"Southern Africa’s fight against corruption needs Collective Action","southern-africas-fight-against-corruption-needs-collective-action-2534","07089d28-651a-45c7-be2d-00aebafeb24f","2023-11-12","A [high-level meeting](https:\u002F\u002Fwww.observer24.com.na\u002Fsadc-anti-corruption-workshop-kick-starts-in-swakopmund\u002F) 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.\n\nThe 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.\n\nSpeaking 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.\n\nTo 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](https:\u002F\u002Fcollective-action.com\u002Fexplore\u002Fpublications\u002F1773) – ones powerful enough to fight the corrupt networks that are holding back development in the region.\n\n### Appetite for engagement\n\nThe 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](https:\u002F\u002Fcollective-action.com\u002Fexplore\u002Fpublications\u002F2280) that was created by, with and for anti-corruption agencies in Africa.\n\nWe have also been training SADC corruption prevention officers on how to engage with the private sector through Collective Action approaches.\n\nOur 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.\n\n### Working towards building a community of practice\n\nTo sow the seeds for such a regional multi-stakeholder network, we launched the first [Southern African Anti-Corruption Collective Action Forum](https:\u002F\u002Fcollective-action.com\u002Fget-involved\u002Fevents\u002Fsouthern-africa-anti-corruption-collective-action-forum-2023\u002F#lg=1&slide=0) earlier this year in collaboration with the [Southern African Anti-Corruption Network](https:\u002F\u002Fwww.saacon.org\u002Fhome-0) (SAACoN) and [The Ethics Institute](https:\u002F\u002Fwww.tei.org.za\u002F). 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.\n\nThe event was also a chance to celebrate progress. CoST Uganda won our [Southern Africa Anti-Corruption Collective Action Award](https:\u002F\u002Fcollective-action.com\u002Fget-involved\u002Fevents\u002Fsouthern-africa-anti-corruption-collective-action-forum-2023\u002Fawards) for its outstanding achievements in tackling corruption and raising business integrity in the region.\n\n### What’s next?\n\nIn 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.\n\nGovernment 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.\n\nWe look forward to continuing our fruitful collaboration with the SADC Secretariat and wider partners to support anti-corruption Collective Action in the region.\n\nLearn more about our work on the [B20 Collective Action Hub](https:\u002F\u002Fcollective-action.com\u002F) and find inspiration in its global database of [initiatives](https:\u002F\u002Fcollective-action.com\u002Fexplore\u002Finitiatives).",[],[],{"id":323,"title":324,"slug":325,"image":326,"type":327,"date":328,"body":329,"language":25,"tags":330,"translations":331},10349,"Partnering against money laundering and corruption in South Africa and the subregion","partnering-against-money-laundering-and-corruption-in-south-africa-and-the-subregion-2408","c58bc04d-5de3-4289-a690-f0b785eaa6cb","News","2023-03-21","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?\n\nTo 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\".\n\nThe event took place on 21 February 2023 in hybrid format in Johannesburg, South Africa.\n\n### The role of business in addressing corruption\n\nThe 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:\n\n*   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.\n*   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.\n*   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.\n\n### Public-private initiatives to tackle illicit financial flows\n\nThe 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.\n\nPieter 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.\n\nLed 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.\n\n> \"The sooner we engage, connect and share information, the better.”\n> \n> – Pieter Alberts, South African Financial Intelligence Centre\n\n### Beyond the banking sector\n\nHowever, 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.\n\nSome 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.\n\n### An urgent need for action\n\nWith 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.\n\nWe look forward to continuing to support these initiatives and discussions with our regional partners.\n\n[Listen to the full recording](https:\u002F\u002Fwww.youtube.com\u002Fwatch?v=iyXezW0SuIk).\n\n[Read the full Call to Action](https:\u002F\u002Fbaselgovernance.org\u002Fsites\u002Fdefault\u002Ffiles\u002F2023-03\u002FAML%20event%20-%20Call%20to%20Action%20-%20210223.pdf).",[],[],{"id":333,"title":334,"slug":335,"image":336,"type":299,"date":337,"body":338,"language":25,"tags":339,"translations":340},10335,"Collective Action mentoring and peer learning to scale up in 2023","collective-action-mentoring-and-peer-learning-to-scale-up-in-2023-2351","23003a6e-b353-4901-8ff9-458bef5b7765","2023-02-15","_The future is looking bright for Collective Action as our community and_ [_Collective Action_ _Mentoring_ _Programme_](https:\u002F\u002Fcollective-action.com\u002Fget-involved\u002Fmentoring-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._\n\nWe 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.\n\n### 2023: a year of growth\n\nIn 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:\n\n*   [CoST Infrastructure Transparency Initiative chapter in Malawi](https:\u002F\u002Finfrastructuretransparency.org\u002Fwhere\u002Fcost-malawi\u002F)\n*   [Fight Against Facilitation Payments Initiative (FAFPI)](https:\u002F\u002Ffafpi.org\u002F)\n*   [Alliance Nationale des Consommateurs et de l’Environnement (ANCE Togo)](https:\u002F\u002Fwww.linkedin.com\u002Fcompany\u002Fong-ance-togo\u002F)\n*   [Transparency International Mauritius (TIM)](https:\u002F\u002Fwww.transparencymauritius.org\u002F)\n*   [Transparency International Sri Lanka](https:\u002F\u002Fwww.tisrilanka.org\u002F)\n\nWe also look forward to the new perspectives and approaches these organisations will bring to our quarterly Collective Action community discussions and meetings.\n\n### Stronger together in the fight against corruption\n\nThe 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.\n\nInitially, 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.\n\nThis 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](https:\u002F\u002Fcollective-action.com\u002Fget-involved\u002Fevents\u002Ficac-2022).\n\n### Building bridges and facilitating synergies\n\nShortly 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.\n\nNoah Arshinoff from the [Canadian Centre of Excellence for Anti-Corruption (CCEAC)](https:\u002F\u002Fcceac.ca\u002F) met with Aman Baptiste Ado from the [Réseau Ivoirien des Jeunes Leaders pour l'Intégrité (RIJLI)](https:\u002F\u002Fwww.facebook.com\u002FrijliAnticorruption\u002F). 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. \n\n### Looking ahead\n\nWe 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. \n\nWant to find out more about our Collective Action Mentoring Programme? Find it on the [B20 Collective Action Hub](https:\u002F\u002Fcollective-action.com\u002Fget-involved\u002Fmentoring-programme), our platform for information and engagement on anti-corruption Collective Action.\n\nKeen to keep up with our Collective Action community? [Subscribe](https:\u002F\u002Fbaselgovernance.us18.list-manage.com\u002Fsubscribe?u=533ed2a4eb1d84dcb5c4a06b6&id=bababc290a) to the Collective Action quarterly newsletter.\n\n_The Mentoring Programme is funded by the [Siemens Integrity Initiative](https:\u002F\u002Fnew.siemens.com\u002Fglobal\u002Fen\u002Fcompany\u002Fsustainability\u002Fcompliance\u002Fcollective-action.html)._",[],[],{"id":342,"title":343,"slug":344,"image":345,"type":299,"date":346,"body":347,"language":25,"tags":348,"translations":351},10304,"Improving B20–G20 engagement – insights from the Indonesian B20–G20 dialogue on Integrity and Compliance ","improving-b20g20-engagement-insights-from-the-indonesian-b20g20-dialogue-on-integrity-and-compliance-2280","248a9523-9102-44b4-882f-2a9f428a9842","2022-09-07","_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?_\n\n_Insights from Scarlet Wannenwetsch, who serves as Deputy Co-Chair of the B20 Indonesia Integrity and Compliance Taskforce. The Basel Institute on Governance has been honoured to support this year’s Taskforce as both_ [_Co-Chair and Network Partner_](https:\u002F\u002Fbaselgovernance.org\u002Fnews\u002Fbasel-institute-serve-co-chair-and-network-partner-b20-indonesia-integrity-and-compliance-task)_. For those unfamiliar with the B20–G20 process on integrity and anti-corruption, you can learn more on the_ [_B20 and anti-corruption_](https:\u002F\u002Fcollective-action.com\u002Fexplore\u002Fb20-g20\u002F) _resource pages on the B20 Collective Action Hub._\n\nThe [Indonesian presidency](https:\u002F\u002Fb20indonesia2022.org\u002F) of the 2022 G20\u002FB20 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.\n\nAnd 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](https:\u002F\u002Fcollective-action.com\u002Fexplore\u002Fb20-g20).\n\n### Integrity: a topic that transcends borders and stakeholders\n\nThe 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.\n\nThe 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.\n\nThis 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:\n\n> continue to push and leverage collaboration amongst business players and governments in the years to come.\n\nRolliansyah Soemirat, Chair of G20 Indonesia Anti-corruption Working Group, echoed this sentiment when he underscored the:\n\n> importance of having strong collaboration between all the sectors and stakeholders, namely business societies, youth, think tank communities and Ministries.\n\nThis, he said, is the way to increase integrity and reduce corruption effectively.\n\n### A strong endorsement of anti-corruption Collective Action\n\nWe 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.\n\nThe 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.\n\nLearn more about these and the other B20\u002FG20 anti-corruption priorities by watching the whole [B20-G20 dialogue on YouTube](https:\u002F\u002Fwww.youtube.com\u002Fwatch?v=avUJsyAXSaw&t=11148s).\n\n### Rotating presidency: strength or limitation?\n\nSo, 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.\n\nBut how can we achieve this when each new G20\u002FB20 presidency takes over the process and makes it their own?\n\nA 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.\n\nThis 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.\n\nThis 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.\n\n### Leveraging the B20–G20 dialogue platform\n\nHow 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.\n\nIt 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.\n\nThe 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](https:\u002F\u002Fwww.unodc.org\u002Funodc\u002Fen\u002Fcorruption\u002Fg20-anti-corruption-resources\u002Fby-presidency.html#Canada), for example, the B20–G20 dialogue was the main way for the B20 anti-corruption workstream to connect with the G20.\n\nThe 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.\n\nThis 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.\n\nIf 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.\n\n### One dialogue is great, but two would be better\n\nWhile 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.\n\nHaving 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\u002FB20 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.\n\nThis setup makes it difficult to build strong working relationships and facilitate ongoing exchange and alignment between the B20 and G20 anti-corruption workstreams.\n\nSetting 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.\n\nConsidering 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. \n\nIf 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.\n\nThis 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.\n\n### How the OECD and other international organisations can help\n\nInternational 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.\n\nThe OECD has played a particularly important role in supporting the G20\u002FB20 process since its inception. It has even been described as taking on some unofficial Secretariat duties within the G20\u002FB20 process. This positions the OECD well to facilitate more impactful collaboration between the G20\u002FB20 process. \n\n### Leveraging existing resources and knowledge\n\nEach G20\u002FB20 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.\n\nFor the Integrity and Compliance Taskforce, this includes B20-mandated resources such as the [B20 Collective Action Hub](https:\u002F\u002Fcollective-action.com\u002F). 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.\n\nThe B20 Collective Action Hub also provides a [repository](https:\u002F\u002Fcollective-action.com\u002Fexplore\u002Fb20-g20) of all B20 Integrity and Compliance Taskforce documents since its inception, plus [analysis](https:\u002F\u002Fbaselgovernance.org\u002Fpublications\u002Fg20s-responsiveness-b20-anti-corruption-recommendations-2010-2017-part-i-baseline) on the uptake of recommendations and impact of the process.\n\nIn 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.\n\nIn 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](https:\u002F\u002Fbaselgovernance.org\u002Fsites\u002Fdefault\u002Ffiles\u002F2021-09\u002FB20%20Integrity%20%26%20Compliance_key%20suggestions_two%20pager.pdf) over the last couple of years.\n\n### The way forward: Gradual improvements\n\nWe don’t have to reinvent the wheel or add new processes to make the G20\u002FB20 process more impactful. Sometimes a coordinated effort of minor tweaks can also have significant results.\n\nAs 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.\n\nA 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:\n\n> 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.",[349],{"tags_id":350},{"id":54,"name":19},[],{"id":353,"title":354,"slug":355,"image":356,"type":299,"date":357,"body":358,"language":25,"tags":359,"translations":362},9536,"Stepping up global action for business integrity – takeaways from a CoSP  9 side event","stepping-up-global-action-for-business-integrity-takeaways-from-a-cosp-9-side-event-2152","4eaf1358-5c0b-4505-8128-27ff22f60411","2021-12-23","_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._\n\nThe United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), in collaboration with Siemens AG, organised a [side event](https:\u002F\u002Fwww.unodc.org\u002Fdocuments\u002Ftreaties\u002FUNCAC\u002FCOSP\u002Fsession9\u002Fspecial-events\u002F14_Stepping_up_Global_Action.pdf) 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.\n\nHeld 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.\n\nMulti-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](https:\u002F\u002Fbaselgovernance.org\u002Fcollective-action) and many courageous civil society and business organisations around the world.\n\nThe 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.\n\nThis is a message that Siemens lives up to not only by funding projects projects across the globe through the [Siemens Integrity Initiative](https:\u002F\u002Fnew.siemens.com\u002Fglobal\u002Fen\u002Fcompany\u002Fsustainability\u002Fcompliance\u002Fcollective-action.html), but also by including Collective Action as a prevention tool in its compliance system.\n\nMr 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.\n\nOther 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.\n\nThis 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\u002FOdebrecht 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.\n\nThe 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.\n\nMs. 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.\n\nPedro Gomez Pensado, the Head of the World Economic Forum’s (WEF)’s [Partnering against Corruption Initiative](https:\u002F\u002Fwww.weforum.org\u002Fcommunities\u002Fpartnering-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.\n\nThis 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.\n\nOverall, panelists agreed that business integrity was a fast-developing concept, and that rapid progress has been made in recent years.\n\nTo 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.\n\nFind out more about Collective Action for business integrity on the [B20 Collective Action Hub](https:\u002F\u002Fbaselgovernance.org\u002Fb20-collective-action-hub).",[360],{"tags_id":361},{"id":198,"name":199},[],{"id":364,"title":365,"slug":366,"image":367,"type":327,"date":368,"body":369,"language":25,"tags":370,"translations":373},9795,"Basel Institute to continue B20 engagement as B20 Saudi Arabia Integrity & Compliance Taskforce Network Partner in 2020","basel-institute-to-continue-b20-engagement-as-b20-saudi-arabia-integrity-compliance-taskforce-network-partner-in-2020-1023","24cb9560-4d5b-414a-85c3-fc6b1dfd0352","2019-11-12","The B20 – or Business 20 – is an engagement group that brings the voice of the business community to the G20 process.  The G20\u002FB20 presidency rotates on an annual basis with Saudi Arabia succeeding Japan in this role in December.\n\nWe 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. \n\nB20 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.\n\nIn 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](https:\u002F\u002Fwww.baselgovernance.org\u002Fsites\u002Fdefault\u002Ffiles\u002F2020-04\u002FB20-G20%20Anti-corruptionToolkit%20for%20SMEs%202015.1.pdf).  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.\n\nThe Basel Institute encourages integrity and compliance experts from the widest possible range of companies to engage in the B20 process.  \n\nMore information on the priorities of the B20 Saudi Arabia in addition to Integrity & Compliance can be found on their website [here](https:\u002F\u002Fwww.b20saudiarabia.org.sa\u002F).\n\nUpdate October 2020: [Download the B20 Saudi Arabia Integrity and Compliance Policy Paper here](https:\u002F\u002Fbaselgovernance.org\u002Fpublications\u002Fb20-saudi-arabia-integrity-and-compliance-policy-paper-2020).",[371],{"tags_id":372},{"id":54,"name":19},[],{"id":375,"title":376,"slug":377,"image":378,"type":299,"date":275,"body":379,"language":25,"tags":380,"translations":383},9796,"Scarlet Wannenwetsch’s quick guide to the role of business in tackling illegal wildlife trade","scarlet-wannenwetschs-quick-guide-to-the-role-of-business-in-tackling-illegal-wildlife-trade-1014","1ea0f630-0cbb-4b9d-aadd-ca26b63a8922","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. \n\nValuable 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. \n\nNow, 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.\n\n### Which industries are affected?\n\nThe 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. \n\nHowever, 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.\n\n### IWT as a risk management issue\n\nCompanies 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. \n\nThese risks are tightly intertwined with other risks, particularly corruption and security.\n\n*   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.\n*   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?\n*   Reputational risks in this age of conscious consumerism are an additional, not insignificant category.\n\nThis shift in approach has started to trigger systemic and sustainable change in businesses worldwide.\n\n### Plus, it’s the law\n\nPrivate-sector efforts are being boosted by increasingly stronger laws and involvement of supervisory bodies. For example:\n\n*   The EU's [6th Anti Money Laundering Directive](https:\u002F\u002Feur-lex.europa.eu\u002Flegal-content\u002FEN\u002FTXT\u002F?uri=uriserv:OJ.L_.2018.284.01.0022.01.ENG) (6AMLD), which comes into effect in December 2020, makes environmental crimes a predicate offence to money laundering.\n*   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](http:\u002F\u002Fwww.fatf-gafi.org\u002Fpublications\u002Ffatfgeneral\u002Fdocuments\u002Foutcomes-plenary-october-2019.html) \n>_\"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.\"_\n\nThese 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.\n\n### Multi-stakeholder initiatives – the solution?\n\nCurrent multi-stakeholder initiatives aimed specifically at tackling industry-specific IWT risks, such as the [United for Wildlife](https:\u002F\u002Fwww.unitedforwildlife.org\u002F) Transport and Financial Taskforces and the [ROUTES Partnership](https:\u002F\u002Froutespartnership.org\u002F) 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. \n\nChallenges 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.\n\n### Companies want data\n\nA 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. \n\nThis 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. \n\nSuch an approach will also generate a sustainable and long-term engagement by the private sector.\n\n### The answer: Collective Action?\n\nThe challenges faced by multi-stakeholder initiatives focused on IWT echo some of the challenges addressed over the years by [Collective Action initiatives](https:\u002F\u002Fcollective-action.com\u002Fexplore\u002Finitiatives) focused on tackling shared corruption challenges. \n\nThis 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. \n\nWhich 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.\n\n### More information\n\n*   Read the full [Working Paper 32 on Private-sector engagement in the fight against illegal wildlife trade](https:\u002F\u002Fcollective-action.com\u002Fexplore\u002Fpublications\u002F1873).\n*   Find out more about the Basel Institute's programme to combat [financial crime in the illegal wildlife trade](https:\u002F\u002Fwww.baselgovernance.org\u002Fillegal-wildlife-trade).\n*   [Download a PDF of this quick guide.](https:\u002F\u002Fwww.baselgovernance.org\u002Fsites\u002Fdefault\u002Ffiles\u002F2020-08\u002Fqg12_business_iwt.pdf)",[381],{"tags_id":382},{"id":249,"name":250},[],{"id":385,"title":386,"slug":387,"image":388,"type":299,"date":389,"body":390,"language":25,"tags":391,"translations":394},9872,"No time like the present for anti-corruption Collective Action in Malawi","no-time-like-the-present-for-anti-corruption-collective-action-in-malawi-869","5bd62ec6-2ef9-4e28-a480-bd09d713de7e","2019-04-04","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.\n\nMalawi, 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.\n\nTo 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. \n\nCash-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”.\n\nIn 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. \n\nSo, five years on, the [National Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB)](http:\u002F\u002Fwww.acbmw.org\u002F) 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. \n\n### The role of the private sector in fighting corruption – CoST Malawi: a Collective Action success story\n\nDespite 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)](\u002Fnode\u002F1497), which was set up in 2008.\n\nCoST 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. \n\nDuring 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. \n\nBut 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.  \n\nCoST 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. \n\nIn 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. \n\nCoST 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. \n\n### Collective Action outlook\n\nAt 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. \n\nHighlighting, 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. \n\nSo 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. \n\n### Further reading\n\n*   Learn more about Collective Action on the [B20 Collective Action Hub](\u002Fnode\u002F1095).",[392],{"tags_id":393},{"id":54,"name":19},[],{"id":396,"title":397,"slug":398,"image":25,"type":299,"date":399,"body":400,"language":25,"tags":401,"translations":402},9906,"The Integrity app: an innovative tool to support SMEs in sustainable compliance","the-integrity-app-an-innovative-tool-to-support-smes-in-sustainable-compliance-239","2018-12-20","Globally operating companies increasingly feel the pressure to ensure their compliance and integrity standards are maintained throughout their supply-chain. This has led to a transfer of pressure all the way down to the weakest link, the small and medium-sized businesses. As a result, many small and medium-sized business supplying large international companies are faced with unreasonable demands when it comes to their compliance programs that neither reflect their business environment nor their risk profile. How can global players move from demanding to supporting their supply-chain in developing a sustainable compliance program that fits their needs and risks? \n\n[TheIntegrityApp](https:\u002F\u002Fwww.theintegrityapp.com\u002F), which was launched by the [Alliance for Integrity](https:\u002F\u002Fwww.allianceforintegrity.org\u002F) at the beginning of 2017 tries to close this gap by providing a one-stop-shop online platform where companies can track their levels of compliance based on a questionnaire developed in line with international standards and receive an immediate status report and recommendations on how to improve. Further, the platform is a reliable source of information, provides tools, workshops, and webinars and even offers consultations and implementation support. In cooperation with the Brazilian Ministry for Transparency and Comptroller General of the Union (CGU), the Alliance for Integrity adapted TheIntegrityApp for the public sector. Changes include a self-assessment tailored to the specific needs of the public sector and a set of targeted tools and resources. The app has over 1300 users and is available in English, Portuguese and Spanish and Bahasa Indonesia. \n\nBy bringing together multinational companies with civil society the Alliance for Integrity not only contributes to lifting the level of compliance for small medium-sized businesses but also works towards a more transparent robust and reliable business environment overall, a win-win for all parties involved. \n\nThe Alliance for Integrity is a business-driven, multi-stakeholder initiative seeking to promote transparency and integrity in the economic system. To achieve this goal, it fosters collective action of all relevant actors from the private sector, the public sector, and civil society.\n\nThe Basel Institute on Governance works closely with the Alliance for Integrity on issues of anti-corruption Collective Action. The association is featured on the [B20 Collective Action Hub](\u002Fnode\u002F1421).\n\nThe [B20 Collective Action Hub](\u002Fnode\u002F1095) is a platform that facilitates policy dialogue and peer learning, has gathered data on over 120 Collective Action Initiatives and through a repository of publications and tools informs and builds knowledge on the topic of Collective Action.",[],[],{"id":404,"title":405,"slug":406,"image":407,"type":299,"date":408,"body":409,"language":25,"tags":410,"translations":411},9911,"To certify or not to certify?","to-certify-or-not-to-certify-243","e9cf0c1a-8ea5-4878-bfee-62cf2ab8f13d","2018-12-11","### What role can compliance certification play in anti-corruption Collective Action?\n\nThe discussion around the ISO 37001 standard, published late 2016, created something of a debate on the pros and cons of certifying companies’ compliance programs. And while many welcomed the introduction of a uniform international standard for the prevention and detection of bribes other familiar criticisms of certification remain. These include the cost, the burdensome internal processes, and of course the burning question at the end of it all: What difference will an ISO certification make in the eyes of law enforcement?  \n\nBut ISO37001 isn’t the only option and compliance certification more generally isn’t just for companies individually, it can, and is also being used as a tool for anti-corruption Collective Action Initiatives. As Armin Toifl an international expert on compliance standards remarked during a panel at the [Collective Action Conference](https:\u002F\u002Fwww.baselgovernance.org\u002Fcollective-action\u002Fevents\u002F2018-conference) in Basel this November:\n\n“Certification is not in competition with Collective Action but rather is a potential tool for Collective Action to strengthen the impact it can have.”\n\n### How can certification support the aims of anti-corruption Collective Action?\n\nThe essence of anti-corruption Collective Action lies in its collaborative and sustained process of cooperation between stakeholders that work towards curbing corruption and levelling the playing field between competitors. Certification can be a useful tool to further these aims particularly in the context of standard setting Collective Action Initiatives, where market players are involved in the design of common standards on anti-corruption, which they subsequently submit to voluntarily. \n\nOne major roadblock to achieving the aims of this type of Collective Action is overcoming the free rider problem. How can members be assured that the Initiative is not being misused by competitors as window-dressing or for marketing purposes, putting the reputation of the Initiative and of all its members at risk? Certification can push members to put their money where their mouth is and showcase their commitment to the common aims of the Initiative. Moving from an institutionalised dialogue between members to a certification process can be a big step and bringing along all the members can be difficult, especially if they are different sized companies.\n\n### An interesting Collective Action certification example from Ukraine\n\nThe [Ukrainian Network of Integrity and Compliance](https:\u002F\u002Funic.org.ua\u002Fen\u002F) (UNIC) is a network that aims to establish an alliance between like-minded companies operating in Ukraine that commit to conduct their business ethically. In Ukraine companies are faced with a challenging business environment, as Mr. Verkhniatsky, Managing Partner of COSA Intelligence Solutions and member of UNIC explains:\n\n“The Ukrainian companies are forced to 'clean up and keep clean' to be able to borrow money or attract investment from the international financial institutions. Today, low compliance risk is one of the most important investment criteria for any Ukrainian company.”  \n\nThe Initiative follows a two-tiered approach moving from self-assessment to certification.\n\n*   Initially, to become a member, the companies have to fill out a self-assessment questionnaire that is reviewed by a team of experts and the company commits to address any gaps identified in the process.\n*   As a member, the Initiative provides support and possibilities for companies to further develop their compliance program and exchange experiences.\n*   If a company considers that it has addressed the gaps identified in the self-assessment to a sufficient degree they have the opportunity to certify under the UNIC certification process.\n*   The certification follows the international standards such as ISO 37001, but has also been adapted to reflect the specifics of the Ukraine business environment. \n\nThe Network has a very diverse membership from micro companies, SMEs to MNE and certification is not be a viable option or a necessity for all companies and as such is conducted on a voluntary basis. The aim is not to require certification from all members but rather to offer certification as a tool to showcase their compliance commitment publicly to the customers, business partners and international investors. \n\nAnother example of a single industry-focused Initiative is the [Banknote Ethics Initiative](http:\u002F\u002Fwww.bnei.com\u002F) (BNEI). These companies have taken a different approach and make certification against industry standards a pre-requisite for membership, with time allowed for remediation and then admission to the group.\n\nOverall I think that certification can be an important element to incentivise the stakeholders, especially the private sector. It can also help to make the Collective Action Initiative more credible towards customers and the public, especially if the certification process is transparent and the results made available on the internet.\n\nOn the other hand, it is important to take account of the business realities, the stakeholder composition and the buy-in from the members when deciding on the best approach to develop a certification process so that it can support the aims of the anti-corruption Collective Action Initiative.",[],[],{"id":413,"title":414,"slug":415,"image":416,"type":299,"date":417,"body":418,"language":25,"tags":419,"translations":420},9977,"Introducing the Ukrainian Network of Integrity and Compliance as a new member of the B20 Collective Action Hub","introducing-the-ukrainian-network-of-integrity-and-compliance-as-a-new-member-of-the-b20-collective-action-hub-249","76f35ecd-1afb-4a7f-84ae-8aaa55734772","2018-01-19","_A private sector perspective on the importance of compliance and the benefits of pursuing a level playing field through Collective Action in Ukraine._\n\nUkrainian Network of Integrity and Compliance (UNIC)\n----------------------------------------------------\n\nAt the launch of the Ukrainian Network of Integrity and Compliance (UNIC) in October 2017, the Business Ombudsman of Ukraine, Algirdas Semeta, said that \"corruption remains a serious obstacle to economic growth in Ukraine. Transparency International ranks Ukraine 131st out of 176 in the Corruption Perception Index, which is why this network should help bring together leaders in the business community who understand how important transparency is in doing business and who are prepared to offer a role model to other companies.\"  \n\nUNIC was founded by the Ukrainian Business Ombudsman Council, with the support of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) and the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) to promote ethical business practices of companies operating in Ukraine. As of today, [50 companies](https:\u002F\u002Funic.org.ua\u002Fen\u002Fmembers\u002F) have signed the pledge of integrity, passed the self-declaration of compliance and business integrity, and have started working on enhancing their compliance culture.\n\nLeading by example, the member companies are sparking a debate on how to do business that extends beyond the membership. Companies that join the Network commit themselves to improving their integrity standards and audit their own levels of compliance on a regular basis monitored by UNIC-recognised certifiers. By instituting a strong compliance culture in the foundation of company’s operations, businesses will be able to counter corruption more effectively, lighten regulatory pressures, and ease access to credit and entries into foreign markets. Business-driven integrity can also be an important driving force to help improve Ukraine’s investment climate overall.\n\nThe importance of timing\n------------------------\n\nUNIC illustrates the importance of timing and a strong business case for getting a Collective Action off the ground\n\nThe strong business case that underpins the Network played a major role in attracting interest and engagement from the private sector in the lead up to the establishment of the initiative. As Pavlo Verkhniatsky, Managing Partner, COSA, remarks:\n\n“The Ukrainian companies are forced to 'clean up and keep clean' for the opportunity to borrow or attract investors from abroad. Today lack of so-called compliance risks is one of the most important investment criteria. And this, in fact, covers a wide variety of requirements such as the transparency of the organisational structure, finances and lack of involvement in corrupt practices. Another important factor is the desire of Ukrainian companies to work with their Western counterparts, which in turn means measuring up to their compliance programmes. Most US companies and other international companies conduct a due diligence of all their partners in foreign jurisdictions, including Ukraine.”   \n\nMr Verkhniatsky further elaborates on why the business case for an anti-corruption Collective Action in Ukraine is particularly strong at this point in time.\n\nWhile it is true that there is rising consumer interest in business being conducted ethically, it’s the market conditions and the shortage of domestic financing that is forcing the hands of many companies. The connection of domestic Ukrainian firms with international companies that have compliance deeply embedded in their company’s structure and identity is also having an effect on the business mindset. \n\nShifting the cost-benefit analysis of compliance\n------------------------------------------------\n\nThe commonly held belief that compliance is too expensive and not financially viable no longer holds true for most companies in Ukraine. Yet Compliance is only slowly being treated as a sound investment and not simply a costly burden.\n\nWhile it is encouraging to see that compliance is coming to the forefront of business decisions, it is still a long way to transform this development into a shift in business culture. This is where member companies see the added value of Collective Action, to ensure that the changes go beyond lip-service and a piece of paper in a drawer. Companies need to be supported and held accountable for the commitments they make as a member of the UNIC.\n\nNext steps: expanding membership and impacting policy\n-----------------------------------------------------\n\nA business integrity network cannot be built in one day. As Ivan Sakal, Financial Director, Agrofusion, and the Head of the Executive Board of the UNIC notes:\n\n“As of now the UNIC covers 50 companies from 46 cities and around 60k employees, the key challenge is expanding the network seeding the business integrity in distant parts of our country. UNIC, in its turn, will support committed businesses to increase transparency, good governance, and healthy competition. Since its formation, UNIC started to work on strengthening the anti-corruption programmes of its member companies by providing systems, tools, policies, and best practices to help them”.\n\nSooner or later, UNIC should impact policy-making and guidelines on integrity and honest and transparent business conduct at the state level, as well as at the level of different organisations sharing the common interest in improving the business climate of the country.”\n\nAlthough the Network was only launched a couple of months ago, member companies can already share success stories in relation to customers welcoming the initiative and their interest in UNIC. Translating the theory of the business case into business reality is a promising step towards engaging more businesses and expanding the membership base. \n\nSupporting Collective Action Initiatives\n----------------------------------------\n\nThe International Centre for Collective Action has been a supporter throughout the conceptualisation and establishment of the UNIC and is pleased to continue to support the Initiative in its development through the [B20 Collective Action Hub.](\u002Fnode\u002F1095)",[],[],{"id":422,"title":423,"slug":424,"image":425,"type":299,"date":426,"body":427,"language":25,"tags":428,"translations":429},10002,"Germany’s anti-corruption law on healthcare professionals, one year on","germanys-anti-corruption-law-on-healthcare-professionals-one-year-on-253","0fe9eb3c-d1b6-4f3b-bf72-68e9bb85c2d1","2017-09-29","In June 2016 the Bundestag revised its anti-corruption law with the aim of closing a gap in the demand side of corruption in the healthcare sector. One year on, what has been the effect of this law in light of the German Pharma Industry’s Transparency Codex?\n\nWhat changed in the law?\n------------------------\n\nIn 2012 a ruling by the German Supreme Court held that doctors in private practice did not fall under the scope of application of public bribery provisions, since they could not be considered as public officials according to the law. This meant that no criminal liability arose for bribery offences by doctors in private practice.\n\nThe Supreme Court’s ruling had been subject to heavy criticism for creating a double standard that failed to close the door on corrupt business practices in the medical industry. The amendments to the law in July 2016 were enacted to address this issue.\n\nThe new Sections 299a and 299b of the Criminal Code aim to ensure that all medical practitioners are held to the same standards: Criminal liability applies to any member of the medical profession who demands, allows himself or herself to be promised or accepts a benefit for himself or herself or another as consideration for unfair preference in an internal or external competition by means of prescribing or acquiring medical equipment or medicaments or allocating patients. The briber is equally punishable under these provisions.\n\nThe effect of the new law for German private practitioners is that they may be criminally prosecuted in relation to any income related to their medical practice that was not earned through their expertise as a medical doctor.\n\nCriticism and opposition\n------------------------\n\nThe new law was heavily opposed for fear of opening the floodgates to lawsuits against individual doctors in witch-hunt scenarios fuelled by the uncertainty of where a legitimate business relationship between a doctor and pharmaceutical company begins and ends. Because of course, there are legitimate partnerships that are important for the sustainable development of medical care, and when transparently managed, they can be beneficial for all.\n\nThe Transparency Codex\n----------------------\n\nIn 2015 the German Association of Voluntary Self-regulation of the Pharmaceutical Industry (FSA) revised its [Transparency Codex](https:\u002F\u002Fwww.fsa-pharma.de\u002F) so that the monies paid by the pharma industry to doctors would be published on an annual basis. The FSA covers over 75% of the German pharma market, and in its 2016 report it put a number on the flow of funds from pharma companies to doctors for the very first time.\n\nThe 57 leading pharmaceutical companies in Germany disclosed that they paid some 575 million euros in 2015, and some 562 million euros in 2016 by 54 pharmaceutical companies. These sums were spent on doctors, hospitals, and other medical foundations, clinical studies, research, events, speeches and further education.\n\nThis Codex has created a source of data and a level of transparency that has been picked up by the media in Germany. The sums received by individual doctors have been particularly highlighted in some media reports as undermining trust in the medical profession, and even being evidence of potential corruption.   \n\nCollective Action\n-----------------\n\nThe revised law came into force some eight months ago and to date only four cases directly linked to the new provisions have been recorded. It might just be the calm before the storm that was anticipated by the critics, but so far the most tangible effect of is the uncertainty it creates for doctors in their collaborations with pharmaceutical companies.\n\nThe insight the FSA annual reports under the Codex give into payments made by the pharma industry to health professionals has neither reduced concerns about the ethics of such arrangements nor allayed the uncertainty for healthcare professionals about what they can and cannot accept from pharma companies.\n\nThe FSA appears to have recognised that it needs to step up its multi-stakeholder approach in an open, critical and constructive intensification of its efforts.\n\nCollective Action and self-regulation go hand-in-hand, it’s important that the FSA’s efforts ensure that the doctors and other beneficiaries of pharma money are clear about their obligations under the law, and that the pharma industry has robust policies and procedures in place to ensure that they do not overstep when dispensing their products and money.\n\nFor its part, the FSA’s disciplinary body will need to act swiftly to complaints raised under the Codex, to ensure that bright lines are established for all stakeholders sooner rather than later.",[],[],{"id":431,"title":432,"slug":433,"image":434,"type":299,"date":435,"body":436,"language":25,"tags":437,"translations":438},10007,"Rwanda’s “zero tolerance for corruption” set to continue, with bankers poised to play an important role","rwandas-zero-tolerance-for-corruption-set-to-continue-with-bankers-poised-to-play-an-important-role-255","976ec588-a42a-4246-a1ae-ed4708428640","2017-08-14","In early 2017 nearly 200 police officers implicated in an alleged graft scandal were dismissed from the Rwandan Police Force. This prompted President Kagame to reiterate the importance of fighting corruption in the run up to the election: \"All of you should stand up against corruption,\" he said. \"You cannot stay silent and expect others to hold those involved accountable.\"\n\nFollowing his re-election in August 2017, it’s unlikely that there will be any policy changes when it comes to tackling corruption, and for the private sector, the importance of actively preventing involvement in corruption has come to the forefront.\n\nThe particular role of bankers and the financial services sector in the preventative aspects of anti-corruption measures was highlighted in a recent training session in Kigali on preventing money-laundering organised by the Basel Institute on Governance and Rwanda’s Office of the Ombudsman, the national anti-corruption authority.\n\nThe training was part of a wider joint project that aims to increase the involvement of non–state actors in the fight against corruption. This intensive training session provided insights into the perception of corruption in the Rwandan banking sector as well as country specific risks and challenges.\n\nCorruption challenges in the Rwandan banking sector\n---------------------------------------------------\n\nIn order to tackle the misuse of the financial system through corrupt payments being laundered by white-collar crime networks, the bankers underscored the importance of establishing their own collective approaches to counter this type of criminal activity. The bankers were keen to establish closer working relationships within their sector to strengthen pro-active engagement that could prevent the misuse of the financial system, and thereby actively counter corruption.\n\nTypical money-laundering schemes in Rwanda were described as involving high-frequency, low-value transactions made to multiple financial institutions almost simultaneously. They often remain undetected due to the lack of any coordinated communication channels. In this context, the bankers discussed the role of the Financial Intelligence Unit and the importance of information sharing. \n\nAt the same time, the banks are under pressure to increase profits and this contributes to fierce competition. For many banks and their stakeholders, the idea of turning away a lucrative new client on the basis of compliance concerns is still often seen as an unacceptable competitive disadvantage. This is fostered by a lack of common anti-money laundering (AML) standards within the financial industry, limited awareness of best practices and thus an unlevel playing field. Despite the official \"zero tolerance\" for corruption policy, the bankers promoted a better understanding of the economic value of strong AML controls and the importance of preventing corruption and greater support by senior managers.\n\nThe role for greater engagement by universities and business schools to teach ethics and to help foster a culture of integrity through integrating compliance and anti-corruption modules into their programs was also identified as a way forward.\n\nOutlook\n-------\n\nThe bankers expressed their openness to new approaches to prevent and tackle money laundering and corruption. They see these as being based on improved information exchanges with regulators as well as through collective initiatives involving the banks themselves, such as compliance officers regularly meeting to exchange best practices in AML and other compliance challenges, and they see the [Wolfsberg Group](https:\u002F\u002Fwww.wolfsberg-principles.com\u002F) as providing an inspiring example.\n\nMany of the current challenges are regarded as being rooted in the need for improved awareness so partnering with educational institutions is also seen as a possible way forward. It goes to show that although Transparency International reports that Rwanda has one of the lowest corruption scores in Africa according to the Corruption Perceptions Index, the banking sector still recognises that it has an important role to play, particularly in identifying and addressing the more complex and hidden structures that enable corruption within the national financial system.",[],[],{"left":440,"top":440,"width":441,"height":441,"rotate":440,"vFlip":30,"hFlip":30,"body":442},0,20,"\u003Cpath fill=\"currentColor\" d=\"m6.987 2.066l-.717.216a3.5 3.5 0 0 0-2.454 2.854c-.297 2.068.367 4.486 1.968 7.259c1.597 2.766 3.355 4.548 5.29 5.328a3.5 3.5 0 0 0 3.715-.705l.542-.514a2 2 0 0 0 .247-2.623l-1.356-1.88a1.5 1.5 0 0 0-1.655-.556l-2.051.627l-.053.01c-.226.033-.748-.456-1.398-1.582c-.68-1.178-.82-1.867-.633-2.045l1.043-.973a2.5 2.5 0 0 0 .575-2.85l-.662-1.471a2 2 0 0 0-2.4-1.095m1.49 1.505l.66 1.471a1.5 1.5 0 0 1-.344 1.71l-1.046.974C7.078 8.36 7.3 9.442 8.2 11c.846 1.466 1.618 2.19 2.448 2.064l.124-.026l2.088-.637a.5.5 0 0 1 .552.185l1.356 1.88a1 1 0 0 1-.123 1.312l-.543.514a2.5 2.5 0 0 1-2.653.503c-1.698-.684-3.303-2.311-4.798-4.9C5.152 9.3 4.545 7.093 4.806 5.278a2.5 2.5 0 0 1 1.753-2.039l.717-.216a1 1 0 0 1 1.2.548\"\u002F>",{"left":440,"top":440,"width":441,"height":441,"rotate":440,"vFlip":30,"hFlip":30,"body":444},"\u003Cpath fill=\"currentColor\" d=\"M15.5 4A2.5 2.5 0 0 1 18 6.5v8a2.5 2.5 0 0 1-2.5 2.5h-11A2.5 2.5 0 0 1 2 14.5v-8A2.5 2.5 0 0 1 4.5 4zM17 7.961l-6.746 3.97a.5.5 0 0 1-.426.038l-.082-.038L3 7.963V14.5A1.5 1.5 0 0 0 4.5 16h11a1.5 1.5 0 0 0 1.5-1.5zM15.5 5h-11A1.5 1.5 0 0 0 3 6.5v.302l7 4.118l7-4.12v-.3A1.5 1.5 0 0 0 15.5 5\"\u002F>",{"left":440,"top":440,"width":441,"height":441,"rotate":440,"vFlip":30,"hFlip":30,"body":446},"\u003Cpath fill=\"currentColor\" fill-rule=\"evenodd\" d=\"M17 10a.75.75 0 0 1-.75.75H5.612l4.158 3.96a.75.75 0 1 1-1.04 1.08l-5.5-5.25a.75.75 0 0 1 0-1.08l5.5-5.25a.75.75 0 1 1 1.04 1.08L5.612 9.25H16.25A.75.75 0 0 1 17 10\" clip-rule=\"evenodd\"\u002F>",1782230771952]