23. July 2019

New Collective Action projects on Integrity Pacts and Certification Initiatives

Integrity Pacts around the world
Integrity Pacts around the world. (c) International Centre for Collective Action 2019

The International Centre for Collective Action (ICCA) has launched two projects to bolster the evidence base and business case for two different types of Collective Action initiatives: Integrity Pacts and Certification Initiatives.

With financial support from the KBA-NotaSys Integrity Fund, the projects involve analysis and sharing of lessons learned. Findings and new resources on Integrity Pacts and Certification Initiatives will be added to the ICCA’s B20 Collective Action Hub.

About Integrity Pacts and Certification Initiatives

Integrity Pacts and Certification Initiatives are different approaches to anti-corruption Collective Action that share a common feature: some form of external oversight or monitoring of anti-corruption common standards. 

  • Integrity Pacts are agreements between government procurement authorities and bidding companies that commit all parties to refrain from bribery, corruption or collusion and appoint a monitor to oversee the tender process. Find out more about Integrity Pacts on the B20 Collective Action Hub.
  • Certification Initiatives typically establish common anti-corruption policies and standards that all members must incorporate into their compliance management systems. They then require that initiative members obtain external assurance that they are sufficiently respecting these standards.

“The majority of Collective Action initiatives rely on voluntary commitments to anti-corruption standards without any oversight, but we are increasingly hearing a greater interest in moving towards Collective Action initiatives that have more teeth,” said Gemma Aiolfi, Head of Compliance, Corporate Governance and Collective Action at the Basel Institute on Governance.

“Integrity Pacts and Certification Initiatives are two different means to meet this end. We are grateful to the KBA-NotaSys Integrity Fund for their support to launch these new projects.”

About the KBA-NotaSys Integrity Fund

KBA-NotaSys AG is a Swiss company that is a global provider of high security printing solutions, including secure banknotes since 1952. It established the KBA-NotaSys Integrity Fund in 2017 to promote ethical behaviour, transparency and compliance in business and, in particular, in the securities and banknote printing industry.