States perceived to be highly corrupt are at the same time those with a poor human rights record. International institutions have therefore assumed a negative feedback loop between both social harms. They deplore that corruption undermines the enjoyment of human rights and, concomitantly, employ human rights as a normative framework to denounce and combat corruption. But the human rights-based approach has been criticized as vague and over-reaching.

This briefing paper from the World Economic Forum Meta-Council on the Illicit Economy is a call to action for private and public sectors to pay attention to the growing impact of illicit economy.

The Meta-Council sheds light into some areas of the illicit economy – human trafficking, counterfeit goods, illegal mining and metals and illicit financial flows – and highlights key recommendations and solutions to be taken to combat the impact of these illicit activities.

This report is a first-time overarching assessment of availability and suitability of International Financial Institute (IFI) Risk Mitigation instruments and has been compiled through a detailed questionnaire based feedback from more than 40 infrastructure investors with total assets under management exceeding USD 2 trillion, project developers and construction companies, global banking institutions, insurance and reinsurance companies, multilateral development banks and professional services firms.

The World Economic Forum, in collaboration with the OECD, the United Nations Office on Drugs & Crime (UNODC), Transparency International and the United Nations Global Compact, organized an Anti-Corruption Workshop on India in New Delhi on 12 April 2013.

Representatives of the signatory companies to the PACI Principles on Countering Bribery make up the PACI Task Force, which convened in New Delhi on 10-11 April 2013 to review the Task Force’s activities, share best practices and steer future initiatives of the group. Over two days, PACI Task Force members discussed a range of issues related to the theme of the meeting: risk assessment.

RESIST (Resisting Extortion and Solicitation in International Transactions) is designed as a training tool to provide practical guidance for company employees on how to prevent and/or respond to an inappropriate demand by a client, business partner or public authority in the most efficient and ethical way, recognizing that such a demand may be accompanied by a threat.

RESIST is intended primarily as a training tool to raise employee awareness on the risk of solicitation, including through frank discussion, and to propose practical ethical responses to dilemmas.

The World Economic Forum Partnering Against Corruption Initiative (PACI) and the Office of the President of Mongolia held a joint roundtable in Ulan Bator on 3 March 2011 as part of the Mongolia Economic Forum.

This report from the World Economic Forum focuses on the second phase of the Partnering Against Corruption Initiative (PACI) project to address the needs of the infrastructure and urban development industries.

The report provides a solutions-based framework, a deep-dive at the state level in India and a diagnostic tool that can be replicated and enhanced. In addition, the report includes proposals and policy recommendations on processes and strategies to enhance transparency in the project pilot state of Maharashtra, India.

See also:

Bribery and corruption exist across all industries, but the engineering, construction and real estate sectors are particularly at risk, given the size, complexity and strategic importance of infrastructure-related initiatives in both advanced and emerging economies.

Companies conducting business beyond their domestic markets face growing legal and reputation risks.

The Good Practice Guidelines on Conducting Third Party Due Diligence are meant as a practitioner’s guide to managing these risks and are intended for all types of businesses.