As part of a multi-disciplinary programme of work focused on intelligence-led action against financial crime in illegal wildlife trade (IWT), the Public Governance division of the Basel Institute on Governance is leading research and community engagement activities in East Africa.
Public governance experts and other practitioners are increasingly interested in the role of social norms and cultural codes in driving – or preventing – behaviour, including corrupt behaviour, and shaping the governance capacity of public and administrative bodies.
The Basel Institute is collaborating with Nestor Advisors on a project to advise on and provide support for the improvement of the compliance management system of the Société Tunisienne de l’Electricité et du Gaz (STEG), Tunisia’s state-owned gas and electricity production and distribution company.
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.
Our Annual Report 2019 highlights our achievements in the past year, but also looks forward to the future. It is a chance to reflect on how corruption and governance are changing around the world and how we are adapting to new challenges. It is also a chance to thank, once again, our partners and donors for their unwavering support.
Here is the foreword by Managing Director Gretta Fenner and President of the Board Mark Pieth.
As every year when the time comes to write the foreword for our Annual Report, we are filled with pride, gratitude and a sense of satisfaction. It is a privilege to work with passionate people, committed partners and supportive donors, and to work toward a goal that helps make this world a better place.
Oscar Solorzano, Senior Asset Recovery Specialist and Manager of the Basel Institute's regional office in Peru, emphasised that asset recovery should be elevated to a national priority in a high-level conference panel at the Ecuadorian Ministry of Foreign Affairs on 18 July 2019.
He was speaking alongside José Valencia, Ecuador's Minister of Foreign Affairs (centre), and Gonzalo Salvador, Coordinador General de Asesoría Jurídica, responsible for coordinating legal advice within the Ministry (right).
The trend among organisations with well-established anti-corruption compliance programmes is to integrate these into enterprise-wide risk management frameworks and set measurable indicators to ensure that their programmes remain fit for purpose. There is growing recognition that effective compliance contributes to a healthy business model and sustainable growth.
“Evolution to Revolution” was the theme of the year for the Basel Institute’s activities promoting Collective Action in 2018. Endorsement of anti-corruption Collective Action in 2018 by the B20 Argentina and UK Anti-Corruption Strategy supports growing acceptance of the concept as a useful tool to tackle bribery. Collective Action is gradually moving towards becoming a global norm.
As the initial phase of a four-year programme to strengthen Public Finance Management in Peru at a subnational level draws to a close, we are intensifying our efforts to consolidate the programme’s significant achievements and ensure their sustainability. Signed in 2015 by the Peruvian and Swiss governments, the four-year, USD 6 million programme is funded by the Swiss State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO).