[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":378},["ShallowReactive",2],{"news-holding-the-line-betsy-andersen-on-corruption-and-hope-in-uncertain-times-the-academy-bulletin-2865":3,"news-holding-the-line-betsy-andersen-on-corruption-and-hope-in-uncertain-times-the-academy-bulletin-2865-similar":137,"i-heroicons:arrow-left-20-solid":373},[4],{"id":5,"status":6,"date_created":7,"date_updated":8,"title":9,"type":10,"body":11,"date":12,"topic":13,"slug":15,"activity":16,"nid":19,"topics":20,"activities":21,"programme":22,"area":22,"websites":22,"language":23,"image":24,"translation_of":22,"countries":34,"tags":35,"authors":118,"images":134,"translations":135,"content":136},10580,"published","2025-11-17T11:01:41.000Z","2025-11-17T11:01:42.000Z","Holding the line: Betsy Andersen on corruption and hope in uncertain times (The Academy Bulletin)","Blog","_Corruption corrodes trust, weakens institutions, and undermines societies. Few people understand this better than our Executive Director Elizabeth Andersen. With more than two decades of experience advancing the rule of law around the world, Betsy brings a wealth of insight into why corruption matters and how to confront it._\n\n_In the fifth issue of the Bulletin of the [International Academy of Financial Crime Litigators](https:\u002F\u002Ffinancialcrimelitigators.org\u002F), Betsy is in conversation with the Bulletin’s co-editor Dr Maria Nizzero. She discusses what drew her to the Basel Institute, the challenges of sustaining anti-corruption momentum in a turbulent geopolitical climate, and why, despite the setbacks, she remains deeply optimistic about the fight ahead._\n\n_The interview is republished here with permission from the Academy._\n\n### Can you tell us a little bit more about yourself and what drew you to the Basel Institute on Governance?\n\nElizabeth Andersen: I’ve spent more than 20 years working to strengthen the rule of law globally, and one of the most pressing challenges we face is corruption. It undermines institutions, harms societies and erodes trust in government. The Basel Institute’s reputation for impact made it a compelling place to continue this work.\n\nWhat especially attracted me is its model: combining hands-on technical assistance with research and policy engagement. I was particularly drawn to the way in which the Basel Institute transforms lessons learnt from their very impactful technical assistance and case-based assistance on the ground into policy recommendations.\n\nThese recommendations contribute to global conversations and policymaking that can in turn deliver systemic change. This virtuous cycle of on-the-groundwork, learning and policy engagement was really very attractive to me as a terrific model.\n\n### You previously led the World Justice Project. What lessons are you bringing to Basel?\n\nEA: Both organisations share a commitment to data-driven, evidence-based solutions. At the World Justice Project, I saw how indices can be powerful diagnostic tools and motivators for change, as countries or jurisdictions work to strengthen their scores. They open the door for really important conversations on the path forward for change.\n\nI intend to carry this work forward to the Basel Institute, as I believe the [Basel AML Index](https:\u002F\u002Fbaselgovernance.org\u002Fbasel-aml-index) – our flagship tool for assessing risks of money laundering and related financial crimes at the country level – has the potential to achieve even more than what it is already doing.\n\nAnother key point these organisations have in common is the value they place on multi-stakeholder approaches. The rule of law isn’t just for lawyers and judges: it requires governments, businesses and civil society to work together.\n\nAt the Basel Institute, one of the ways in which we’re advancing that vision is through [Collective Action initiatives](https:\u002F\u002Fcollective-action.com\u002F). These bring together the private sector and other stakeholders – typically government and civil society – in sustained, collaborative efforts to overcome shared corruption challenges and raise standards of business integrity and fair competition. I look forward to building on the Basel Institute’s track record in convening such multi-stakeholder initiatives, so critical to combating corruption effectively.\n\n### From geopolitical shifts, to the threat of war, to tariffs, to climate change, with so many urgent global issues, how do you keep anti-corruption on the agenda?\n\nEA: This is something I have been thinking about a lot – in particular about the ways in which we need to frame, or reframe, the work that we do in terms of the policy priorities that prevail today. We have to link corruption to today’s top policy concerns, whether that’s defence spending, organised crime or the energy transition. There is an important corruption dimension to all of these contemporary priorities.\n\nBy highlighting that connection through research, we can make the case that anti-corruption work isn’t a distraction or unnecessary expense; it’s foundational and an investment in long-term success.\n\nIllicit financial flows are another critical issue. These are not victimless crimes, but ones that rob communities of resources. Especially at a time when development assistance is shrinking, asset recovery and international cooperation to return stolen funds are more urgent than ever. That has always been at the core of the Institute’s work, but it feels all more urgent now.\n\n### Some argue momentum on asset recovery is waning. Do you agree?\n\nEA: In fact, demand for our support in partner countries is growing. We have more demand than we can currently meet from governments asking us to help them develop capacity to investigate, prosecute and recover assets.\n\nWe’re also seeing governments adopt stronger legal tools, such as non-conviction based forfeiture and improved anti-money laundering frameworks. And international cooperation mechanisms are maturing, which gives me confidence that progress is possible.\n\nThere may be some fatigue, but there is also a growing awareness that asset recovery is not only a strategy for recovering stolen assets and obtaining much needed resources; it also acts as a deterrent and signals that organised crime will not pay.\n\nWe also find a lot of promise in the work of the [International Anti-Corruption Coordination Centre (IACCC)](https:\u002F\u002Fnationalcrimeagency.gov.uk\u002Fwhat-we-do\u002Fcrime-threats\u002Fbribery-corruption-and-sanctions-evasion\u002Finternational-anti-corruption-centre), the ongoing [Global Forum on Asset Recovery (GFAR) Action Series](https:\u002F\u002Fstar.worldbank.org\u002Fblog\u002Fglobal-forum-asset-recovery-gfar-action-series) and the [GlobE Network](https:\u002F\u002Fglobenetwork.unodc.org\u002F) – the Global Operational Network of Anti-Corruption Law Enforcement Authorities. This kind of international cooperation on anti-corruption and asset recovery is essential, and there are a lot of opportunities to enhance it through such initiatives.\n\nIn this context, UK Deputy Prime Minister David Lammy’s commitment to tackling illicit finance and the announcement of a summit next year on this topic are really important. The summit represents a great opportunity for financial centres in particular to re-energise and re-focus the fight against illicit finance.\n\n### How does the Basel Institute bridge the gap between international standards and local realities?\n\nEA: This is a really important question, and its answer is a legacy of Gretta Fenner, the Basel Institute’s Managing Director for many years who tragically passed away in 2024.\n\nI am proud to say that we never parachute in with a one-size-fits-all presentation. For example, each Basel Institute training on financial investigations and asset recovery is tailored to the local context – to reference the local laws, the local procedures, even the local evidence and context in which crime happens. And this training is typically followed up with mentoring by expert advisors who are often embedded directly with partner agencies in the country.\n\nThis high-touch approach is time intensive, but it’s the only way to ensure international standards translate into meaningful local practice, and this is something the Institute really excels in.\n\n### Funding challenges, especially rising from the new US administration’s decisions to cut USAID, have shaken civil society. How is the Basel Institute responding?\n\nEA: We’re incredibly fortunate to have a loyal group of donors who have sustained or even increased their support. We don’t take it for granted, however, so we’re also working to diversify funding, including by engaging the private sector. Many companies now recognise that good governance is essential to their bottom line.\n\nWe’ve also received generous support for education from individuals, such as scholarships for our new graduate-level anti-corruption and asset recovery courses with the University of Basel.\n\nInvesting in the next generation of leaders is something I’m particularly excited about. I really want to give a shout out to the International Academy of Financial Crime Litigators, which has through the Academy itself and a couple of generous members committed to fund two scholarships for talented professionals who would otherwise not be able to attend the course.\n\n### Talking about the private sector, what role does the private sector play in fighting corruption?\n\nEA: It’s a critical role. We’ve promoted Collective Action for decades, helping to establish initiatives like the Wolfsberg Group and the Metals Technology Initiative. On our B20 Collective Action Hub – a leading free resource centre on this approach – we’ve documented over 300 such initiatives.\n\nThis growing dataset allows us to identify what works when engaging the private sector in fighting corruption. It allows us to push beyond rhetoric or box-ticking towards initiatives that have meaningful impact.\n\n### Despite setbacks, what keeps you hopeful?\n\nEA: Above all, the people. My colleagues at the Institute, many recruited by my predecessor Gretta Fenner, are extraordinarily talented and committed. Our partners around the world often take up this cause at personal risk, which is deeply inspiring.\n\nAnd then there are the broader networks drawn from government, businesses, civil society, the media and ordinary citizens, standing up against corruption. When you see that collective energy, it’s impossible not to feel optimistic.\n\n### Finally, what research is the Basel Institute prioritising next?\n\nEA: We’re looking closely at how to strengthen legal tools while safeguarding human rights, for example, with a comparative study of non-conviction based forfeiture laws. We’re also exploring mechanisms to help ensure fines from foreign bribery cases can be used to support anti-corruption initiatives, including in communities that have been harmed by corruption.\n\nBoth areas aim to make anti-corruption and asset recovery frameworks not only more effective, but also more just.\n\n_The Academy's Bulletin has been established to transmit the work of Academy Fellows, draw attention to matters of importance to the legal community and provide high-level analysis of cutting-edge issues in global financial crime investigations and litigation. The Basel Institute on Governance acts as Secretariat to the Academy._","2025-11-17",[14],"","holding-the-line-betsy-andersen-on-corruption-and-hope-in-uncertain-times-the-academy-bulletin-2865",[17,18],"Insights","Partnerships",2865,[],[17,18],null,"English",{"id":25,"storage":26,"filename_disk":27,"filename_download":28,"title":9,"type":29,"created_on":7,"modified_on":7,"charset":22,"filesize":30,"width":31,"height":32,"duration":22,"embed":22,"description":22,"location":22,"tags":22,"metadata":33,"focal_point_x":22,"focal_point_y":22,"tus_id":22,"tus_data":22,"uploaded_on":7},"8c0785bd-c7a9-425b-a6ec-af2181682a5e","local","8c0785bd-c7a9-425b-a6ec-af2181682a5e.webp","tmp.webp","image\u002Fwebp",17970,800,533,{},[],[36,58,73,88,103],{"id":37,"news_id":38,"tags_id":55},5580,{"id":5,"status":6,"user_created":39,"date_created":7,"user_updated":39,"date_updated":8,"title":9,"type":10,"body":11,"image":25,"date":12,"topic":40,"slug":15,"activity":41,"nid":19,"topics":42,"activities":43,"programme":22,"area":22,"websites":22,"translation_of":22,"language":23,"countries":44,"tags":45,"authors":50,"images":52,"translations":53,"content":54},"03bebfd8-0b40-4a2a-820d-b9d9c13b9de6",[14],[17,18],[],[17,18],[],[37,46,47,48,49],5581,5582,5583,5632,[51],1359,[],[],[],{"id":56,"name":57},982,"Anti-corruption",{"id":46,"news_id":59,"tags_id":70},{"id":5,"status":6,"user_created":39,"date_created":7,"user_updated":39,"date_updated":8,"title":9,"type":10,"body":11,"image":25,"date":12,"topic":60,"slug":15,"activity":61,"nid":19,"topics":62,"activities":63,"programme":22,"area":22,"websites":22,"translation_of":22,"language":23,"countries":64,"tags":65,"authors":66,"images":67,"translations":68,"content":69},[14],[17,18],[],[17,18],[],[37,46,47,48,49],[51],[],[],[],{"id":71,"name":72},843,"Asset recovery",{"id":47,"news_id":74,"tags_id":85},{"id":5,"status":6,"user_created":39,"date_created":7,"user_updated":39,"date_updated":8,"title":9,"type":10,"body":11,"image":25,"date":12,"topic":75,"slug":15,"activity":76,"nid":19,"topics":77,"activities":78,"programme":22,"area":22,"websites":22,"translation_of":22,"language":23,"countries":79,"tags":80,"authors":81,"images":82,"translations":83,"content":84},[14],[17,18],[],[17,18],[],[37,46,47,48,49],[51],[],[],[],{"id":86,"name":87},909,"Collective Action",{"id":48,"news_id":89,"tags_id":100},{"id":5,"status":6,"user_created":39,"date_created":7,"user_updated":39,"date_updated":8,"title":9,"type":10,"body":11,"image":25,"date":12,"topic":90,"slug":15,"activity":91,"nid":19,"topics":92,"activities":93,"programme":22,"area":22,"websites":22,"translation_of":22,"language":23,"countries":94,"tags":95,"authors":96,"images":97,"translations":98,"content":99},[14],[17,18],[],[17,18],[],[37,46,47,48,49],[51],[],[],[],{"id":101,"name":102},867,"Financial crime",{"id":49,"news_id":104,"tags_id":115},{"id":5,"status":6,"user_created":39,"date_created":7,"user_updated":39,"date_updated":8,"title":9,"type":10,"body":11,"image":25,"date":12,"topic":105,"slug":15,"activity":106,"nid":19,"topics":107,"activities":108,"programme":22,"area":22,"websites":22,"translation_of":22,"language":23,"countries":109,"tags":110,"authors":111,"images":112,"translations":113,"content":114},[14],[17,18],[],[17,18],[],[37,46,47,48,49],[51],[],[],[],{"id":116,"name":117},1372,"Training",[119],{"id":51,"news_id":120,"authors_id":131},{"id":5,"status":6,"user_created":39,"date_created":7,"user_updated":39,"date_updated":8,"title":9,"type":10,"body":11,"image":25,"date":12,"topic":121,"slug":15,"activity":122,"nid":19,"topics":123,"activities":124,"programme":22,"area":22,"websites":22,"translation_of":22,"language":23,"countries":125,"tags":126,"authors":127,"images":128,"translations":129,"content":130},[14],[17,18],[],[17,18],[],[37,46,47,48,49],[51],[],[],[],{"id":132,"name":133,"position":22,"image":22},573,"Elizabeth Andersen",[],[],[],[138,176,200,225,252,277,298,329,352],{"id":139,"body":140,"status":6,"type":141,"date":142,"slug":143,"title":144,"image":145,"countries":146,"topic":147,"activity":150,"tags":153,"nid":162,"topics":163,"activities":165,"authors":166,"images":167,"websites":168,"area":22,"programme":22,"language":22,"translations":170,"translation_of":22,"user_created":39,"date_created":171,"user_updated":172,"date_updated":173,"content":174,"link":175},9567,"Released today, the 10th annual edition of the Basel AML Index raises grave questions about whether jurisdictions are serious about tackling their money laundering and terrorist financing (ML\u002FTF) risks, and what is holding them back.\n\nThe Basel AML Index is an independent annual ranking that assesses ML\u002FTF threats around the world and the capacity of jurisdictions’ anti-money laundering and counter financing of terrorism (AML\u002FCFT) measures to address their specific risks.\n\nThe average global money laundering risk score increased from 5.22 to 5.3 out of 10, as assessed across all 110 jurisdictions in the 2021 Public Edition of the Basel AML Index.\n\nEven among jurisdictions whose risk scores improved this year, none managed to improve by even one point out of 10. Half of improvements were 0.3 of a point or less.\n\nWhat is holding jurisdictions back from effectively tackling their ML\u002FTF risks and avoiding being the weak spot in regional and international financial systems? This year’s [Basel AML Index report](https:\u002F\u002Fbaselgovernance.org\u002Fsites\u002Fdefault\u002Ffiles\u002F2021-09\u002FBasel_AML_Index_2021_10th%20Edition.pdf) looks at four areas of AML\u002FCFT policy that urgently need more attention.\n\n### 1 – A strong response to threats from virtual assets\n\nThe use of virtual assets such as cryptocurrencies is exploding – for legitimate as well as illicit purposes. This year’s Basel AML Index report analyses data from the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) on how jurisdictions are responding to ML\u002FTF threats related to virtual assets.\n\nThe answer: not well at all. Most jurisdictions assessed or re-assessed in the last year have worsened their scores for technical compliance with FATF Recommendation 15 on virtual assets and virtual asset service providers. Average compliance levels have dropped by 10 percentage points globally.\n\n[Read the report to find out why](https:\u002F\u002Fbaselgovernance.org\u002Fsites\u002Fdefault\u002Ffiles\u002F2021-09\u002FBasel_AML_Index_2021_10th%20Edition.pdf).\n\n### 2 – Effective prevention, not just enforcement\n\nPrevious editions of the Basel AML Index have lamented that many jurisdictions have AML\u002FCFT systems that are mostly compliant with FATF technical recommendations but are ineffective in practice.\n\n[This year’s report](https:\u002F\u002Fbaselgovernance.org\u002Fsites\u002Fdefault\u002Ffiles\u002F2021-09\u002FBasel_AML_Index_2021_10th%20Edition.pdf) looks at the distinction between compliance with technical recommendations vs effective implementation. Does the problem prevail for both prevention _and_ enforcement?\n\nThe analysis reveals that:\n\n*   once again, jurisdictions score rather badly for effective implementation across the board;\n*   the discrepancy between technical compliance and effective implementation is even worse in relation to prevention.\n\nThese findings should ring an alarm bell for policy makers. Jurisdictions should invest more resources in the prevention of ML\u002FTF, without reducing resources for enforcement.\n\n### 3 - Beneficial ownership transparency\n\nBeneficial ownership transparency is directly related to the effectiveness of a jurisdiction’s AML systems and the essential role of these systems in preventing, detecting, prosecuting and sanctioning financial crimes.\n\nThe [Basel AML Index report](https:\u002F\u002Fbaselgovernance.org\u002Fsites\u002Fdefault\u002Ffiles\u002F2021-09\u002FBasel_AML_Index_2021_10th%20Edition.pdf) analyses the implementation of beneficial ownership registers around the world. It shows how slow and ineffective implementation of beneficial ownership transparency measures continues to provide safe havens for dirty money.\n\nThis is damaging for individual jurisdictions, but more importantly undermines all global efforts to combat money laundering.\n\n### 4 – Addressing ML\u002FTF vulnerabilities beyond the financial sector\n\nThe final issue highlighted by the Basel AML Index data analysis is the generally weak application of AML\u002FCFT preventive measures by lawyers, accountants, real estate agents and other designated non-financial businesses and professions non-financial entities (DNFBPs).\n\nThis means that there is a significant risk that such businesses and professions remain open to abuse by criminals and corrupt individuals wishing to launder their money. Moreover, there is increasing concern among regulators that:\n\n*   some DNFBPs are advising and assisting criminal clients with hiding and laundering illicit funds;\n*   as some high-profile cases have shown, accountants are used as intermediaries to avoid scrutiny.\n\nAt a minimum, more supervision over DNFBPs is urgently needed. Certain jurisdictions should also tighten their regulatory framework – and ensure that it is effectively enforced – over selected groups of DNFBPs in line with their risk exposure.\n\n### Regional deep dives\n\nFor a second year, the report offers profiles of money laundering risks in different regions. Our regional infographics show how jurisdictions score in relation to each other – and in too many cases let their neighbours down. \n\nPolicymakers should analyse their respective jurisdictions’ risks and make plans for serious reform. No jurisdiction is doing well. We call on all jurisdictions to step up their game.\n\n### See the report and website\n\n*   For a full results, analysis and interactive comparison tables, plus the opportunity to demo or subscribe to the Expert Edition, see our _new_ Basel AML Index website: [index.baselgovernance.org](https:\u002F\u002Findex.baselgovernance.org\u002F)\n*   [Download the press release](https:\u002F\u002Fbaselgovernance.org\u002Fsites\u002Fdefault\u002Ffiles\u002F2021-09\u002FBasel%20AML%20Index%202021%20press%20release%2013Sep2021.pdf)\n*   [Download the 2021 report (PDF)](https:\u002F\u002Fbaselgovernance.org\u002Fsites\u002Fdefault\u002Ffiles\u002F2021-09\u002FBasel_AML_Index_2021_10th%20Edition.pdf)","News","2021-09-13","basel-aml-index-2021-4-things-holding-back-the-global-fight-against-money-laundering-2087","Basel AML Index 2021: 4 things holding back the global fight against money laundering","https:\u002F\u002Fjam.baselgovernance.org\u002Fapi\u002Fassets\u002F21c506b0-bf87-4550-82b1-bed5abd4ea12?width=1000&height=650&format=webp&quality=80",[],[148,149],"Anti-Money Laundering","Asset Recovery",[151,152],"Basel AML Index","Media releases",[154,158],{"tags_id":155},{"id":156,"name":157},854,"Virtual assets",{"tags_id":159},{"id":160,"name":161},818,"Anti-money laundering",2087,[148,164],"Asset Recovery and Enforcement",[151,152],[],[],[169,151],"Main page",[],"2022-05-26T22:52:36.000Z","3d9ff205-1640-4f34-b5b6-86977f51bbd6","2026-05-29T22:21:43.000Z",[],"\u002Fresources\u002Fnews\u002Fbasel-aml-index-2021-4-things-holding-back-the-global-fight-against-money-laundering-2087",{"id":177,"body":178,"status":6,"type":10,"date":179,"slug":180,"title":181,"image":182,"countries":183,"topic":184,"activity":185,"tags":186,"nid":187,"topics":188,"activities":189,"authors":190,"images":193,"websites":194,"area":22,"programme":22,"language":22,"translations":195,"translation_of":22,"user_created":39,"date_created":196,"user_updated":172,"date_updated":197,"content":198,"link":199},10432,"_This blog was originally published on the FCPA Blog, which was discontinued in February 2024._\n\nHundreds of billions of dollars of Russian assets sit frozen in bank accounts, buildings, and harbors, thanks to the unprecedented financial sanctions rolled out since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine on February 2022. Understandably, states holding large quantities of Russian assets are under political pressure to permanently seize these and redirect the money to support Ukraine.\n\nBut political pressure and rule of law are different things, and permanently seizing those assets is not as easy as some make it sound. Hence the debate that is currently raging: should states be able to confiscate those assets purely on the basis that they have been sanctioned?\n\nA dangerous path\n\nOur recent working paper [_From Sanctions to Confiscation While Upholding the Rule of Law_](https:\u002F\u002Fbaselgovernance.org\u002Fpublications\u002Fwp-42) examines this debate in depth. It considers the justifiability and legality of new legislative mechanisms that allow a state to permanently seize an asset purely because its holder is under sanction. Canada has already included such a mechanism in its _Special Economic Measures Act_, though it is yet to be tested in court.\n\nIn brief, our analysis concludes that any mechanisms used to confiscate assets need to be in line with the rule of law. They must respect established legal rights and afford due process. If they do not, states open themselves up to legal challenges and the possibility of having confiscation orders overturned after years of wrangling in higher courts. \n\nA better way\n\nThe good news is that most states already have established pathways to target assets that are frozen under sanctions. \n\nIn the working paper, we highlight how both criminal and civil (non-conviction-based) forfeiture mechanisms can be used to target assets where they can be linked to offenses such as sanctions violations, money laundering, or organized crime. \n\nThe U.S. has long used civil forfeiture mechanisms to confiscate assets where it can be demonstrated to a civil standard of proof that the assets were derived from or used in criminal activity. Such mechanisms do not require a criminal conviction before they can be applied. This makes them a powerful option to target the assets of kleptocrats adept at sidestepping criminal prosecutions.\n\nAnother option to seize financially sanctioned assets would be unexplained wealth or [illicit enrichment legislation](https:\u002F\u002Flearn.baselgovernance.org\u002Fcourse\u002Fview.php?id=28). Since such laws reverse the burden of proof onto a person to demonstrate the lawful sources of their assets, states would not need to acquire evidence of criminal activity from potentially uncooperative jurisdictions.\n\nNot all countries, however, have non-conviction-based forfeiture or unexplained wealth mechanisms. Where they do, their scope varies widely, and international cooperation is a challenge. Introducing, applying, and cooperating in the context of these laws would go a long way to targeting those frozen assets. \n\nStrengthening systems\n\nBeyond maximizing the toolkit to target assets frozen under sanctions, states can also make smaller but necessary adjustments to maximize the potential of their laws.\n\nThese may include broadening the scope of relevant terms such as “property” or “money laundering” or ensuring that non-conviction-based forfeiture mechanisms apply to the widest possible definition of “unlawful conduct.” \n\nAs the U.S. [has done](https:\u002F\u002Fwww.congress.gov\u002Fbill\u002F117th-congress\u002Fhouse-bill\u002F2617\u002Ftext), states may also need to amend laws governing the end use of seized assets to permit them to be redirected to the victims of aggression rather than returned to the aggressor state from which they were stolen.\n\nBeyond legislation, states could improve domestic and international coordination by establishing specialist law enforcement task forces such as the [U.S. Task Force KleptoCapture](https:\u002F\u002Fwww.justice.gov\u002Fopa\u002Fpr\u002Fattorney-general-merrick-b-garland-announces-launch-task-force-kleptocapture) and the [Russian Elites, Proxies, and Oligarchs Task Force](https:\u002F\u002Fhome.treasury.gov\u002Fnews\u002Fpress-releases\u002Fjy0839). And as anti-corruption advocates have argued for many years, allocating adequate resources to these efforts so that they can actually be effective is fundamental.\n\nBolstering defenses against kleptocracy\n\nStrengthening and applying established asset recovery mechanisms will not only increase the chances of successfully seizing assets in the long run. It will also uphold the rule of law that the Ukrainians are fighting for.\n\nBeyond that, concerted efforts to strengthen asset recovery mechanisms and cooperation will aid in the broader fight against corruption and related financial crimes.\n\nCorruption is a national security issue and a global security imperative. Stopping corruption is key to stopping kleptocracies from gaining illegitimate power and influence – and, as we have sadly seen, using that to launch illegal wars and to corrupt the rules-based order.","2023-02-27","fcpa-blog-how-seizing-sanctioned-assets-can-strengthen-the-rule-of-law-2600","FCPA Blog: How seizing sanctioned assets can strengthen the rule of law","\u002Fpics\u002Fimg-placeholder.png",[],[149],[14],[],2600,[164],[],[191,192],1025,1026,[],[169],[],"2024-03-19T11:01:35.000Z","2026-05-29T22:22:29.000Z",[],"\u002Fresources\u002Fnews\u002Ffcpa-blog-how-seizing-sanctioned-assets-can-strengthen-the-rule-of-law-2600",{"id":201,"body":202,"status":6,"type":141,"date":203,"slug":204,"title":205,"image":182,"countries":206,"topic":207,"activity":209,"tags":213,"nid":214,"topics":215,"activities":216,"authors":217,"images":218,"websites":219,"area":22,"programme":22,"language":22,"translations":220,"translation_of":22,"user_created":39,"date_created":221,"user_updated":172,"date_updated":222,"content":223,"link":224},9542,"Environmental crime is lucrative, with its profits easily realised via financial crime and corruption. What is being done to trace illicit financial flows that facilitate environmental crime? And what about the illegally obtained profits derived from it?\n\nOn Friday 17 December, the Basel Institute's [Green Corruption](https:\u002F\u002Fbaselgovernance.org\u002Fgreen-corruption) team organised a special event at the 9th Conference of the States Parties to the UN Convention Against Corruption (CoSP 9) to discuss this crucial barrier to attaining the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).\n\nPanelists from government and civil society explored current efforts and remaining gaps in following the money to attack environmental crime. The discussion covered perspectives from national law enforcement and from conservation.\n\n### Video and key takeaways\n\n*   Watch the full video of the CoSP 9 side event: [Environmental corruption as a roadblock to reaching the SDGs](https:\u002F\u002Fwww.youtube.com\u002Fwatch?v=lZ01LMLvPUI)\n*   [Listen to the audio file](https:\u002F\u002Fbaselgovernance.org\u002Fsites\u002Fdefault\u002Ffiles\u002F2021-12\u002Faudio%20starting%20from%20gretta.mp3)\n\nThe panellists explored how our understanding of corruption’s impact on the environment and biodiversity is broadening. This is partly thanks to greater dialogue between anti-corruption practitioners and those working in conservation and natural resource management – conversations that need to continue.\n\nTackling green corruption is not only about strengthening enforcement against environmental crime fuelled by bribes and collusion. It can involve strengthening accountability and participation in decision-making, for example, so that communities benefit equitably from the sustainable exploitation of natural resources and their conservation.\n\nIt’s also about addressing larger systemic issues, like poor beneficial ownership transparency of companies that exploit natural resources, and how illicit financial flows linked to environmental crime and corruption are able to enter the international financial system. \n\nPublic-private collusion is rampant in natural resource management. How can governments implement radical and effective environmental protection when their ministers and high-ranking officials run the companies that exploit natural resources?\n\nGrand corruption underlies much industrial-scale environmental degradation, such as the granting of permits to exploit protected land and forests. Bribes can be paid by multinational companies through small suppliers based overseas. This turns such cases into transnational affairs that are almost impossible for investigators to follow without fast and proactive international cooperation.\n\nEnvironmental crime and related corruption not only damage the environment and biodiversity. They also tangibly reduce government revenues that could be collected from, for example, sustainable and legal natural resource exploitation (fishing, logging, mining…) and fees for the safe disposal of hazardous waste. This harms citizens directly, as does the destruction of the natural resources on which they rely for food and livelihoods. It is not a trade-off between the environment and economic development, as some think: economies suffer long-lasting effects from environmental degradation. \n\nYet trade-offs and choices are inevitable. In this, leadership and political will are sorely needed. Leaders may be under pressure from powerful interests, but they need to live up to their commitments to citizens – and citizens need to play their part in holding leaders to account. \n\nCorruption – like climate change – is a complex, transnational issue that risks destroying our very existence. Both need to be elevated to the very top of the agenda. \n\nGreen corruption demands a multifaceted, multi-stakeholder and transnational response, making use of all available tools:\n\n*   “Follow the money” approaches to investigate environmental crime and corruption and recover illicit assets; this is still uncommon among environmental agencies, and needs not only capacity building but adjustments to institutional setups.\n*   Inter-agency collaboration between government agencies responsible for environmental matters, law enforcement, corruption prevention, tax, customs, and others; joint taskforces help pool resources and responsibilities and ensure a harmonised response. \n*   International cooperation is key to tackle crimes that cross borders, especially in tracing illicit financial flows and recovering illicit assets generated by environmental crime and corruption.\n*   Corruption prevention approaches, such as corruption risk assessments and strengthening internal controls, have huge potential to be built into natural resource and conservation programming yet are currently rarely applied.\n*   [Collective Action](https:\u002F\u002Fbaselgovernance.org\u002Fcollective-action) can help to mobilise the private sector to raise standards of governance in natural resource sectors, bring the incentives of public and private-sector actors into alignment with the needs of citizens.  \n\n### Speaker line-up and registration\n\nGretta Fenner, Managing Director of the Basel Institute on Governance, will moderate the discussion between panellists from different parts of the world:\n\n*   Elizabeth Hart, Chief of Party, Targeting Natural Resource Corruption project, WWF USA\n*   Laode Syarif, Executive Director, Kemitraan and Former Commissioner, Corruption Eradication Commission of the Republic of Indonesia\n*   Juhani Grossmann, Team Leader, Green Corruption programme, Basel Institute on Governance\n*   Agnes Nabwire, Assistant Commissioner, Tax Investigations, Uganda Revenue Authority\n\n### Why is the topic important for UNCAC?\n\nCorruption directly threatens the achievement of SDG 16.4 (reduce illicit financial flows) and SDG 16.5 (reduce corruption and bribery). It affects the poorest most strongly, undermining 1.4 (no poverty). Corruption, money laundering and related financial crimes and governance failures also impact environment-related SDGs by:\n\n*   enabling criminals to fund operations and also hide, launder and enjoy the profits of their crimes;\n*   undermining law enforcement efforts against environmental crimes, and the sustainable governance of natural resources;\n*   mutating low-scale poaching, artisanal mining and subsistence logging into global criminal enterprises with industrial-scale detrimental impacts on the environment; \n*   perverting regulations put in place to preserve the environment;\n*   weakening and diverting government policies developed to ensure environmental rehabilitation and equitable access to natural resources;\n*   allowing the operation of illegal mines, the trafficking of toxic waste and ozone-depleting substances, illegal and unsustainable trading in flora and fauna, and other environmentally destructive activities.\n\nThe panel highlighted the important role corruption plays in facilitating environmental crime and the tools that the UNCAC provides to address this challenge. The panellists outlined the varying approaches of their home States in addressing environmental corruption, and identify remaining gaps.\n\nThe discussion explored promising anti-corruption tools for an environmental context and draw insights and lessons learned from transnational environmental corruption cases and related international cooperation.\n\n*   See all [CoSP 9 special events organised or supported by the Basel Institute on Governance](https:\u002F\u002Fbaselgovernance.org\u002Fcosp-9-special-events).\n*   See the [programme of all CoSP special events](https:\u002F\u002Fwww.unodc.org\u002Funodc\u002Fen\u002Fcorruption\u002FCOSP\u002Fsession9--special-events\u002F13-Dec-2021.html) on the UNODC website.","2021-12-03","environmental-corruption-as-a-roadblock-to-reaching-the-sdgs-virtual-cosp-side-event-on-17-december-2144","Environmental corruption as a roadblock to reaching the SDGs: virtual CoSP side event on 17 December",[],[149,208],"Green Corruption",[210,211,18,212],"Events","Presentations","International cooperation",[],2144,[164,208],[210,211,18,212],[],[],[169],[],"2022-05-26T22:52:14.000Z","2026-05-29T22:21:41.000Z",[],"\u002Fresources\u002Fnews\u002Fenvironmental-corruption-as-a-roadblock-to-reaching-the-sdgs-virtual-cosp-side-event-on-17-december-2144",{"id":226,"body":227,"status":6,"type":10,"date":228,"slug":229,"title":230,"image":231,"countries":232,"topic":233,"activity":234,"tags":236,"nid":241,"topics":242,"activities":243,"authors":244,"images":245,"websites":246,"area":22,"programme":22,"language":22,"translations":247,"translation_of":22,"user_created":39,"date_created":248,"user_updated":172,"date_updated":249,"content":250,"link":251},10534,"> Foreign bribery continues to inflict enormous damage throughout the world. Holding culpable companies to account is an excellent start. But a complete picture of justice will only take shape once all the harm caused by these companies is adequately considered.\n\nAndrew Dornbierer puts his finger on the button in his foreword to our latest Working Paper: [Compensating the victims of foreign bribery: UK legislation, practice and recommended reforms](https:\u002F\u002Fbaselgovernance.org\u002Fpublications\u002Fwp-55), by Sam Hickey.\n\n### Tackling foreign bribery: still in its early stages\n\nA small handful of countries have achieved some success in tackling the bribery of foreign public officials committed by companies in their jurisdictions.\n\nThis success has come largely through the use of innovative settlement agreements such as Deferred Prosecution Agreements (DPAs): Typically, companies avoid prosecution by cooperating with authorities, giving up their profits and usually paying penalties to the enforcing state.\n\nThese efforts are commendable, and the penalties have often been staggering. In recent years, multinational companies such as Airbus, Glencore, Ericsson and Odebrecht have all paid billion-dollar-plus amounts to settle legal actions in jurisdictions such as the US, the UK, France and Switzerland.\n\n### What happens to the money?\n\nPursuing companies that bribe to win business abroad is undoubtedly a positive step towards achieving justice. But do these settlements really deliver a fair result to all who deserve it?\n\nIn fact, enforcing states mostly keep settlement monies for themselves. Negotiations rarely include the countries in which the bribery has taken place. Rarely do courts consider and actually award compensation for damages caused by acts of bribery.\n\nThis is particularly true if there are no easily identifiable victims and a straightforward, calculable amount that can be claimed.\n\n### Achieving fair compensation for victims of bribery\n\nThrough our International Centre for Asset Recovery (ICAR), we support efforts to ensure that financial “gains” arising from corruption or other financial crimes are used fairly and responsibly for the benefit of the victims and victim states. That includes not only recovered assets but also fines arising from settlements.\n\nWe asked legal scholar Sam Hickey to look into the current situation regarding compensation in the UK specifically, which is one of the few countries that actively pursue companies for foreign bribery.\n\nHis paper explores the UK’s commitment to use the proceeds of DPAs to compensate the victims of foreign bribery where feasible – and why this commitment is not yet achieving its intended results.\n\n### Recommendations for improving the DPA regime\n\nThe paper acknowledges the UK’s pioneering role in countering foreign bribery, while also providing a constructive critique of the jurisdiction’s evolving approach to compensation.\n\nIn line with this, it advances six proposals for reform that would allow the UK to deliver compensation in a greater number of cases. In brief, it recommends that the UK:\n\n*   Clearly define the responsibilities of the different government agencies involved in DPA cases and compensation decisions.\n*   Introduce a rebuttable presumption in favour of including compensation in such agreements. \n*   Adopt a range of alternate methods for calculating the quantum of compensation, including a victim’s losses, the value of a bribe, a set percentage of fines and penalties, or the gross profit of a bribe giver.\n*   Adopt a formal procedure that victims, states and NGOs could use to request compensation.\n*   Clarify the concepts underlying compensatory practices, including the kinds of remedies available, the harm that might lead to compensation and the victims that might receive it.\n*   As a possible alternative, incentivise corporations to pay compensation.\n\n### Learn more\n\n*   Read Working Paper 55: [Compensating the victims of foreign bribery: UK legislation, practice and recommended reforms](https:\u002F\u002Fbaselgovernance.org\u002Fpublications\u002Fwp-55), by Sam Hickey.\n*   Explore the outcomes of a joint webinar with the International Academy of Financial Crime Litigators about the [role of victims in negotiated settlements for economic crimes](https:\u002F\u002Fbaselgovernance.org\u002Fnews\u002Fprobing-issue-victims-negotiated-settlements-white-collar-crimes) and read the related [paper](https:\u002F\u002Fedit.financialcrimelitigators.org\u002Fapi\u002Fassets\u002F45749d95-ea55-4dec-af3e-64f46efcdb39.pdf) examining the situation in Canada, France, Germany, Switzerland, the UK and the US.","2025-02-17","putting-proceeds-of-foreign-bribery-settlements-to-good-use-uk-policy-and-practice-2759","Putting proceeds of foreign bribery settlements to good use: UK policy and practice","https:\u002F\u002Fjam.baselgovernance.org\u002Fapi\u002Fassets\u002F60e68b73-90ae-4277-b948-92dfebc894c7?width=1000&height=650&format=webp&quality=80",[],[149],[235,17],"Reports",[237,239],{"tags_id":238},{"id":56,"name":57},{"tags_id":240},{"id":71,"name":72},2759,[164],[235,17],[],[],[169],[],"2025-02-17T17:01:34.000Z","2026-05-29T22:22:35.000Z",[],"\u002Fresources\u002Fnews\u002Fputting-proceeds-of-foreign-bribery-settlements-to-good-use-uk-policy-and-practice-2759",{"id":253,"body":254,"status":6,"type":10,"date":255,"slug":256,"title":257,"image":258,"countries":259,"topic":261,"activity":263,"tags":264,"nid":265,"topics":266,"activities":267,"authors":268,"images":269,"websites":270,"area":22,"programme":22,"language":22,"translations":271,"translation_of":22,"user_created":39,"date_created":272,"user_updated":273,"date_updated":274,"content":275,"link":276},9577,"_A new sector-wide integrity programme seeks to transform and harmonise standards of ethics and compliance across all Moscow City Transport organisations._\n\n_Alexandr Rusetskiy, a Deputy General Director in the Moscow Directorate of Transport Services, together with Ilsur Akhmetshin of the Compliance-Elements partnership, explain the motivation, approach and challenges in this effort to bring state-of-the-art anti-corruption practices to the sector and beyond._\n\n### Briefly, what is the Sectoral Ethics & Compliance Program for Moscow City Transport Organisations?\n\nIt is a new compliance programme designed to help Moscow City Transport organisations and their business partners improve and harmonise anti-corruption compliance and business ethics.\n\nIt contains 11 focus areas in line with Russian and international guidance and laws on anti-corruption compliance. These include crucial topics such as leadership, risk assessments, codes of conduct, third-party due diligence and communications.\n\nSee the [programme and its English translation](https:\u002F\u002Fbaselgovernance.org\u002Fpublications\u002Findustry-program-development-anti-corruption-compliance-and-business-ethics-moscow), which also lists all the international and national texts on which the programme is based.\n\n### Who is it for?\n\nThe programme is designed to be applicable to all private and state-owned companies in the Moscow Transport industry, which employs around 35,000 people.\n\nThe companies range from very large organisations like the Moscow Metro to smaller companies like the Moscow Directorate of Transport Services, which is the first organisation to be piloting the programme before it is rolled out across the sector.\n\nHowever, the principles are universal and the programme could be adapted for use in any industry sector in Russia, as well as in countries with similar legal frameworks and business cultures.\n\n### What is special about the programme?\n\nIt is the first time that a sector-wide integrity programme has been developed in Russia. Generally, companies are left to develop their own anti-corruption compliance programmes separately, if they develop one at all.\n\nWhen companies work on ethical issues separately, it takes many more resources – financial and human. Company leaders and compliance officers can’t learn from one another. It is also more difficult to measure the effectiveness of anti-corruption measures.\n\nThis means that many companies have a compliance programme on paper, but it is not up to international standards and is poorly implemented in practice. This is a problem not only in Russia but also in many other countries.\n\nBy adopting the universal rules and principles contained in this sectoral programme, companies will find it more straightforward to develop strong anti-corruption compliance measures and make sure they are implemented in practice. Regulators will also be better able to evaluate implementation. Greater harmony and transparency will benefit the reputation of the sector and minimise risks of corruption scandals.\n\nThe programme is also unique in responding specifically to the situation of state-owned enterprises, which make up a large proportion of Moscow Transport companies.\n\n### How do you start on such an ambitious programme to enhance ethical standards in this challenging context?\n\nWe started with a pilot project in the Moscow Directorate of Transport Services. We are part way through an action plan to implement the various aspects, including a reporting hotline and a training curriculum for new and existing compliance officers and the company leadership.\n\nAfter Alexander reported on the initial achievements to Moscow Government colleagues, it was decided to roll the programme out to other companies in the sector. It is important to demonstrate solid results and to get buy-in. Many company leaders who were initially surprised at these new “rules” are now keen to implement the programme themselves.\n\nIt also takes a lot of hard work and talking to people to explain what the ethics and compliance programme is about and what benefits it brings.\n\n### Talking to whom?\n\nWith the companies themselves, with government partners and with members of civil society and academia.\n\nBoth of us are deeply involved in Russian compliance networks and business associations, which offer a rich forum for sharing experiences and widening perspectives. Among these forums, we would like to mention the [Russian Business Ethics Network](https:\u002F\u002Frben.ru\u002F), which is part of the European Business Ethics Network, and the [Moscow Chamber of Commerce and Industry](https:\u002F\u002Fmostpp.ru\u002Fen\u002F), in which we lead the Compliance and Ethics Committee and a Working Group.\n\nIt is also important to exchange with academics and students engaged in compliance, as these are influential in shaping the future of ethical business in our country. So we have been holding events at Russia’s leading business and finance academies.\n\nIn this way, we both benefit from and contribute to collective discussions around anti-corruption compliance in Russia. Personal relationships and networks are crucial to communicating and demonstrating the benefits of a sectoral programme on ethics and compliance.\n\nWe hope that in time, as the programme rolls out, compliance officers and company leaders will be able to exchange knowledge and experience on ethical issues in the framework of a more formal Collective Action initiative. That way, as the programme extends across the sector and beyond, everyone will be helping to raise standards of business integrity and spread a culture of ethics and compliance in their domains.\n\n_For more information, download the [Compliance Programme](https:\u002F\u002Fbaselgovernance.org\u002Fpublications\u002Findustry-program-development-anti-corruption-compliance-and-business-ethics-moscow) or contact Ilsur or Alexandr using the details below._\n\n### About\n\nIlsur Akhmetshin is a president of the Russian Business Ethics Network which is a member of European Business Ethics Network and a managing partner of the Moscow based Compliance Elements consulting. Since the mid 1990s, Ilsur has worked as a senior expert and head of the legal, ethics and compliance in Russian projects and branches of the EBRD, Intesa, ABB, Schneider Electric and others. In 2014, he initiated and headed a Compliance Committee in the Association of European Business in Russia.Working in 2016-2020 as a Compliance and Ethics vice-president for VimpelCom, a VEON Group company and one of the national telecom leaders, he implemented a compliance programme prescribed by the Deferred Prosecution Agreement with US authorities. Now, Ilsur provides consulting services related to the corporate compliance and ethics for state-owned and private companies. [ia@compliance-elements.ru](mailto:ia@compliance-elements.ru) Alexandr Rusetskiy is a deputy general director of the Moscow Directorate of Transport Services and a member of Russian Business Ethics Network and Association of Lawyers of Russia. Since 2007, Alexandr has worked in the General Prosecutor’s office of Russian Federation, since 2015 was a head of the anticorruption department and a member of Russian permanent governmental delegation in UN Convention Against Corruption conferences and working groups. Now, Alexandr implements international standards of anticorruption compliance in Moscow transport organisations. [rusetsky@bk.ru](mailto:rusetsky@bk.ru).","2021-07-21","developing-an-ethics-and-compliance-programme-for-moscow-city-transport-organisations-and-beyond-2064","Developing an ethics and compliance programme for Moscow City Transport organisations and beyond","https:\u002F\u002Fjam.baselgovernance.org\u002Fapi\u002Fassets\u002F01c42e03-e5e8-4291-89c9-329ff7871212?width=1000&height=650&format=webp&quality=80",[260],7315,[87,262],"Private Sector",[17],[],2064,[87,262],[17],[],[],[169,87],[],"2022-05-26T22:52:44.000Z","b0662e2a-864d-4888-a1b7-4342b7570b30","2025-08-31T23:14:40.000Z",[],"\u002Fresources\u002Fnews\u002Fdeveloping-an-ethics-and-compliance-programme-for-moscow-city-transport-organisations-and-beyond-2064",{"id":278,"body":279,"status":6,"type":10,"date":280,"slug":281,"title":282,"image":283,"countries":284,"topic":285,"activity":286,"tags":287,"nid":288,"topics":289,"activities":290,"authors":291,"images":292,"websites":293,"area":22,"programme":22,"language":22,"translations":294,"translation_of":22,"user_created":39,"date_created":295,"user_updated":273,"date_updated":274,"content":296,"link":297},10518,"_An interview with Martin Benderson by Nicolas Hocq._\n\nMaritime corruption poses significant challenges to global trade, inflating costs, delaying operations and undermining integrity in supply chains. The Maritime Anti-Corruption Network ([MACN](https:\u002F\u002Fmacn.dk\u002F)), a leading international Collective Action initiative, has been at the forefront of addressing these issues through collaboration with governments, businesses and civil society.\n\nIn this exclusive interview, Martin Benderson, Chief Partnership Officer at MACN, sheds light on the findings of MACN’s [recent report](https:\u002F\u002Fcollective-action.com\u002Fexplore\u002Fpublications\u002F2362\u002F). This quantifies the costs of maritime corruption, underscores the importance of transparency and collaboration and revisits how MACN is tackling the USD 260-million corruption problem in the sector. Martin then shares his insights on the organisation’s mission, the evolving nature of maritime corruption and the impactful strategies it has implemented to drive change.\n\n### The costs of maritime corruption\n\n_MACN’s recent report focuses on the direct and indirect costs of corruption for maritime companies. Could you elaborate on the key findings and how companies are using these insights to improve their operations?_\n\nThe report outlines the wide-reaching impact of maritime corruption on the maritime industry and on society as a whole. Using Nigeria as a case study, we used an approach with two hypothetical scenarios:\n\n*   Business-as-usual scenario: Assumes that bribes are paid without resistance by private or public actors in the port and maritime sector. Under this scenario, maritime corruption increases transport and logistics costs by 15 percent, resulting in an annual cost of corruption of over USD 162 million for the industry, substantially reducing GDP and job opportunities.\n\n*   Zero-tolerance scenario: Assumes no bribes are paid or requested by either the public or private sector. This scenario suggests that eliminating corruption could reduce costs by 62 percent (over USD 100 million annually) for the private sector. It also estimates an increase in GDP by USD 130 million annually and the creation of more than 147,000 full-time jobs.\n\nComparing these scenarios illustrates the potential economic gains from eliminating corruption in the port and maritime sector. Further, the study sheds light on the impact of MACN’s current anti-corruption initiatives on socioeconomic development, trade and societies.\n\nAt the company level, the study provides clear evidence of the value of upholding robust anti-corruption standards and participating in Collective Action. It demonstrates how such efforts not only contribute to a healthier bottom line, but also address the broader, often hidden costs of corruption. These industry-wide and societal costs – though not always directly encountered in a company’s daily operations or supply chain – have a profound influence on the sector as a whole.\n\n### The Maritime Anti-Corruption Network\n\n_Please tell us about the Maritime Anti-Corruption Network’s (MACN) origins. How has its role evolved since then?_\n\nMACN was established by a small number of maritime companies in 2011, in response to tightening anti-bribery laws, such as the UK Bribery Act, and the recognition that individual companies cannot combat corruption alone in the global, highly complex supply chains surrounding shipping.\n\nTwelve years ago, we launched our first Collective Action initiative in Nigeria, working with the industry, government, local businesses and civil society to drive reform and establish accountability mechanisms in the country’s port and maritime sector. This model has since been replicated in Argentina, Bangladesh, Egypt, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Ukraine, Pakistan and Ghana. This expansion would not have been possible without the backing of our members, bilateral and multilateral donors as well as local governments that collaborated on these initiatives.\n\nMACN now has over 200 private-sector members representing the global value chain in the maritime industry and has become one of the largest industry-led Collective Action networks.\n\n### Corruption challenges in the maritime industry\n\n_What are some of the practical corruption challenges maritime companies face, and how do these challenges affect global supply chains?_\n\nMaritime trade is a highly complex environment involving numerous public- and private-sector stakeholders. On average, seven industry stakeholders and seven government agencies are involved in inspecting and clearing a single ship when it crosses an international border.\n\nThis complexity creates opportunities for coercive corruption, where bribes are requested during routine vessel and cargo clearance. Shipping companies are often pressured to make corrupt payments – either in cash or in kind – to avoid delays, excessive fines or even the detention of their vessels. These demands exploit the industry's reliance on strict time schedules and daily charter rates, leaving individual companies with limited options to resist without facing severe operational or financial consequences.\n\nThe shipping industry’s supply chain is global, involving multinational companies and local SMEs to ensure a ship reaches its destination. Ensuring transparency and addressing corruption risks across this intricate network is a significant challenge, even for companies with robust compliance standards. Maintaining a strict zero-tolerance policy across supply chains requires strong partnerships empowering and supporting both employees and suppliers to reject and report corruption.\n\n### Measures for meaningful industry change\n\n_What specific actions has MACN implemented to address these challenges, and what has been the impact of these efforts?_\n\nMACN empowers the maritime industry to strengthen internal anti-corruption programmes and enhance collaboration through supply chains to prevent and combat corruption. This is achieved through MACN’s tailored compliance solutions, tools and training designed specifically for the sector.\n\nOur approach combines aligning compliance expectations with practical, frontline support for stakeholders. Key measures include developing anti-bribery contractual clauses, training modules and reporting mechanisms, as well as offering actionable guidance on rejecting corruption. Through our country-based Collective Action initiatives, we equip local companies with industry-specific tools to combat corruption.\n\nAdditionally, MACN advocates higher integrity standards and clearly defined anti-corruption regulation in maritime trade. Our collaboration with the International Maritime Organization (IMO), the leading body on maritime governance, has been pivotal. Together, we have successfully placed maritime corruption on the IMO agenda and issued actionable anti-corruption guidance for both private and public sectors. This achievement highlights the critical importance of addressing maritime corruption and reinforces MACN’s role as a catalyst for meaningful change in the industry.\n\n### Targeted and adaptive interventions\n\n_Corruption in the maritime sector varies significantly by region. How does MACN tailor its anti-corruption strategies to address specific regional challenges? And what steps are taken to ensure these strategies remain adaptable in a changing global environment?_\n\nMACN is a data-driven initiative that leverages frontline industry data to identify and address the most prevalent and severe corruption risks. We have collected nearly 65,000 anonymous incident reports, detailing firsthand accounts of corrupt demands across more than 1,300 ports. The data helps us build anti-corruption initiatives that are targeting the reported challenges. This in turn helps us get buy-in from companies and governments as we are trying to resolve practical difficulties in daily operations.\n\nMACN applies adaptive learning in all its interventions, recognising that combating corruption often produces unexpected outcomes. When successful anti-corruption efforts eliminate issues in one area, they may resurface in another form elsewhere in the supply chain. Ongoing monitoring and stakeholder dialogue are crucial to stay ahead of these emerging challenges.\n\n### All stakeholders play a role\n\n_What role do different stakeholder groups (private sector, international organisations, governments and civil society) play in supporting MACN, and how does MACN engage with them to maximise efficiency in preventing corruption?_\n\nThe role of various stakeholders in addressing corruption depends on the specific challenges faced in each country. However, at a broader level, MACN’s Collective Action approach is built on several key assumptions.\n\nFirst, the maritime industry must comply with national and international anti-corruption regulations, gather evidence and use MACN’s anonymous reporting platforms to highlight systemic corruption challenges in the port and maritime sectors.\n\nSecond, governments must be open to learning from the private sector's experiences, using evidence to improve their compliance standards, regulatory frameworks and enforcement systems.\n\nThird, MACN and our local civil society partners play a crucial role in holding both public- and private-sector stakeholders accountable, serving as trust builders between the two. Multilateral organisations, such as the IMO, OECD and others, can apply regulatory and normative pressure to drive behavioural and policy changes in both the public and private sector.\n\nWe and our implementing partners carefully assess the position and influence of each stakeholder group to identify who can play which role in our collective efforts to champion the overall anti-corruption agenda.","2024-12-06","how-targeting-maritime-corruption-can-save-and-generate-millions-annually-2730","How targeting maritime corruption can save and generate millions annually","https:\u002F\u002Fjam.baselgovernance.org\u002Fapi\u002Fassets\u002F06d4f05b-7dfe-457a-a9de-6d25aa0f9a0e?width=1000&height=650&format=webp&quality=80",[],[87,262],[17],[],2730,[87,262],[17],[],[],[169,87],[],"2024-12-06T17:01:48.000Z",[],"\u002Fresources\u002Fnews\u002Fhow-targeting-maritime-corruption-can-save-and-generate-millions-annually-2730",{"id":299,"body":300,"status":6,"type":10,"date":301,"slug":302,"title":303,"image":304,"countries":305,"topic":308,"activity":309,"tags":310,"nid":319,"topics":320,"activities":321,"authors":322,"images":323,"websites":22,"area":22,"programme":22,"language":23,"translations":324,"translation_of":22,"user_created":39,"date_created":325,"user_updated":39,"date_updated":326,"content":327,"link":328},10611,"When states fail to hold corrupt actors to account, ordinary citizens pay the price. Corruption sanctions were born from the idea that no one should be above the law, no matter where they are in the world. In a new Working Paper, Dr Anton Moiseienko explores how these tools have evolved and offers recommendations for their more effective and legitimate use.\n\nHere we share the foreword to his paper by the Basel Institute's Andrew Dornbierer, Head of Policy and Research, International Centre for Asset Recovery.\n\n> ### Foreword\n> \n> Every state has an obligation to investigate and prosecute corruption within their jurisdiction. Unfortunately, many states around the world are not willing to fulfil this responsibility.\n> \n> As a result, the very individuals within these states tasked with serving the public interest are instead given free rein to commit acts that not only serve themselves but also corrode the fabric of the state. And ordinary citizens have no alternative but to endure the ensuing economic and social damage.\n> \n> The development of sanctions tools targeting corruption stemmed from the idea that justice should be universal; that no one in any society around the world should be above the law.\n> \n> They are powerful tools, built on powerful principles. States introducing them understand that unchecked corruption will always suffocate a state’s ability to provide security, fairness and prosperity to its citizens.\n> \n> Comparatively though, corruption sanctions are still an underdeveloped concept and are far from perfect. Only a handful of states have introduced them, and those that have are not often using them to their full potential.\n> \n> They also spark valid concerns surrounding due process. These criticisms shouldn’t be ignored: they offer an insight on how these tools could be further developed and enhanced to ensure that they are more credibly and consistently applied.\n> \n> In his paper, Anton Moiseienko provides an excellent and well-researched overview of how corruption sanctions could be designed and employed to better achieve their potential. He explains how these tools have evolved over the last two decades and how they could be further refined to be more effective and achieve a wider range of impact.\n> \n> Critically, his paper is an indispensable resource for those looking to understand exactly how such sanctions can help states deter, disrupt and debilitate the notoriously corrupt that are unreachable through standard criminal justice tools.\n\n### Learn more\n\n*   Read Dr Anton Moiseienko’s Working Paper “[Corruption sanctions: What governments need to know](https:\u002F\u002Fbaselgovernance.org\u002Fpublications\u002Fwp-62)” for a deeper analysis of the topic and key policy recommendations.\n*   Get a brief introduction to corruption sanctions from our related [Quick Guide](https:\u002F\u002Fbaselgovernance.org\u002Fpublications\u002Fqg43).\n*   Register for our public webinar \"[Corruption sanctions – reaching those beyond the law](https:\u002F\u002Fbaselgovernance.org\u002Fnode\u002F2968)\" on 18 June 2026, marking the launch of Dr Moiseienko's Working Paper.","2026-06-03","holding-the-corrupt-to-account-the-promise-and-potential-of-corruption-sanctions-2979","Holding the corrupt to account: the promise and potential of corruption sanctions","https:\u002F\u002Fjam.baselgovernance.org\u002Fapi\u002Fassets\u002F9f5fad98-9243-40da-98d0-1271edd00df2?width=1000&height=650&format=webp&quality=80",[306,307],7808,7809,[149],[235,17],[311,315,317],{"tags_id":312},{"id":313,"name":314},1227,"Sanctions",{"tags_id":316},{"id":71,"name":72},{"tags_id":318},{"id":56,"name":57},2979,[149],[235,17],[116],[],[],"2026-06-04T21:13:40.000Z","2026-06-04T21:13:41.000Z",[],"\u002Fresources\u002Fnews\u002Fholding-the-corrupt-to-account-the-promise-and-potential-of-corruption-sanctions-2979",{"id":330,"body":331,"status":6,"type":141,"date":332,"slug":333,"title":334,"image":335,"countries":336,"topic":337,"activity":338,"tags":339,"nid":340,"topics":341,"activities":342,"authors":343,"images":344,"websites":345,"area":22,"programme":22,"language":22,"translations":346,"translation_of":22,"user_created":39,"date_created":347,"user_updated":348,"date_updated":349,"content":350,"link":351},9545,"Peter Maurer, President of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) since 2012, is set to take over as President of the Board of the Basel Institute on Governance when he steps down as ICRC President in September 2022.\n\nHe succeeds the Basel Institute’s founder and President, Professor Mark Pieth.\n\nSince establishing the Basel Institute in 2003 as an Associated Institute of the University of Basel, Mark Pieth has overseen the organisation’s steady development into a leading player in efforts to combat corruption and raise standards of governance around the world.\n\nBased in Basel, Switzerland, the Basel Institute counts 90+ staff working across Southern and East Africa, Latin America, Eastern Europe and Central and South Asia. It remains committed to working with the public and private sectors to promote anti-corruption and good governance, together with an extensive network of partners at the highest national and international levels.\n\nPeter Maurer commented:\n\n> Throughout my diplomatic career and during my time at the ICRC, a driving priority has been to alleviate the suffering of women, men and children caught up in terrible human disasters around the world. Now, with the Basel Institute, I want to focus on tackling the causes of much of this human suffering – corruption and poor governance.\n> \n> I am delighted to take over from Mark Pieth, a leading expert and pioneer in the fight against corruption, and look forward to helping the Basel Institute reach higher and wider in the global governance arena. Together, we can have even more impact among those people most affected by corruption, as well as those most strongly committed to fighting it.\n\nMark Pieth emphasised the value of Peter Maurer’s deep experience and reputation in international diplomacy and humanitarian action, saying:\n\n> If there is one thing I have learned in over 30 years of holding the powerful to account, it is that corruption is not just a technical topic. It affects the whole of humanity and profoundly hurts people, especially the most vulnerable.\n> \n> I have also learned that not everyone likes to hear the anti-corruption message. That is precisely why we need to keep talking about it and amplify the voices of those who are willing to talk about it, from the streets to the media to the highest political and economic fora. Peter’s profile and experience makes him an ideal successor to help in elevating and spreading the message, and getting global leaders to live up to their commitments.\n\nPeter Maurer will join six other distinguished members of the Basel Institute’s [Foundation Board](https:\u002F\u002Fbaselgovernance.org\u002Fabout\u002Fgovernance), which is responsible for guiding the overall strategy of the Basel Institute.\n\nBorn in Thun, Switzerland, Peter Maurer holds a doctorate in history and international law from the University of Bern and has held various positions in the Swiss diplomatic service, including as Ambassador and Permanent Representative to the United Nations in New York and Secretary of State. He became ICRC’s President in July 2012.\n\n### Media enquiries\n\nDownload a [PDF of the news release](https:\u002F\u002Fbaselgovernance.org\u002Fsites\u002Fdefault\u002Ffiles\u002F2021-11\u002FNews%20release%20Peter%20Maurer%20to%20be%20President%20of%20Basel%20Institute%20on%20Governance_25%20Nov%202021.pdf). For media enquiries at the Basel Institute on Governance, please contact [monica.guy@baselgovernance.org](mailto:monica.guy@baselgovernance.org)\n\nPeter Maurer is not available for media interviews at this time.","2021-11-25","peter-maurer-to-succeed-mark-pieth-as-president-of-the-basel-institute-on-governance-2135","Peter Maurer to succeed Mark Pieth as President of the Basel Institute on Governance","https:\u002F\u002Fjam.baselgovernance.org\u002Fapi\u002Fassets\u002F9739010b-989a-4cf0-9f77-23ee48ed351f?width=1000&height=650&format=webp&quality=80",[],[14],[152],[],2135,[],[152],[],[],[169],[],"2022-05-26T22:52:16.000Z","dfef11db-1bc6-47e9-a61d-93443995484b","2026-05-08T21:11:01.000Z",[],"\u002Fresources\u002Fnews\u002Fpeter-maurer-to-succeed-mark-pieth-as-president-of-the-basel-institute-on-governance-2135",{"id":353,"body":354,"status":6,"type":141,"date":355,"slug":356,"title":357,"image":182,"countries":358,"topic":359,"activity":360,"tags":361,"nid":362,"topics":363,"activities":364,"authors":365,"images":366,"websites":367,"area":22,"programme":22,"language":22,"translations":368,"translation_of":22,"user_created":39,"date_created":369,"user_updated":273,"date_updated":370,"content":371,"link":372},9979,"The Metals Technology Industry (MTI) Anti-Corruption Collective Action Initiative has recently expanded its membership. Tenova S.p.A. has joined the three founding members of the Initiative: Danieli & C Meccaniche S.p.A., Primetals Technologies Limited and SMS GmbH - in their anti-corruption Collective Action efforts. Tenova S.p.A. is a leading mechanical engineering company for the steel and non-ferrous metals processing industry headquartered in Castellanza, Italy. \n\nThe MTI Collective Action Initiative provides a forum for the members to develop anti-corruption compliance best practices to ensure fair competition in the metals technology industry in the countries in which they operate. The Collective Action Initiative is facilitated by the International Centre for Collective Action ICCA, a Swiss-based non-profit anti-corruption competency centre within the Basel Institute on Governance.\n\nSenior management representatives of the three founding members have been meeting regularly under supervision of the ICCA since 2013 to address anti-corruption compliance in their business sector. The Member companies signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) setting out their anti-corruption commitments and proposed actions to promote their anti-corruption principles. The founding members went public with their Initiative in [September 2016](https:\u002F\u002Fwww.baselgovernance.org\u002Fsites\u002Fcollective.localhost\u002Ffiles\u002Fnews\u002Fmti_media_release.pdf).\n\nFollowing media reports of the MTI Collective Action, Tenova contacted the ICCA to learn more about the Initiative and to request whether it could become a member. “All companies in the metals industry face similar corruption risks around the world. We immediately saw the benefits of joining forces with other industry leaders in harmonising our anti-corruption management approach,” said Andrea Lovato, CEO of Tenova S.p.A. Tenova S.p.A. presented its company to the MTI members, who ratified its addition to the Initiative in July 2017.\n\n“We are pleased to see this development within the MTI Initiative,” said Gemma Aiolfi, Head of Compliance, Corporate Governance, and Collective Action at the ICCA. “New companies bring new perspectives, encouraging all Initiative members to continuously improve their anti-corruption compliance systems.”\n\nFor further information on Collective Action in general and the MTI Initiative in particular contact Gemma Aiolfi, Head of Compliance, Corporate Governance and Collective Action: [Gemma.aiolfi@baselgovernance.org](mailto:Gemma.aiolfi@baselgovernance.org) \n\nBackground information\n----------------------\n\nAbout Tenova: Tenova, a Techint Group company, is a worldwide partner for innovative, reliable and sustainable solutions in metals and mining. Leveraging a workforce of over three thousand forward- thinking professionals located in 22 countries across 5 continents, Tenova designs technologies and develops services that help companies reduce costs, save energy, limit environmental impact and improve working conditions. Tenova’s headquarter is located in Castellanza (Italy), while Leipzig (Germany) is the company’s primary technology hub for mining solutions, which is contained in a separate division within the company. Visit: [www.tenova.com](http:\u002F\u002Fwww.tenova.com\u002F)\n\nAbout Danieli: An international multicultural team that covers the full spectrum of technology from iron ore to the different finished products. Danieli’s extensive, in-house manufacturing capability ensures equipment of the highest quality and reliability, thanks to continuous process control, as well as ensuring multicultural intellectual growth, taking advantage of different cultures and motivations. Software algorithm models, computerized quality and production control systems, adopting the most advanced information technologies like fuzzy logic, neural systems, modeling, and simulation are developed in-house and this results in a Danieli process know-how transfer to final users. Visit: [http:\u002F\u002Fwww.danieli.com\u002Fen\u002F](http:\u002F\u002Fwww.danieli.com\u002Fen\u002F)\n\nAbout Primetals: Primetals Technologies, Limited headquartered in London, United Kingdom is a worldwide leading engineering, plant-building and lifecycle services partner for the metals industry. The company offers a complete technology, product and service portfolio that includes integrated electrics, automation and environmental solutions. This covers every step of the iron and steel production chain, extending from the raw materials to the finished product – in addition to the latest rolling solutions for the nonferrous metals sector. Primetals Technologies is a joint venture of Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) and Siemens. Mitsubishi-Hitachi Metals Machinery (MHMM) - an MHI consolidated group company with equity participation by Hitachi, Ltd. and the IHI Corporation - holds a 51% stake and Siemens a 49% stake in the joint venture. The company employs around 7,000 employees worldwide. Further information is available on the Internet at [www.primetals.com](http:\u002F\u002Fwww.primetals.com\u002F).\n\nAbout SMS: The SMS group is a group of companies internationally active in plant construction and mechanical engineering for the steel and nonferrous metals industry. It has some 13,500 employees who generate worldwide sales of more than EUR 3 billion. The sole owner of the holding company SMS GmbH is the Familie Weiss Foundation. Visit: [https:\u002F\u002Fwww.sms-group.com](https:\u002F\u002Fwww.sms-group.com\u002F) \n\nAbout the International Centre for Collective Action at the Basel Institute on Governance: The Basel Institute on Governance is an independent not-for-profit competence centre specialised in corruption prevention and public governance, corporate governance and compliance, Collective Action, anti-money laundering, criminal law enforcement and the recovery of stolen assets. Composed of four divisions, the Basel Institute’s International Centre for Collective Action works with companies and other concerned stakeholders to develop, facilitate and moderate anti-corruption Collective Action initiatives in a variety of industry sectors. The ICCA also supports research and the development of the academic discourse on anti-corruption Collective Action, as well as hosting the B20 Collective Action hub. Visit [www.baselgovernance.org\u002Fcollective-action](https:\u002F\u002Fwww.baselgovernance.org\u002Fcollective-action).","2017-12-18","tenova-joins-metals-technology-industry-collective-action-100","Tenova joins Metals Technology Industry Collective Action",[],[87,262],[152],[],100,[87,262],[152],[],[],[169,87],[],"2022-05-26T22:58:01.000Z","2025-08-31T23:14:59.000Z",[],"\u002Fresources\u002Fnews\u002Ftenova-joins-metals-technology-industry-collective-action-100",{"left":374,"top":374,"width":375,"height":375,"rotate":374,"vFlip":376,"hFlip":376,"body":377},0,20,false,"\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>",1780676514427]