[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":305},["ShallowReactive",2],{"news-learn-more-about-our-2015-operational-highlights-annual-report-2015-161":3,"news-learn-more-about-our-2015-operational-highlights-annual-report-2015-161-similar":29,"i-heroicons:arrow-left-20-solid":300},[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":17,"topics":18,"activities":19,"programme":20,"area":20,"websites":21,"language":20,"image":20,"translation_of":20,"countries":23,"tags":24,"authors":25,"images":26,"translations":27,"content":28},10086,"published","2022-05-26T22:58:47.000Z","2025-08-31T23:14:59.000Z","Learn more about our 2015 operational highlights (Annual Report 2015)","News","2015 has been a year with many changes for our Institute. We have grown rapidly, more than doubling our staff and increasing our annual operating budget by around 60%. We have also considerably revised our operational strategy and further expanded our thematic reach.\n\nThe changes are reflective of global developments and our own institutional learning, after more than 12 years of attempting to contribute to global efforts to reduce corruption and enhance governance.\n\nView the [2015 Annual Report](\u002Fnode\u002F45).","2016-08-17",[14],"","learn-more-about-our-2015-operational-highlights-annual-report-2015-161",[14],161,[],[],null,[22],"Main page",[],[],[],[],[],[],[30,59,99,123,149,171,217,252,277],{"id":31,"body":32,"status":6,"type":33,"date":34,"slug":35,"title":36,"image":37,"countries":38,"topic":40,"activity":43,"tags":45,"nid":46,"topics":47,"activities":48,"authors":49,"images":50,"websites":51,"area":20,"programme":20,"language":20,"translations":52,"translation_of":20,"user_created":53,"date_created":54,"user_updated":55,"date_updated":56,"content":57,"link":58},10347,"_In [last week’s interview](https:\u002F\u002Fbaselgovernance.org\u002Fblog\u002Fcutting-corruption-nigerian-ports-data-impact-and-collective-action) on how Collective Action has cut corruption in Nigerian ports,_ _Cecilia Müller Torbrand of the_ _Maritime Anti-Corruption Network_ _and Soji Apampa of the Convention on Business Integrity explained their data-driven approach and the measurable impact it has had._\n\n_In the second part of the interview, Cecilia and Soji_ _offer lessons for anti-corruption practitioners seeking to implement a robust data and impact strategy in their own initiatives._ \n\n### What are your top 5 tips for collecting data on corruption?\n\nData on corruption is never perfect, but it is essential to start somewhere. The MACN’s anonymous incident reporting system, which allows maritime players to report incidents of corruption demands in port operations anonymously, has been critical to our data collection strategy over the years.\n\nBased on our experience developing the system, we believe the following lessons have been key to our platform’s success:\n\n*   Develop an easy and simple-to-use system to encourage front-line staff to report.\n*   Define, explain, and communicate the system's objectives to meet the expectations of all stakeholders, including national governments who may receive future reports.\n*   Define what the solution looks like and translate that into data points.\n*   Strongly consider anonymity of reporting to build trust in the reporting system itself.\n*   Ensure good data governance.\n\n### How do you manage the data?\n\nSince the launch of MACN’s anonymous incident reporting system, the Network’s membership and scope of operations have grown significantly. This growth has brought with it an increased adoption of MACN’s anonymous incident reporting. Today, MACN has collected over 54,000 incident reports worldwide and continues to see momentum in corruption data collection.\n\nWe constantly seek ways to make our data more useful, accurate and actionable. In 2021, with external support from the Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs, MACN worked on optimising and improving its incident reporting functionalities and developed a robust data visualisation capability.\n\nIn addition, MACN progressed with the development of the [Global Port Integrity Platform](https:\u002F\u002Fmacn.dk\u002Fmacn-incident-data-and-global-port-integrity-platform-gpip\u002F) (GPIP) – the world’s first platform to measure and compare integrity in ports worldwide. GPIP will draw upon MACN’s anonymous incident data as well as other data sources to capture and display integrity risks at the port and operational levels.\n\n### What data does the HelpDesk collect and what do you do with it?\n\nIn Nigeria, MACN was looking for a way to track the effectiveness and impact of our Collective Action programme. We focused on three main areas:\n\n*   Transparency of operating procedures\n*   Consistency of their application\n*   Impact of this on the predictability of port call duration (a function of cost)\n\nOne key factor in port call delays was the inconsistent application of standard operating procedures by many officials. MACN conducted an annual survey of operations departments and ship captains on their experiences at Nigerian ports and terminals to provide a measure of annual improvement in the operating environment.\n\nThrough this, we noted the major challenge of understanding and tracking complaints being filed by vessel captains with the Nigerian authorities and tracking the resolution process. At this stage, only the government could access data on actual complaints. It had decided such information was ‘secret’ and could not be shared without high-level clearance.\n\nAssessing the operational situation, we saw there were several defined steps involved in clearing a vessel through port. These include being checked and cleared for health risks, undergoing inspections and seeking clearance to depart. Corrupt demands could occur during several of these procedural stages.\n\nRather than relying solely on anonymous incident reporting in the aftermath of a vessel entering Nigerian waters, we believed there was enormous potential in the real-time tracking of clearance progress and addressing any procedural issues as they occurred. If there were any issues, they could be lodged in the government complaints system and tracked from the response to the resolution.\n\nThis process led to the creation of the MACN Nigeria HelpDesk. With the establishment of the HelpDesk, we progressed from receiving anonymous data to actionable data.\n\nA key moment came when the government system went down. All stakeholders had only our HelpDesk to rely on, demonstrating the system’s added value as an important extension to official channels.\n\n### How did you get captains and companies to use the HelpDesk?\n\nEmpowering and building trust in the private sector have been key for the work in Nigeria. There was initial reluctance to use the HelpDesk as MACN had previously promoted anonymous reporting. The operation of the HelpDesk meant issues could not be resolved anonymously.\n\nThe changes being implemented in partnership with the Government of Nigeria were highlighted at MACN member meetings over the course of two years, but members were initially skeptical.\n\nA turning point came when a member had a problem at an offshore terminal. They tried to resolve it on their own and did not succeed. Then someone remembered the “crazy” guy at an MACN meeting who claimed things were changing (Soji Apampa in this case) and the member decided to “give it a shot”. The company informed MACN and CBi about the issue and we escalated the matter through the new channels established by the government. Within 48 hours the vessel was permitted to sail.\n\nThe company had another issue not long after that. It used the HelpDesk immediately, and it was resolved within 24 hours.\n\nCaptains in that fleet then started spreading this news by word of mouth within their company and to the wider seafaring community. The masters, crews and company never experienced any backlash, even though the reports were no longer anonymous.\n\nMACN streamlined and promoted the processes of using the HelpDesk amongst members, and uptake increased, especially because of the growing number of success stories. MACN also offered online meetings and other forms of support for companies to ensure captains were well briefed and knew what to do when sailing to Nigeria’s waters.\n\n### What was the reaction to your Outstanding Achievement Award from the Basel Institute?\n\nWe believed what was emerging from the Collective Action project in Nigeria was unique, and we wanted to showcase this as much as possible.\n\nMACN and CBi [received the award](https:\u002F\u002Fcollective-action.com\u002Fget-involved\u002Fevents\u002Ficac-2022\u002Fawards), but we wanted to ensure that the government and stakeholders locally also received well-deserved recognition. We believed it was important to hand the award over to the Nigerian Vice-President, whose strategic interventions since 2015 (in response to our requests for intervention) accelerated our progress with each case of involvement.\n\nWhen we eventually presented the award to the Vice-President of Nigeria, the communication of the award trended on social media and was very widely reported in the media. We also used the meeting with the Vice-President to provide direct feedback on what he could further do to make the changes sustainable and the project even more impactful.\n\n### What’s next?\n\nMACN and CBi have ambitious plans to expand our work in West Africa and continue to build on the learnings from Nigeria. We still have work to do in Nigeria, and our efforts will continue, especially as elections take place in February and March 2023.\n\nWe must maintain the momentum and results from this 10-year journey.\n\n### Learn more\n\n*   See part 1 of this interview: [Cutting corruption in Nigerian ports: data, impact and Collective Action](https:\u002F\u002Fbaselgovernance.org\u002Fblog\u002Fcutting-corruption-nigerian-ports-data-impact-and-collective-action)\n*   Find out more about the Anti-Corruption Collective Action Awards and [how to nominate your initiative in 2023](https:\u002F\u002Fcollective-action.com\u002Fget-involved\u002Fawards).","Blog","2023-03-15","a-data-driven-strategy-for-anti-corruption-collective-action-lessons-from-nigeria-2402","A data-driven strategy for anti-corruption Collective Action: Lessons from Nigeria","https:\u002F\u002Fjam.baselgovernance.org\u002Fapi\u002Fassets\u002F224bf41b-2c33-4252-8ac3-10a9373480e2?width=1000&height=650&format=webp&quality=80",[39],7192,[41,42],"Collective Action","Private Sector",[44],"Insights",[],2402,[41,42],[44],[],[],[22,41],[],"03bebfd8-0b40-4a2a-820d-b9d9c13b9de6","2023-03-15T11:01:28.000Z","b0662e2a-864d-4888-a1b7-4342b7570b30","2025-08-31T23:14:40.000Z",[],"\u002Fresources\u002Fnews\u002Fa-data-driven-strategy-for-anti-corruption-collective-action-lessons-from-nigeria-2402",{"id":60,"body":61,"status":6,"type":33,"date":62,"slug":63,"title":64,"image":65,"countries":66,"topic":68,"activity":70,"tags":72,"nid":85,"topics":86,"activities":88,"authors":89,"images":91,"websites":92,"area":20,"programme":20,"language":20,"translations":93,"translation_of":20,"user_created":53,"date_created":94,"user_updated":95,"date_updated":96,"content":97,"link":98},9845,"_An exclusive interview with Elmer Chirre Castillo (photo: right), Provincial Prosecutor of the Third Anti-Corruption Supraprovincial Prosecutor's Office of Lima._ \n\n_By [Oscar Solorzano](https:\u002F\u002Fwww.baselgovernance.org\u002Fabout\u002Fpeople\u002Foscar-solorzano) (photo: left), Senior Asset Recovery Specialist and Country Manager for the Basel Institute's Peru country office._\n\n### Background on Odebrecht bribery in Peru\n\nProsecutor Elmer Chirre received us in his office at the Anti-Corruption Specialised Prosecutor's Office to talk about the impressive results of his latest corruption and money laundering investigation.\n\nOn 11 June 2019, the Regional President of Ancash region in northern Peru, Cesar Alvarez, and his associates were sentenced to more than eight years in prison. As part of the sentencing, the bribe-payer – Brazilian multinational Odebrecht – had to paid fines and civil reparations amounting to USD 20 million, which have already been transferred to the Peruvian treasury.\n\nThis [decision](https:\u002F\u002Fwww.baselgovernance.org\u002Fnews\u002Fbasel-institute-congratulates-peruvian-authorities-usd-195-million-recovery-linked-odebrecht) is particularly important since it is the first recovery of assets linked to the investigations against Odebrecht in Peru and the first of several investigations linked to the Brazilian multinational to obtain a judicial sentence. It paves the way for numerous cases currently under investigation in the same complex of facts. \n\n### Oscar Solorzano: Please can you briefly describe the different steps your investigation followed to obtain such a result?\n\nElmer Chirre: \"In 2015, my Office was assigned the case known as \"La Centralita\", an investigation into an alleged criminal organisation for corruption and money laundering, among other crimes. Later, in April 2018, we were also assigned the \"Chacas San Luis\" case, relating to corruption cases in similar factual circumstances.\n\nIn both cases, the alleged leader of this criminal organisation was the former Regional President of the northern Peruvian region of Ancash (2007-2010 \u002F 2011-2014), Cesar Alvarez Aguilar. Also in both cases, there was not only a factual link with respect to the crime of corruption but also a sequential and structural link with respect to the crime of money laundering. It has now been stated by a court of law that the proceeds of corruption paid in the context of important infrastructure projects in the Ancash region – namely the \"Rehabilitation, Improvement and Construction of the Huaylas-Chacas-San Luis Highway\" – were laundered with the help of intermediaries and offshore structures in different jurisdictions.\n\nTo disguise the illicit payments, the criminals used two methods:\n\n*   illicit payments within the country through fictitious contracts;\n*   illicit payments outside the country through offshore legal structures linked to Odebrecht's structured operations department.\n\nIt has been proven in the Peruvian justice system that the illicit commissions correspond to 2.5% of the value of the project, which was PEN 404,826,000 (over USD 121 million).\"\n\n### When did the investigation begin?\n\n\"The investigations were initiated by different Provincial Anti-Corruption Prosecutors' Offices in Chimbote and Huaraz, in the Ancash region, from 2011 in \"[La Centralita](https:\u002F\u002Fandina.pe\u002Fagencia\u002Fnoticia-odebrecht-recuperan-s15-millones-por-caso-centralita-724377.aspx)\" case and from 2014 in the \"[Chacas San Luis](https:\u002F\u002Fandina.pe\u002Fingles\u002Fnoticia-peru-exgovernor-sentenced-to-8-years-in-prison-for-odebrecht-case-755221.aspx)\" case. These cases were initiated long before the Odebrecht cases started in Peru \\[December 2016, with the trilateral [Swiss-US-Brazil settlement](https:\u002F\u002Fwww.odebrecht.com\u002Fen\u002Fcommunication\u002Freleases\u002Fodebrecht-signs-agreement-authorities-brazil-united-states-and-switzerland)\\].\n\nThe cases took time because the investigations were highly complex in terms of the number of individuals under investigation, the number of crimes, the judicial processes, the locations in which the events took place, and lastly the corruption and money laundering schemes implicating a large number of contracts, banks and foreign jurisdictions.\n\nAround 101 individuals were initially investigated, of which about 29 were civil servants and 72 were natural and legal persons. Four legal entities were investigated, one of which was Odebrecht.\"\n\n### Who were the officials involved?\n\n\"In both cases, the participation of former Regional President Cesar Alvarez Aguilar, along with high-ranking regional officials acting as managers and officials linked to infrastructure works and administration that formed Alvarez’s inner circle of trust, was clear.\n\nThe other individual who stood out was the Dirsse Paul Valverde Varas, who was a high-ranking official of the region and later stepped down from his post in order to facilitate his role within the criminal organisation.\n\nThe main objective of my investigation was to look for convincing evidence proving the crimes of the criminal organisation. In this sense, as a result of the investigative efforts made in \"La Centralita\" case, information was obtained that led to the suspicion of irregular payments to Dirsse Valverde by Odebrecht, as well as details of some meetings between Alvarez and Odebrecht executives in different parts of the country.\n\nThe evidence revealed that the meetings revolved around the most important infrastructure works in the region and the existence of an illicit agreement for the “Huaylas-Chacas-San Luis” highway project. These facts were gradually and consistently corroborated, particularly through information obtained via mutual legal assistance in criminal matters from Hong Kong with the technical assistance of Basel Institute on Governance experts. This information allowed us to move from simple suspicions to a more consistent working hypothesis, which, in turn, allowed the Peruvian Attorney General’s Office (AGO) to be in a better position to negotiate an agreement with Odebrecht.\n\nIt is interesting to note that in our case, the logic of the investigation – that is, the discovery of the facts subject to illicit negotiation – was not based on any testimony made by Odebrecht, but rather on the results of a thorough previous investigation. This had forced collaboration on the part of Odebrecht, which confessed the acts of corruption and money laundering schemes. Ultimately, this was what enabled the conviction of the Regional President and his associates, along with recovery of USD 20 million.\n\nWithout false modesty, this legal strategy is unique in the series of cases linked to Odebrecht in Peru and has had a tangible impact on the speed of progress of the case. My personal thanks go to the experts of the Basel Institute on Governance and to the authorities of the requested states who cooperated in the investigation.\"\n\n### Would you say, then, that for international cases of grand corruption, judicial cooperation in criminal matters has been key?\n\n\"Without a doubt – and the conviction we have just achieved is proof of this. I would like to point out that the world's financial centres have very specific requirements that must first be met by the countries making the request. That is, to have specific information, presented in a way that makes it possible to establish the soundness of the hypothesis or the request for information needed to identify the routes and stages involved in the money laundering.\n\nIn these times of globalisation, criminal organisations typically try to hide the evidence of their crimes with all means at their disposal. In that sense, from the perspective of the state that is the victim of these corruption acts, information from the receiving states is fundamental.\n\nWithout the help of experts such as those of the Basel Institute and the collaboration of these states, the fight against international grand corruption would only be a declaration of principle, with no real consequences.\"\n\n### Which particular jurisdictions have cooperated with your investigation?\n\n\"I would like to highlight Spain, Israel, Panama, the Bahamas and Hong Kong (in particular Hong Kong, which provided extraordinarily quick and useful responses through its International Central Authority). In this case, the criminal organisation used a different route to that used in other Odebrecht-related cases of corruption.\n\nThese jurisdictions are not the easiest in terms of international cooperation, and we had no major points of contact to help us. However, it was possible to establish solid lines of effective cooperation and obtain much-needed information for the two cases.\"\n\n### What has been your relationship with the Basel Institute on Governance and what role did it play in your investigation?\n\n\"My first link with the Basel Institute was through a high-level, intensive [training course](https:\u002F\u002Fwww.baselgovernance.org\u002Fasset-recovery\u002Ftraining-programmes) that was organised in the country in 2016 and led by international instructors specialised in money laundering and financial investigation. They provided insights into their extensive experience in their own countries as well as helping us to get to know and learn to use investigative tools that, in my case, have been applied and strengthened with day-to-day assistance to the investigation and during the trial.\n\nThe course covered international cooperation\u002Fmutual legal assistance, financial investigation and asset recovery, among other relevant topics.\"\n\n### What are your expectations of working together with the Basel Institute in the future and in the context of new investigations under your responsibility?\n\n\"As a prosecutor specialised in corruption, I must first acknowledge the very important contribution of the advanced training I received from the Basel Institute.\n\nSecondly, I would like to thank the Basel Institute for its technical assistance to the Specialised Prosecutor's Office during the two cases \"La Centralita\" and \"Chacas San Luis\". As I said, this has enabled the first ever criminal conviction in Peru related to the Odebrecht case and the recovery of assets amounting to PEN 65 million (USD 20 million), an amount in civil reparations that is unprecedented in the history of our institution. Together with the Anti-Corruption Specialised State Attorney from the Ministry of Justice, Amado Enco, we were able to carry out the negotiations successfully with Odebrecht.  \n\nThus, I reiterate and expresses my sincere thanks for the training received – not only for myself but also for the entire team of prosecutors of my Office – and especially for the \"real-time\" support we received during the investigation and prosecution. This type of case follow-up and application of the training have been extremely useful in achieving our objectives and I am convinced it will continue to be so in future investigations that my Office is charged with.\n\nWe renew our decision to continue our collaborative efforts with the cooperation of the Basel Institute.\"","2019-06-17","odebrecht-in-peru-interview-with-prosecutor-elmer-chirre-on-quotfollowing-the-moneyquot-and-getting-it-back-938","Odebrecht in Peru: Interview with Prosecutor Elmer Chirre on \"following the money\" and getting it back","https:\u002F\u002Fjam.baselgovernance.org\u002Fapi\u002Fassets\u002Fa6a81a31-bfe0-4cec-b867-5e2422bdd5f6?width=1000&height=650&format=webp&quality=80",[67],7468,[69],"Asset Recovery",[44,71],"International cooperation",[73,77,81],{"tags_id":74},{"id":75,"name":76},879,"Money laundering",{"tags_id":78},{"id":79,"name":80},843,"Asset recovery",{"tags_id":82},{"id":83,"name":84},973,"Corruption",938,[87],"Asset Recovery and Enforcement",[44,71],[90],1272,[],[22],[],"2022-05-26T22:56:30.000Z","3d9ff205-1640-4f34-b5b6-86977f51bbd6","2026-05-29T22:21:59.000Z",[],"\u002Fresources\u002Fnews\u002Fodebrecht-in-peru-interview-with-prosecutor-elmer-chirre-on-quotfollowing-the-moneyquot-and-getting-it-back-938",{"id":100,"body":101,"status":6,"type":10,"date":102,"slug":103,"title":104,"image":105,"countries":106,"topic":108,"activity":110,"tags":112,"nid":113,"topics":114,"activities":115,"authors":116,"images":117,"websites":118,"area":20,"programme":20,"language":20,"translations":119,"translation_of":20,"user_created":53,"date_created":120,"user_updated":55,"date_updated":56,"content":121,"link":122},10378,"The San Martín region of northern Peru is known for its Amazon rainforest and rich biodiversity. To protect these, the regional authorities have recently agreed an action plan to reduce corruption risks in the timber trade, which is an important local source of livelihoods.\n\nThe action plan is based on principles of integrity and transparency and takes into account Peruvian laws and regulations such as the _General Guidelines to Implement Internal Control Systems_ and _Recommendations for the Management of Risks Affecting Public Integrity_.\n\nAlongside control measures to prevent corruption risks in the timber value chain, it specifies the bodies or units that are responsible for implementing these and the deadlines for their implementation. This is important for monitoring, follow-up and accountability.\n\nOur Green Corruption programme has been providing technical assistance to the Regional Government and Regional Environmental Authority of San Martín in developing the plan, under a framework agreement signed on 24 May 2023. We congratulate the authorities of San Martín on being the first region in Peru to introduce such a plan, and look forward to providing further support with the implementation.\n\n### Addressing corruption risks in forest and wildlife management\n\nThe passing of the action plan underscores the commitment of San Martín’s high-level authorities to strengthening forestry and wildlife management using a risk management approach.\n\nAt a wider level, the development illustrates two important aspects of tackling environmental crime:\n\n#### Ground-level action\n\nFirst, international and national laws and policies are important in the fight against environmental crime. But it is at the ground level that things need to happen, and where the challenges to implementation are.\n\nThis is why our [Green Corruption programme](https:\u002F\u002Fbaselgovernance.org\u002Fgreen-corruption) works with individual state-owned-enterprises, agencies and governments at the subnational as well as national level. Important is that they demonstrate – as San Martín’s regional government does – the political will to acknowledge and address corruption risks that threaten their precious environment.\n\n#### Emphasis on prevention\n\nSecond, international attention tends to focus on the enforcement of laws against illegal wildlife trade and other environmental crimes.\n\nEnforcement is critical to bring criminals and their corrupt facilitators to justice and to take away their illicit gains. It can have a strong deterrent effect. But ultimately, we need to prevent the crimes from happening in the first place.\n\n[Corruption risk assessments](http:\u002F\u002Fbaselgovernance.org\u002Fpublications\u002Fcorruption-risk-assessments-and-illegal-wildlife-trade-enforcement) and projects to strengthen [internal controls](http:\u002F\u002Fbaselgovernance.org\u002Fpublications\u002Fquick-guide-24-internal-controls-and-anti-corruption) may not hit the headlines, but they can go a long way to stopping corruption from facilitating environmental crimes.\n\n### Learn more\n\n*   [See the San Martín Regional Government press release](https:\u002F\u002Fwww.gob.pe\u002Finstitucion\u002Fregionsanmartin\u002Fnoticias\u002F779415-firman-plan-de-accion-para-reducir-riesgos-de-corrupcion-en-la-cadena-de-valor-de-la-madera).\n*   The above-mentioned work takes place under the project \"Promoting asset recovery techniques in crimes against the environment and preventing environmental corruption in Peru\", funded by the UK's Conflict, Stability and Security Fund. [Learn more about the CSSF](https:\u002F\u002Fwww.gov.uk\u002Fgovernment\u002Forganisations\u002Fconflict-stability-and-security-fund\u002Fabout).\n*   Learn more about how our Green Corruption programme balances prevention and enforcement in this feature in our Annual Report 2022: [From seizing fishing vessels to supporting SOEs.](https:\u002F\u002Far.baselgovernance.org\u002F16\u002F)\n*   The Basel Institute has been working closely with Peruvian subnational governments since 2015, under the successful [Programa GFP Subnacional](https:\u002F\u002Fwww.gfpsubnacional.pe\u002F) programme funded by the Swiss SECO Cooperation in Peru.","2023-07-11","cutting-corruption-in-the-timber-trade-in-northern-peru-action-plan-2486","Cutting corruption in the timber trade in northern Peru: action plan","https:\u002F\u002Fjam.baselgovernance.org\u002Fapi\u002Fassets\u002F6823b760-09f8-4781-bcb2-ef7cb5e48cbc?width=1000&height=650&format=webp&quality=80",[107],7175,[109],"Green Corruption",[111],"Partnerships",[],2486,[109],[111],[],[],[22],[],"2023-07-11T10:01:29.000Z",[],"\u002Fresources\u002Fnews\u002Fcutting-corruption-in-the-timber-trade-in-northern-peru-action-plan-2486",{"id":124,"body":125,"status":6,"type":10,"date":126,"slug":127,"title":128,"image":129,"countries":130,"topic":132,"activity":134,"tags":136,"nid":137,"topics":138,"activities":139,"authors":140,"images":141,"websites":142,"area":20,"programme":20,"language":20,"translations":143,"translation_of":20,"user_created":53,"date_created":144,"user_updated":145,"date_updated":146,"content":147,"link":148},10413,"Corruption prevention measures are often talked about at the national level: “Governments need to do this and that to prevent corruption.”\n\nBut Peru’s Regional Government of San Martín provides a good example of what can be achieved at the _subnational_ levels to increase public integrity and transparency.\n\nThe ingredients: strong political commitment, a clear understanding of regional corruption vulnerabilities and dedicated technical support.\n\n### Top spot in the national integrity rankings\n\nAt the end of 2023, [San Martín came first](https:\u002F\u002Fwww.gob.pe\u002Finstitucion\u002Fregionsanmartin\u002Fnoticias\u002F884698-gore-san-martin-ocupa-primer-lugar-en-la-implementacion-del-modelo-de-integridad-publica) in Peru’s national integrity index. The [_Índice de Capacidad Preventiva_](https:\u002F\u002Fwww.gob.pe\u002F46242-indice-de-capacidad-preventiva-frente-a-la-corrupcion-icp) or Preventive Capacity Index measures the success of regional authorities in implementing the national Public Integrity Model.\n\nThe index, published by the Public Integrity Secretariat of the Presidency of the Council of Ministers, looks at nine components of the Public Integrity Model designed to increase the capacity of regional governments to prevent corruption and manage public finances transparency for the benefit of citizens.\n\nSan Martín scored 1.6 on a scale of 0 to 2, which represents significant progress in the implementation and execution of the model.\n\nGovernor Walter Grundel Jiménez has repeatedly expressed his firm commitment to fighting corruption. He highlighted the importance of these results for San Martín citizens and the professionalism of the team of public officials in charge of managing public finances and services:\n\n> I wish to convey to our people that these results reflect the fulfilment of our responsibility as a government. We have established a team of professionals committed to protecting the general welfare and meeting the needs and expectations of the community.\n\n### Targeted assistance on public finance management and environmental corruption\n\nAt the Basel Institute we are particularly thrilled at the results, as we work closely with the San Martín authorities on corruption prevention and public finance management.\n\nOur Subnational Public Finance Management Strengthening programme ([Programa GFP Subnacional](https:\u002F\u002Fwww.gfpsubnacional.pe\u002F)) has been providing technical assistance on corruption prevention, integrity and internal controls to San Martín since 2015, as part of a wider programme funded by the Swiss State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO).\n\nMore recently, our Green Corruption programme has been supporting the San Martín authorities in [addressing corruption risks related to the trade in timber](https:\u002F\u002Fbaselgovernance.org\u002Fnews\u002Fcutting-corruption-timber-trade-northern-peru-action-plan) from the region’s rich Amazon rainforest.\n\nThe programme, funded by the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office through its [Conflict, Stability and Security Fund](https:\u002F\u002Fwww.gov.uk\u002Fgovernment\u002Forganisations\u002Fconflict-stability-and-security-fund\u002Fabout) (CSSF), shows the value of working hand in hand with local and regional governments to address specific environmental corruption risks. \n\nThe British Ambassador to Peru, Gavin Cook, expressed his congratulations, commenting:\n\n> It is brilliant to see that UK support through the CSSF (Conflict, Stability and Security Fund) to the work of the Basel Institute on Governance tackling green corruption in the San Martín region of Peru is producing real results. Our support has contributed to the success of the regional government hitting the top spot in Peru’s national integrity ranking, showing clear improvement in their ability to prevent unlawful projects in the Amazon.\n\nAs we highlighted in a [previous article](https:\u002F\u002Fbaselgovernance.org\u002Fnews\u002Fcutting-corruption-timber-trade-northern-peru-action-plan), the commitment of the regional authorities in San Martín illustrates:\n\n*   The importance of supporting subnational governments that demonstrate political will to combat their specific corruption risks, including those relating to the local environment.\n*   The need to invest in strengthening internal controls and preventive measures to complement law enforcement efforts. Preventive measures can greatly reduce the risks that corruption will lead to harm to local citizens and the environment.\n\n### Learn more\n\n*   About the Swiss-funded Subnational Public Finance Management Strengthening programme in [English](https:\u002F\u002Fbaselgovernance.org\u002Fpublic-finance-peru) and [Spanish](https:\u002F\u002Fwww.gfpsubnacional.pe\u002F).\n*   About the Basel Institute’s [Green Corruption programme](https:\u002F\u002Fbaselgovernance.org\u002Fgreen-corruption), which implements the project \"Promoting asset recovery techniques in crimes against the environment and preventing environmental corruption in Peru\" funded by the UK via CSSF.","2024-01-23","improving-public-integrity-in-peru-how-regional-governments-can-take-the-lead-2571","Improving public integrity in Peru: how regional governments can take the lead","https:\u002F\u002Fjam.baselgovernance.org\u002Fapi\u002Fassets\u002F2e8ef975-1e8b-44c6-b961-b30807502f8f?width=1000&height=650&format=webp&quality=80",[131],7139,[109,133],"Public Finance Management",[135],"Anti-corruption interventions",[],2571,[109,133],[135],[],[],[22],[],"2024-01-23T11:01:36.000Z","dfef11db-1bc6-47e9-a61d-93443995484b","2026-05-08T21:11:09.000Z",[],"\u002Fresources\u002Fnews\u002Fimproving-public-integrity-in-peru-how-regional-governments-can-take-the-lead-2571",{"id":150,"body":151,"status":6,"type":10,"date":152,"slug":153,"title":154,"image":155,"countries":156,"topic":158,"activity":159,"tags":160,"nid":161,"topics":162,"activities":163,"authors":164,"images":165,"websites":166,"area":20,"programme":20,"language":20,"translations":167,"translation_of":20,"user_created":53,"date_created":168,"user_updated":55,"date_updated":56,"content":169,"link":170},10331,"Peru has taken an important step towards improving integrity in its public administration and the ability of public-sector entities to deliver services to citizens.\n\nThe Government’s Secretariat for Public Integrity has published a new [Guide to Managing Risks that Affect Public Integrity](https:\u002F\u002Fbaselgovernance.org\u002Fpublications\u002Fguia-para-la-gestion-de-riesgos-que-afectan-la-integridad-publica), with the technical support of the Swiss SECO-funded [Strengthening Subnational Public Finance Management Programme](https:\u002F\u002Fwww.gfpsubnacional.pe\u002F) implemented by the Basel Institute on Governance.\n\nIn a [press release](https:\u002F\u002Fwww.gob.pe\u002Finstitucion\u002Fpcm\u002Fnoticias\u002F686880-ejecutivo-publica-guia-para-gestionar-riesgos-de-corrupcion-en-la-administracion-publica) following the Guide’s formal adoption by the Presidency of the Council of Ministers, Prime Minister Alberto Otárola stressed that this action reflects the government's firm commitment to advancing the fight against corruption using a preventive approach.\n\nIts publication, Prime Minister Otárola said, aligns with the policies of President Dina Boluarte and commitments made at the last session of the High Level Anti-Corruption Commission, during the presentation of [Peru's Anti-Corruption Agenda](https:\u002F\u002Fwww.gob.pe\u002Finstitucion\u002Fcan\u002Finformes-publicaciones\u002F3810790-agenda-anticorrupcion-medidas-a-corto-y-mediano-plazo-a-impulsar-durante-el-gobierno-de-transicion).\n\n### What it covers\n\nThe guide seeks to help Peru’s public institutions reduce the risk of corruption and other misconduct, especially in critical areas such as service provision, public procurement and human resources.\n\nIt provides detailed guidance on the underlying framework and fundamental aspects of integrity risk management plus the four phases: identification, evaluation, mitigation and monitoring\u002Fcontinuous improvement.\n\nBased on international best practices and tailored to Peru’s context, the Guide will strengthen the risk management component of the national Integrity Model that public-sector entities in the country are progressively adopting.\n\n### Another achievement of _Programa GFP_\n\nSince 2015, a dedicated group of [Public Finance Management](https:\u002F\u002Fbaselgovernance.org\u002Fpublic-finance-peru) experts has been assisting subnational governments in 11 regions and municipalities in Peru to improve their management of public finances.\n\n_Programa GFP_, funded by the Swiss State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO) and [extended](https:\u002F\u002Fbaselgovernance.org\u002Fnews\u002Fsubnational-public-finance-management-programme-peru-hits-ground-running-second-phase) by the Peruvian and Swiss governments in 2019, has made significant achievements in the last seven years.\n\nAmong other things, an innovative [training concept](https:\u002F\u002Fbaselgovernance.org\u002Fnews\u002Fperus-innovation-week-showcases-training-concept-our-public-finance-management-team) enabled thousands of public officials to continue building capacity even during the worst of the Covid-19 pandemic. As described in this [excerpt](https:\u002F\u002Fbaselgovernance.org\u002Fsites\u002Fdefault\u002Ffiles\u002F2023-01\u002FPFM%20Peru_annual%20report%20excerpt.pdf) from the Basel Institute’s 2021 Annual Report, technical support by the Programme’s mentors and advisors has enabled the collection of significantly more tax revenue and improved efficiency of essential services such as vaccine rollouts, the provision of school books and waste management.\n\nLearn more about the risk management guide and programme on the [Programa GFP website](https:\u002F\u002Fwww.gfpsubnacional.pe\u002F2023\u002F01\u002F09\u002Fejecutivo-publica-guia-para-gestionar-riesgos-de-corrupcion-en-la-administracion-publica\u002F) (in Spanish).","2023-01-19","peruvian-government-publishes-integrity-risk-management-guidelines-with-support-from-the-basel-institutes-public-finance-management-programme-2342","Peruvian Government publishes integrity risk management guidelines with support from the Basel Institute’s Public Finance Management programme","https:\u002F\u002Fjam.baselgovernance.org\u002Fapi\u002Fassets\u002F50a661d0-e004-4711-a83e-afa956d710d5?width=1000&height=650&format=webp&quality=80",[157],7205,[133],[14],[],2342,[133],[],[],[],[22],[],"2023-01-19T17:01:26.000Z",[],"\u002Fresources\u002Fnews\u002Fperuvian-government-publishes-integrity-risk-management-guidelines-with-support-from-the-basel-institutes-public-finance-management-programme-2342",{"id":172,"body":173,"status":6,"type":10,"date":174,"slug":175,"title":176,"image":177,"countries":178,"topic":179,"activity":180,"tags":183,"nid":207,"topics":208,"activities":209,"authors":210,"images":211,"websites":212,"area":20,"programme":20,"language":20,"translations":213,"translation_of":20,"user_created":53,"date_created":214,"user_updated":55,"date_updated":56,"content":215,"link":216},9610,"Three critical imperatives to tackle the hundreds of billions in illegal funds flowing annually from environmental crimes arose from the latest [OECD-Basel Institute virtual dialogue](https:\u002F\u002Fbaselgovernance.org\u002Fgreen-corruption\u002Fcorrupting-environment) on 17 March.\n\n*   First, proper assessments of financial crime risks arising from environmental crimes, by governments and the private sector.\n*   Second, more proactive cooperation across sectors and countries, through public-private partnerships and similar mechanisms.\n*   Third, applying good ideas and effective tools from other areas of financial crime-fighting to the challenge of environmental crime.\n\nMost of all, everyone everywhere dealing with financial services, crime and risk needs to start working proactively together, because the challenge is tremendous. By many estimates, illegal financial flows from environmental crime surpass those of other serious and organised crimes like drugs, arms and human trafficking, which are often committed by the same actors.\n\nYes, it is a complex and fluid topic. Compared to other crimes there is less information and more grey areas where legal and illegal activity merge. Yes, there are hurdles, like differences in national laws on predicate offences and data protection. But the panellists, representing the views of both the public and the private sectors, were clear: these are not an excuse to wait and watch.\n\nEnvironmental crime remains a top [priority of the FATF](https:\u002F\u002Fwww.fatf-gafi.org\u002Fmedia\u002Ffatf\u002Fdocuments\u002FGerman-Presidency-Priorities.pdf) under the current German presidency, broadening the scope from an initial focus on illegal wildlife trade (IWT) under the 2019 Chinese presidency. The risks that environmental crime poses to sustainable development everywhere are also recognised by the [G7](https:\u002F\u002Fobamawhitehouse.archives.gov\u002Fthe-press-office\u002F2015\u002F06\u002F08\u002Fg-7-leaders-declaration) and will only become more critical as the planet warms and biodiversity degrades. And the [G20](https:\u002F\u002Fobamawhitehouse.archives.gov\u002Fthe-press-office\u002F2015\u002F06\u002F08\u002Fg-7-leaders-declaration) likewise has long highlighted the role that corruption plays in facilitating the illegal trade in wildlife and wildlife products.\n\n### National risk assessments – a fundamental first step\n\nThe first imperative is for both the public and private sectors to properly assess financial crime risks arising from environmental crimes. This starts with incorporating the multi-faceted risks of environmental crimes in national risk assessments, which is still only rarely done. In light of many competing priorities, environmental crimes will otherwise inevitably drop down the priority lists of financial intelligence units (FIUs) and financial institutions, or even off the radars.\n\nIn Malawi, the inclusion of IWT in the [national risk assessment in 2018](https:\u002F\u002Fwww.fia.gov.mw\u002Fpublications\u002FMalawi_2018_NRA_Report.pdf) unlocked the ability for the Financial Intelligence Authority (FIA) to launch systematic efforts to address illegal funds from such crimes. The assessment revealed that, in fact, IWT was one of the most proceeds-generating crimes in the country. Coupled with new investigative powers and efforts to build relationships and awareness among stakeholders including law enforcement, the Department of National Parks and Wildlife and supporting NGOs, Malawi’s FIA has become a [leader in the fight against IWT](https:\u002F\u002Fbaselgovernance.org\u002Fblog\u002Fwant-stop-illegal-wildlife-trade-be-more-malawi).\n\nLessons learned? FIUs may need to push proactively for environmental crimes to be included in the national risk assessment. Then, analysts need specialised training in what is, for many, a new field and particularly challenging in economies where hard-to-trace cash is king. Governments need to provide a clear division of powers and responsibilities among authorities on environmental crimes.\n\nThe other major need for FIUs is cooperation with the private sector. Here the question is: how are financial institutions working to understand and address risks related to environmental crimes?\n\n### Supporting a risk-based approach in the private sector\n\nThe answer: with some exceptions, not yet very well. In a recent [ACAMS Compliance Effectiveness and Risks Survey](https:\u002F\u002Fwww.acams.org\u002Fen\u002Fmedia\u002Fdocument\u002Facams-compliance-effectiveness-and-risks-survey), only a quarter of participating compliance professionals said their institutions were ready to flag transactions potentially linked to wildlife trafficking and other environmental crimes.\n\nSouth Africa-based Absa Group is one financial institution that is developing sophisticated data analysis, transaction monitoring and customer due diligence systems to assess and address its exposure to environmental crime-related risks. This needs high-quality intelligence on local risks related to geography, industry sectors, and customer typologies and activity. Though still in its early stages, the [United for Wildlife Financial Taskforce](https:\u002F\u002Funitedforwildlife.org\u002Fprojects\u002Ffinancial-taskforce\u002F) has been crucial in collating and providing this intelligence (including through a monthly [intelligence bulletin](https:\u002F\u002Funitedforwildlife.us7.list-manage.com\u002Fsubscribe?u=36bb9ba83c68595392655c2fe&id=7d2ca55dea)) as well as facilitating cooperation and knowledge-sharing regionally, internationally and across sectors.\n\nWhile the client risk profiles in (typically) source countries such as South Africa or Malawi look very different to those in financial centres such as Switzerland and Liechtenstein, there is a lot that financial sector actors at different stages of the value chain can still learn from one another.\n\n### Public-private partnerships for proactive cooperation\n\nThis is why cooperation is essential, both among the private sector and between the public and private sectors, to galvanize the potential inherent in the work of all parties who are on the right side of the fight against environmental crime.\n\nFIUs have significant analytical capabilities, as well as access to data and informal cooperation, that are currently underutilised to address environmental crime. The Egmont Group is supporting capacity building and cooperation within FIUs on environmental crimes, including through a recent [report](https:\u002F\u002Fegmontgroup.org\u002Fsites\u002Fdefault\u002Ffiles\u002Ffiledepot\u002Fexternal\u002FECOFEL%20Financial%20Investigations%20into%20Wildlife%20Crime%20Report%20Final%20.pdf), workshops and [eLearning](https:\u002F\u002Fegmontgroup.org\u002Fen\u002Fcontent\u002Fnew-ecofel-elearning-course-%E2%80%93-wildlife-crime). But without proper platforms for public-private cooperation, these efforts will achieve too little.\n\nWhy? Partly because financial institutions and other reporting entities need support and intelligence to help identify suspicious transactions relating to environmental crimes. Partly also as they are sitting on information that can be vital for law enforcement, such as mobile phone numbers that can be used to trace mobile money payments and geolocate suspects.\n\nPublic-private partnerships can also bring in the expertise and knowledge of other actors, from lawyers and accountants to logging or mining companies and NGOs. And they are a proven way to overcome legal barriers to information-sharing. In South Africa, for example, the South Africa Integrated Money Laundering Task Force ([SAMLIT](https:\u002F\u002Fwww.banking.org.za\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2019\u002F12\u002FSAMLIT-Charter-Final-October-2019.pdf)) provides a legal platform for information-sharing among financial institutions and has launched a working group on IWT that integrates the United for Wildlife Financial Taskforce.\n\nCountries have a responsibility to set up and support such mechanisms, which have the potential to transform individual efforts to address illegal funds from environmental crimes into coordinated and effective action.\n\n### What can we learn from other finance-focused partnerships?\n\n[Finance Against Slavery and Trafficking (FAST)](https:\u002F\u002Fwww.fastinitiative.org\u002F), a multi-stakeholder collaboration arising from the Liechtenstein Initiative, has had a transformational effect on financial sector action against modern slavery and human trafficking that can serve as inspiration and a source of practical ideas. The latest report, [_Unlocking Potential: A Blueprint for Mobilizing Finance Against Slavery and Trafficking_](https:\u002F\u002Fwww.fastinitiative.org\u002Fthe-blueprint\u002F), contains five goals and an implementation toolkit through which financial sector actors can work to achieve them through individual and collective action.\n\nThere are many parallels between human trafficking and environmental crime, and much potential for mutual learning from the frameworks, tools and experiences. What could we learn from Brazil’s experience in [establishing a public “dirty list”](https:\u002F\u002Fwww.opendemocracy.net\u002Fen\u002Fbeyond-trafficking-and-slavery\u002Fleonardo-sakamoto-yes\u002F) of citizens and companies caught benefitting from modern slavery? On the policy and regulatory side, experience shows that individual and collective action by the private sector needs support from regulators to push the industry forward and maintain a level playing field.\n\nIn sum: we all need to better understand our risks and better cooperate to address them, taking inspiration and motivation from the initiatives that work. For more inspiration, [watch the full event on YouTube](https:\u002F\u002Fwww.youtube.com\u002Fwatch?v=GRjRsC2AQGs) and learn more about [Green Corruption](https:\u002F\u002Fbaselgovernance.org\u002Fgreen-corruption).\n\n### About the event\n\nTitled _Connecting the dots: Tracing funds from environmental crimes_, the event on 17 March 2021 was part of the [Corrupting the environment](https:\u002F\u002Fbaselgovernance.org\u002Fgreen-corruption\u002Fcorrupting-environment) event series co-hosted by the OECD and the Basel Institute’s Green Corruption team.\n\nModerated by David Lewis, Executive Secretary of the FATF, the panel featured:\n\n*   Olivier de Perregaux, CEO LGT Private Banking, Liechtenstein\n*   Werner Venter, Senior Manager, Financial Crime Intelligence Unit, Absa Group Ltd.\n*   Daniel Thelesklaf, Anti-Money Laundering \u002F Anti-Corruption Expert\n*   Atuweni Juwayeyi-Agbermodji, AML\u002FCFT Program Officer, UNODC Southern Africa; former Director General, Financial Intelligence Agency, Malawi\n\nOur next event on 14 April looks at how behavioural approaches can complement interventions to fight illegal wildlife trade and environmental crimes. You can [register directly here](https:\u002F\u002Fbaselgovernance.zoom.us\u002Fwebinar\u002Fregister\u002FWN_UNofuB6jRI-VLe43E_IH1A).\n\n### Watch on YouTube\n\n\u003Ciframe width=\"560\" height=\"315\" src=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.youtube.com\u002Fembed\u002FGRjRsC2AQGs\" title=\"YouTube video player\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"\">\u003C\u002Fiframe>","2021-04-06","three-things-countries-and-companies-must-do-to-address-illegal-financial-flows-from-environmental-crimes-1999","Three things countries and companies must do to address illegal financial flows from environmental crimes","https:\u002F\u002Fjam.baselgovernance.org\u002Fapi\u002Fassets\u002Fc80d1795-6c2d-4e08-96c0-cf7b9a9e9570?width=1000&height=650&format=webp&quality=80",[],[109],[181,44,182],"Events","Presentations",[184,187,191,195,199,203],{"tags_id":185},{"id":186,"name":41},909,{"tags_id":188},{"id":189,"name":190},1303,"Environment",{"tags_id":192},{"id":193,"name":194},932,"Human rights",{"tags_id":196},{"id":197,"name":198},967,"Organised crime",{"tags_id":200},{"id":201,"name":202},859,"Corruption risks",{"tags_id":204},{"id":205,"name":206},867,"Financial crime",1999,[109],[181,44,182],[],[],[22],[],"2022-05-26T22:53:13.000Z",[],"\u002Fresources\u002Fnews\u002Fthree-things-countries-and-companies-must-do-to-address-illegal-financial-flows-from-environmental-crimes-1999",{"id":218,"body":219,"status":6,"type":10,"date":220,"slug":221,"title":222,"image":223,"countries":224,"topic":225,"activity":226,"tags":227,"nid":242,"topics":243,"activities":244,"authors":245,"images":246,"websites":247,"area":20,"programme":20,"language":20,"translations":248,"translation_of":20,"user_created":53,"date_created":249,"user_updated":55,"date_updated":56,"content":250,"link":251},9621,"Companies dealing with metals and minerals cannot avoid corruption risks, which plague practically every extractive sector at every phase of development, every country and every stage of the supply chain. Both industrial and artisanal mining are vulnerable, though in different ways.\n\nThe risks are set to grow as demand balloons for metals such as cobalt and copper that are needed for the green energy transition. The impact of corruption on a producing country’s development is deep and systemic. And it opens the gates to a flood of other risks, from environmental degradation to human rights abuses and conflict financing. How to deal with it?\n\nThat was the question at the heart of a virtual discussion on transparency and accountability in mineral supply chains hosted by the [OECD](http:\u002F\u002Fwww.oecd.org\u002F) and [Green Corruption](https:\u002F\u002Fbaselgovernance.org\u002Fgreen-corruption) team of the Basel Institute on Governance on 23 February 2021. Attended by 120+ participants, the event brought together expert perspectives from standard-setters, NGOs and industry.\n\n### How companies can protect themselves and their supply chains\n\nSince its adoption in 2011, the [OECD _Due Diligence Guidance for Responsible Supply Chains of Minerals_](https:\u002F\u002Fwww.oecd.org\u002Fcorporate\u002Fmne\u002Fmining.htm) – now in its third edition – has been the gold standard in recommendations to identify and mitigate supply chain risks including corruption. Trade associations with serious responsible sourcing commitments have based their own standards on these guidelines. One example is the [responsible sourcing standard of the London Metal Exchange](https:\u002F\u002Fwww.lme.com\u002Fen-GB\u002FAbout\u002FResponsibility\u002FResponsible-sourcing), which consulted widely to adapt the OECD guidance to industry specificities, as well as to the growing legal requirements on anti-corruption and human rights due diligence.\n\nThe OECD’s forthcoming [FAQs](https:\u002F\u002Fbaselgovernance.org\u002Fnews\u002Fwelcoming-oecds-new-faqs-corruption-risks-mineral-supply-chains), which will be presented at the [Forum on Responsible Mineral Supply Chains](https:\u002F\u002Fmneguidelines.oecd.org\u002Fforum-responsible-mineral-supply-chains.htm) on April 26th, are designed to help companies use the OECD due diligence framework to address corruption risks. The publication covers 12 questions and answers on practical issues such as what to check for when conducting corruption risk assessments on high-risk suppliers and what to do if risks are identified at any point in the supply chain.\n\nPanellists converged around the idea that protecting against corruption risks needs proactive management. This may include:\n\n*   understanding vulnerabilities and identifying red flags with the help of NGOs, open-source information and OECD guidance (for example on [artisanal mining](https:\u002F\u002Fwww.oecd.org\u002Finvestment\u002FFAQ_Sourcing-Gold-from-ASM-Miners.pdf), [child labour](https:\u002F\u002Fmneguidelines.oecd.org\u002Fchild-labour-risks-in-the-minerals-supply-chain.htm) or [cobalt and copper sourcing in the DRC](https:\u002F\u002Fmneguidelines.oecd.org\u002Finterconnected-supply-chains-a-comprehensive-look-at-due-diligence-challenges-and-opportunities-sourcing-cobalt-and-copper-from-the-drc.htm));\n*   following the money, by conducting targeted financial audits and analysing payments to governments disclosed in [Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative](https:\u002F\u002Feiti.org\u002F) (EITI) reports;\n*   active reporting on corruption risks throughout the supply chain and not waiting for hard evidence or convictions before acting. The biggest corruption risk is before a conviction, not after, as the case of [Glencore and corruption risks in the Congo](https:\u002F\u002Fresourcematters.org\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2019\u002F04\u002FResourceMatters-SeeNoEvil-CobaltCorruptionRisks-Apr-2019.pdf) illustrates;\n*   engaging with other companies and stakeholders through [Collective Action](https:\u002F\u002Fbaselgovernance.org\u002Fcollective-action), in order to achieve stronger leverage and solve shared corruption and due diligence challenges;\n*   the inclusion of specific [anti-corruption clauses](https:\u002F\u002Ficcwbo.org\u002Fpublication\u002Ficc-anti-corruption-clause\u002F) in contracts that may give buyers the right to audit revenue flows that raise concerns;\n*   systems to improve traceability and transparency, which may include [blockchain technologies](http:\u002F\u002Fmneguidelines.oecd.org\u002Fis-there-a-role-for-blockchain-in-responsible-supply-chains.htm) – although companies should keep in mind that there is no simple technological fix.\n\n### How countries can cooperate to improve standards in mining\n\nCorruption in mining has much in common with corruption in forestry and other natural resource sectors. Studies in Indonesia and elsewhere show the same old tricks: bribery, embezzlement, money laundering, tax fraud, undisclosed royalty payments and non-compliance with regulations.\n\nThere is widespread evidence of rampant petty corruption on the ground, in part due to the use of intermediaries and high levels of discretion of local officials, and of obscene grand corruption schemes between political and business elites – the [Gertler](https:\u002F\u002Fwww.nytimes.com\u002F2021\u002F02\u002F21\u002Fus\u002Fpolitics\u002Fdan-gertler-sanctions.html) and [Steinmetz](https:\u002F\u002Fwww.swissinfo.ch\u002Feng\u002Fswiss-court-hands-diamond-magnate-five-year-prison-sentence-\u002F46309514) cases being only the most high-profile.\n\nSuccessful investigations and prosecutions are few and far between (why, is something the Basel Institute is [working to better understand](https:\u002F\u002Fbaselgovernance.org\u002Fnews\u002Fanti-corruption-approaches-protect-biodiversity-launch-new-green-corruption-collaboration-tnrc)). Prevention is key, and this needs increased cooperation in particular:\n\n*   between the public and private sectors, especially in proactive information-sharing between companies and financial institutions with law enforcement;\n*   between countries, through a carrot-and-stick combination of international pressure, investment from countries that value transparency and accountability, and support for strengthening legal frameworks and capacity;\n*   between law enforcement agencies, as money laundering schemes cross many borders and green corruption investigations often arise from information transmitted spontaneously by foreign law enforcement counterparts;\n*   with local civil society representatives that dare to speak up against corruption in their country, because ultimately change to a deeply corrupt political context needs to come from within.\n\nA basic step to improve international cooperation and harmonisation of standards – and avoid the “race to the bottom” in environmental, human rights and anti-corruption issues – is to implement the OECD Due Diligence Guidance into national and regional policies, as China did in 2015. There are concerns that the European Union’s proposed update to the [2006 Batteries Directive](https:\u002F\u002Fec.europa.eu\u002Fcommission\u002Fpresscorner\u002Fdetail\u002Fen\u002Fip_20_2312) does not yet specifically include corruption risks highlighted in the Guidance – something which, as this panel discussion showed, is absolutely crucial to the integrity of mineral supply chains in all senses.\n\n### With thanks to our panel\n\n*   Louis Maréchal, Sector Lead, Minerals & Extractives, Centre for Responsible Business Conduct, OECD (moderator)\n*   Laode Syarif, Executive Director, Kemitraan and Former Vice Chairman, Corruption Eradication Commission of the Republic of Indonesia\n*   Elisabeth Caesens, Director, Resource Matters\n*   Hugo Brodie, Vice President - Sustainability, London Metal Exchange\n*   Luca Maiotti, Policy Analyst, Minerals Team, Centre for Responsible Business Conduct, OECD\n\nLearn more about the OECD-Basel Institute [Corrupting the environment series](https:\u002F\u002Fbaselgovernance.org\u002Fgreen-corruption\u002Fcorrupting-environment) and register now for upcoming events on [following the money](https:\u002F\u002Fbaselgovernance.zoom.us\u002Fwebinar\u002Fregister\u002FWN_Pa5XVdTNQ-2v15BhFlOChg) (17 March) and applying [behavioural insights](https:\u002F\u002Fbaselgovernance.zoom.us\u002Fwebinar\u002Fregister\u002FWN_UNofuB6jRI-VLe43E_IH1A) to fight green corruption (14 April).","2021-03-03","protecting-mineral-supply-chains-from-green-corruption-risks-1978","Protecting mineral supply chains from green corruption risks","https:\u002F\u002Fjam.baselgovernance.org\u002Fapi\u002Fassets\u002Fb67b0e87-6629-4f91-9ed9-4435fd1ba467?width=1000&height=650&format=webp&quality=80",[],[109],[181,182,111],[228,230,234,238],{"tags_id":229},{"id":189,"name":190},{"tags_id":231},{"id":232,"name":233},1236,"Compliance",{"tags_id":235},{"id":236,"name":237},830,"Business integrity",{"tags_id":239},{"id":240,"name":241},1380,"Sustainability",1978,[109],[181,182,111],[],[],[22],[],"2022-05-26T22:53:23.000Z",[],"\u002Fresources\u002Fnews\u002Fprotecting-mineral-supply-chains-from-green-corruption-risks-1978",{"id":253,"body":254,"status":6,"type":10,"date":255,"slug":256,"title":257,"image":258,"countries":259,"topic":261,"activity":262,"tags":265,"nid":266,"topics":267,"activities":268,"authors":269,"images":270,"websites":271,"area":20,"programme":20,"language":20,"translations":272,"translation_of":20,"user_created":53,"date_created":273,"user_updated":145,"date_updated":274,"content":275,"link":276},10416,"Better management of public infrastructure projects could save significant amounts of taxpayers’ money and result in better buildings, roads and bridges. But the public officials managing the projects are often unaware of academic frameworks and tools that could help them to manage the investments more efficiently and transparently.\n\nA new academic course developed by our Subnational Public Finance Management Strengthening Programme ([Programa GFP](https:\u002F\u002Fwww.gfpsubnacional.pe\u002F)) and the University of Piura seeks to address that issue for public officials in Peru.\n\nFocused on public procurement and infrastructure, the course is designed to enhance the skills of public officials by providing them with academic insights that are directly applicable to their work. In this way, the course connects academic knowledge with real-world practice.\n\nDelivered virtually to meet the needs of officials working across Peru, the course covers the intricacies of project implementation, from bidding processes to completion. Fourty-one representatives of local governments received scholarships from the [Swiss SECO Cooperation in Peru](https:\u002F\u002Fwww.seco-cooperation.admin.ch\u002Fsecocoop\u002Fen\u002Fhome\u002Flaender\u002Fperu.html) to attend the first edition of the course, which began in January 2024.\n\n### Public investments at risk\n\nInvestment in infrastructure is a fundamental fiscal tool for promoting a country’s growth, but it can also be plagued by problems of mismanagement and inefficiency.\n\nAccording to Professor Huaita, Director of the Department of Economics at the University of Piura, most infrastructure investment in Peru takes place at the subnational level. Regions and towns across Peru could benefit hugely from public investment in basic infrastructure like hospitals, schools, transport and bridges. It is therefore especially important that potential losses and inefficiencies are minimised.\n\nOur team’s [research](https:\u002F\u002Fbaselgovernance.org\u002Fnews\u002Flarge-public-investment-projects-large-challenges-new-analysis-peru) shows that in Peru, approximately 40 percent of potential returns from infrastructure investments are lost because of complications in managing the projects. This is especially due to delays in the awarding of public tenders and the interruption of investments during a project’s execution.\n\nProfessor Huaita comments:\n\n> Without proper management of investments, any benefits can be substantially reduced… projects are delayed, lose funding… there is waste of resources due to inefficient procurement processes, cost overruns due to corruption, and projects do not respond to adequate territorial planning.\n\n### From theory to practice to strengthen integrity\n\n[The new course](https:\u002F\u002Fwww.udep.edu.pe\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2024\u002F01\u002FBrochure-P.E-Gestion-de-la-Inversion-Publica-2024-I-.pdf) takes a comprehensive approach to these challenges. It addresses the issues faced by local government officials in their interactions with the national investment management system.\n\nParticipants engage in real-world problem-solving scenarios under the guidance of the course facilitators, who are experts in infrastructure projects, public-private partnerships, administrative law, public contracts, management and finance. A hands-on approach ensures that participants gain practical knowledge which is directly applicable to their roles in government and can be immediately employed in their day-to-day work.\n\nThe 112-hour course will be delivered in five modules. In the breaks in between modules, participants can try out their new knowledge before returning to the class to discuss their experiences.\n\n### Learn more\n\n*   See the [news item](https:\u002F\u002Fwww.gfpsubnacional.pe\u002F2024\u002F01\u002F04\u002Fprograma-gfp-subnacional-lanza-novedosa-especializacion-en-gestion-de-la-inversion-publica\u002F) (in Spanish) on the website of our Programa GFP Subnacional. Funded by the Swiss State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO) since 2015, the programme supports 11 local and regional governments in Peru to build capacity to manage public finances and to recover stolen funds.\n*   See the [course brochure](https:\u002F\u002Fwww.udep.edu.pe\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2024\u002F01\u002FBrochure-P.E-Gestion-de-la-Inversion-Publica-2024-I-.pdf) (in Spanish).\n*   Read a related report about the challenges of public investment at the subnational level in Peru: [_Desafíos para la ejecución de grandes proyectos de inversión desde los gobiernos subnacionales del Perú_](https:\u002F\u002Fwww.gfpsubnacional.pe\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2023\u002F02\u002FDesafios-para-la-ejecucion-de-grandes-proyectos.pdf) or see the [executive summary in English](https:\u002F\u002Fbaselgovernance.org\u002Fnews\u002Flarge-public-investment-projects-large-challenges-new-analysis-peru).","2024-02-08","managing-public-investments-in-infrastructure-novel-course-in-peru-connects-theory-and-practice-2581","Managing public investments in infrastructure: novel course in Peru connects theory and practice","https:\u002F\u002Fjam.baselgovernance.org\u002Fapi\u002Fassets\u002F2ba4d487-b350-4302-90d2-12bcdff3ad69?width=1000&height=650&format=webp&quality=80",[260],7137,[133],[263,264],"Courses","Training",[],2581,[133],[263,264],[],[],[22],[],"2024-02-08T17:01:32.000Z","2026-05-08T21:17:38.000Z",[],"\u002Fresources\u002Fnews\u002Fmanaging-public-investments-in-infrastructure-novel-course-in-peru-connects-theory-and-practice-2581",{"id":278,"body":279,"status":6,"type":33,"date":280,"slug":281,"title":282,"image":283,"countries":284,"topic":286,"activity":287,"tags":288,"nid":289,"topics":290,"activities":291,"authors":292,"images":293,"websites":294,"area":20,"programme":20,"language":20,"translations":295,"translation_of":20,"user_created":53,"date_created":296,"user_updated":95,"date_updated":297,"content":298,"link":299},10133,"In Québec, construction is a major industry, with investments in 2014 of nearly $48 billion (CAN$), or 13% of the province’s GDP.  Québec construction association (Association de la construction du Québec or ACQ) represents more than 60% of the province’s builders. But Canada’s second largest province has been through a major crisis of confidence after investigative journalists uncovered  corruption and collusion in public construction contracts.  This led authorities to launch a public Inquiry in 2011.\n\nThe Commission of Inquiry on the Awarding and Management of Public Contracts in the Construction Industry, also known as the Charbonneau Commission, uncovered various collusion and corruption schemes, whose main consequences were distorting the free market and open competition, increasing costs, and impacting public finances – to say nothing of the reputations of those who were directly or even indirectly involved.\n\nThese manoeuvres also cost the industry very dearly in terms of the reputation and respect of tens of thousands of contractors and workers who saw their reputations tarnished and their pride undermined by unscrupulous individuals. These people have also been the target of anger, indignation, exasperation, cynicism and contempt from a growing number of citizens.\n\nFor the ACQ, clearly, there needs to be recognition that due to the nature of the crisis, no legislative, regulatory or structural change can forever eradicate the potential for collusion and corruption, nor can such measures rebuild integrity, a _sine qua non_ condition of citizens’ trust in institutions.\n\nInspired by this pragmatic message, the ACQ created an integrity program, which is the outcome of a rigorous, in-depth process and that led its president, Ms Manon Bertrand, to conclude: “While we are all responsible for our actions, the industry must be proactive in order to project an image that truly reflects its values and its essential contribution to Québec society. In practice, all stakeholders need to equip themselves with appropriate tools for best using their judgment and assuming the obligations incumbent upon them with full transparency.”\n\nACQ made a commitment to change\n-------------------------------\n\nSince 2010, the ACQ has committed to finding solutions to help the industry. As such, it tasked the Centre interuniversitaire de recherche en analyse des organisations (Centre for Interuniversity Research and Analysis of Organizations — [CIRANO](http:\u002F\u002Fwww.cirano.qc.ca\u002Fen) with a research assignment that identified various methods for detecting and preventing collusion in public markets.\n\nRight away, the tool proved to be of interest, but for the ACQ, we needed to take it further. As such, in January 2013, the ACQ tasked CIRANO with a second mandate: to suggest solutions that will help honest entrepreneurs to demonstrate their integrity.\n\nOne year later, CIRANO submitted its report ([executive summary](https:\u002F\u002Fwww.acq.org\u002Ffiles\u002Fpdf\u002Fservices\u002Fintegrite\u002Fen\u002FCiranoIntegrityinQuebecsConstuctionIndustry.pdf)), in which it recommended the creation of a collective action model to fight industry corruption. The approach it proposed is inspired by a guide developed by the World Bank Institute, which in turn showcases a model put into place by the Bavarian Building Industry Federation in Germany (Bauindustrie Bayern, [EMB Werte management](https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bauindustrie-bayern.de\u002Fthemen\u002Femb-wertemanagement\u002Femb-wertemanagement-bau-ev\u002F)).\n\nThis proposal led to an effective partnership, which enabled the ACQ to implement: an integrity program tailored to the realities of Québec’s construction industry; a professional assistance service for companies; easy-to-use tools tailored to the industry; an independent certification process.\n\nThe steps of the ACQ integrity program\n--------------------------------------\n\nThe ACQ integrity program is a unique model in Québec that combines tangible business management tools with training on ethics-related decision-making. To ensure that the integrity program is tailored to Québec realities, pilot projects were carried out with six companies of different sizes and types of expertise. The analysis carried out by the CIRANO team, completed in February 2015, indicates that this experimental phase helped “strengthen the integrity program’s credibility.” The program’s main steps are:\n\n*   Commitment from management\n*   Appoint program managers (integrity agent)\n*   Carry out the initial diagnosis\n*   Determine values\n*   Develop a charter of values and a code of conduct\n*   Define the risk\n*   Create simple yet rigorous process\n*   Train high risk people\n*   Inform and raise awareness among all employees\n*   Certification on audit and renewal\n\nSince more than 80% of construction companies comprise five or fewer employees, many of them do not have the time, materials or resources to put such a system into place. For this reason, the ACQ’s assistance service is a crucial element in implementing the program. ACQ professionals have created an “Integrity Kit,” a turnkey product, Templates to personalise for each of the suggested documents,\n\nIn the spring of 2014, six ACQ member companies – varying in size from 5 to 500 employees – agreed to take part in pilot projects. Participants of the pilot projects had the opportunity to share a brief summary of their experience in these videos. Here is one of these testimonials (French audio with English subtitles).\n\n*   [ACQ Integrity Program - Why](https:\u002F\u002Fwww.youtube.com\u002Fwatch?v=R-FGdM7tfDw)\n*   [ACQ Integrity Program - How](https:\u002F\u002Fwww.youtube.com\u002Fwatch?v=8CQZ_mLwco8)\n*   [ACQ Integrity Program - Lessons Learned](https:\u002F\u002Fwww.youtube.com\u002Fwatch?v=5-a1rKD2xUw)\n\nThe certification process\n-------------------------\n\nThe certification program is currently being developed. The ACQ favours the creation of an independent, not-for-profit organisation tasked with auditing, checking and certifying the businesses that take part in the program.\n\nThese experiences seem to prove that a crisis such as the one our industry is currently undergoing is, to be sure, a significant problem with clearly felt consequences; but, at the same time, it has served to challenge the lax approach and social disengagement that had too long guided certain business practices.\n\nWhile contractors must win back lost trust by implementing healthy governance practices, this culture change must be driven by effective methods that rely on principles of sustainable development in order to foster companies’ economic longevity.\n\nTo accomplish this, all stakeholders must contribute, so that the new rules of the game truly fit with the construction industry’s values and needs. Still in its infancy, this collective action will grow quickly, guided by those who choose to get involved in the project rather than stand on the sidelines.\n\nThe ACQ now wants to ensure engagement by clients in both the public and private sectors. There remains much to accomplish, and new partnerships are key. Clients need to have a voice in this process, among others by getting involved in managing the independent organization that will lead, audit, certify and re-evaluate the set of processes that entrepreneurs must follow. Let’s learn from our experiences, and let’s all put our shoulders to the wheel to help the Québec construction industry – a key pillar of our economy – in its recovery.\n\nACQ’s team has been at been at work mobilising stakeholders and the certification project is getting more support each day.  Since the official a launch of the program in June 2015 and the publication of a [white paper](https:\u002F\u002Fwww.acq.org\u002Ffiles\u002Fpdf\u002Fservices\u002Fintegrite\u002Fen\u002FWhitePaper_Integrity.pdf), many more construction companies have since started to implement the integrity program.\n\nThe Charbonneau Commission will publish its recommendations after 3 years of inquiry on November 30th at the latest.  We yet have to find out if the Commission will recognise the effort made by the ACQ. Whatever the outcome, ACQ plans to follow through with the projects.\n\nFind out more about the [Québec construction association integrity initiative](https:\u002F\u002Fwww.acq.org\u002Fenglish\u002F).\n\n_[www.twitter.com\u002Facqprovinciale](https:\u002F\u002Ftwitter.com\u002Facqprovinciale)_","2015-10-19","quebec-construction-association039s-integrity-program-a-tool-for-re-establishing-trust-through-collective-action-269","Quebec Construction Association's Integrity Program: a tool for re-establishing trust through Collective Action","\u002Fpics\u002Fimg-placeholder.png",[285],7683,[41,42],[44],[],269,[41,42],[44],[],[],[22,41],[],"2022-05-26T22:59:05.000Z","2026-04-15T22:28:49.000Z",[],"\u002Fresources\u002Fnews\u002Fquebec-construction-association039s-integrity-program-a-tool-for-re-establishing-trust-through-collective-action-269",{"left":301,"top":301,"width":302,"height":302,"rotate":301,"vFlip":303,"hFlip":303,"body":304},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>",1780676440654]