[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":275},["ShallowReactive",2],{"news-mark-pieth-appointed-extraordinary-professor-at-the-university-of-the-western-cape-980":3,"news-mark-pieth-appointed-extraordinary-professor-at-the-university-of-the-western-cape-980-similar":64,"i-heroicons:arrow-left-20-solid":270},[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":18,"topics":19,"activities":20,"programme":21,"area":21,"websites":22,"language":21,"image":24,"translation_of":21,"countries":36,"tags":59,"authors":60,"images":61,"translations":62,"content":63},9821,"published","2022-05-26T22:56:10.000Z","2026-04-27T21:01:49.000Z","Mark Pieth appointed Extraordinary Professor at the University of the Western Cape","News","[Mark Pieth](https:\u002F\u002Fwww.baselgovernance.org\u002Fabout\u002Fpeople\u002Fmark-pieth), Professor of Criminal Law at the University of Basel and founder\u002FPresident of the Board of the Basel Institute, has been appointed to the [University of the Western Cape](https:\u002F\u002Fwww.uwc.ac.za\u002FPages\u002Fdefault.aspx) in South Africa as an Extraordinary Professor.\n\nUnder the three-year appointment, which started on 1 August, he will be affiliated to and work with the University's [Department of Criminal Justice and Procedure](https:\u002F\u002Fwww.uwc.ac.za\u002FFaculties\u002FLAW\u002FCriminalJusticeProc\u002FPages\u002Fdefault.aspx).\n\nProfessor Pieth and his team have been teaching at the University of the Western Cape for well over 10 years as part of the Masters course on Transnational Criminal Justice. The students that take this challenging course are selected from applicants from all over Africa and have, according to Prof. Pieth, not only a high academic standard but also frequently professional experience.\n\nProf. Pieth and his team look forward to strengthening ties with the University and exploring new ways of collaboration as a result of this appointment.","2019-08-05",[14],"","mark-pieth-appointed-extraordinary-professor-at-the-university-of-the-western-cape-980",[17],"Training",980,[],[17],null,[23],"Main page",{"id":25,"storage":26,"filename_disk":27,"filename_download":28,"title":9,"type":29,"created_on":30,"modified_on":31,"charset":21,"filesize":32,"width":33,"height":34,"duration":21,"embed":21,"description":21,"location":21,"tags":21,"metadata":35,"focal_point_x":21,"focal_point_y":21,"tus_id":21,"tus_data":21,"uploaded_on":31},"63c2d14d-9408-465e-bb1a-279dd9b044e4","local","63c2d14d-9408-465e-bb1a-279dd9b044e4.webp","capetownllmworkshop.webp","image\u002Fwebp","2025-05-12T21:21:54.000Z","2026-05-06T07:34:23.000Z",145364,1200,1055,{},[37],{"id":38,"news_id":39,"countries_id":53},7454,{"id":5,"status":6,"user_created":40,"date_created":7,"user_updated":41,"date_updated":8,"title":9,"type":10,"body":11,"image":25,"date":12,"topic":42,"slug":15,"activity":43,"nid":18,"topics":44,"activities":45,"programme":21,"area":21,"websites":46,"translation_of":21,"language":21,"countries":47,"tags":48,"authors":49,"images":50,"translations":51,"content":52},"03bebfd8-0b40-4a2a-820d-b9d9c13b9de6","3d9ff205-1640-4f34-b5b6-86977f51bbd6",[14],[17],[],[17],[23],[38],[],[],[],[],[],{"id":54,"name":55,"code":56,"latitude":57,"longitude":58},243,"South Africa","ZA",-30.55948,22.93751,[],[],[],[],[],[65,89,111,139,164,183,204,226,246],{"id":66,"body":67,"status":6,"type":14,"date":68,"slug":69,"title":70,"image":71,"countries":72,"topic":73,"activity":75,"tags":76,"nid":77,"topics":78,"activities":79,"authors":80,"images":81,"websites":82,"area":21,"programme":21,"language":21,"translations":83,"translation_of":21,"user_created":40,"date_created":84,"user_updated":85,"date_updated":86,"content":87,"link":88},10042,"Mark Pieth has been appointed by the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) as one of the three independent persons to its newly created Vetting Panel. The IAAF has been in the spotlight in recent years in relation to corruption in the way it was managing the sport,  culminating in the Russian doping scandal and the banning of the former President of the IAAF and the former treasurer from the sport for life. \n\nIn late 2016, the President of the IAAF, Lord Coe, obtained approval from the members for a set of reforms and new governance structure for the IAAF which included an independent panel of experts to oversee and assess the eligibility of new and existing officials being put forward for, or continuing to serve in roles at the Association. \n\nJoining Mark on the panel are Akere Muna, an Independent Sanctions Commissioner at the African Development Bank and Don Mackinnon, managing partner at New Zealand-based employment law firm SBM Legal.\n\n[Read more](https:\u002F\u002Fwww.insidethegames.biz\u002Farticles\u002F1047452\u002Fiaaf-appoints-inaugural-vetting-panel-members-as-governance-reforms-continue)","2017-02-27","mark-pieth-appointed-to-iaaf-vetting-panel-133","Mark Pieth appointed to IAAF Vetting Panel","\u002Fpics\u002Fimg-placeholder.png",[],[74],"Private Sector",[14],[],133,[74],[],[],[],[23],[],"2022-05-26T22:58:33.000Z","b0662e2a-864d-4888-a1b7-4342b7570b30","2025-08-31T23:14:59.000Z",[],"\u002Fresources\u002Fnews\u002Fmark-pieth-appointed-to-iaaf-vetting-panel-133",{"id":90,"body":91,"status":6,"type":14,"date":92,"slug":93,"title":94,"image":71,"countries":95,"topic":97,"activity":99,"tags":100,"nid":101,"topics":102,"activities":103,"authors":104,"images":105,"websites":106,"area":21,"programme":21,"language":21,"translations":107,"translation_of":21,"user_created":40,"date_created":108,"user_updated":85,"date_updated":86,"content":109,"link":110},10057,"Basel Institute Chairman and criminal law expert Mark Pieth and Nobel-prize winning economist Joseph E. Stiglitz have just released their analysis of the issues revealed by the so-called “Panama papers”.\n\nWhile the Panama Papers describe what was happening behind the secrecy, the Stiglitz and Pieth report entitled _Overcoming the Shadow Economy_ focuses on what can and must be done, both by the international community and by the secrecy havens, to increase transparency.\n\nThe two experts have previously been appointed to and then resigned from Panama’s official effort to clean up its financial sector; the report is the result of their separate analysis. To read the full report [click here](http:\u002F\u002Flibrary.fes.de\u002Fpdf-files\u002Fiez\u002F12922.pdf).","2016-12-06","secrecy-has-to-be-tackled-globally-stiglitz-and-pieth-produce-their-own-panama-report-146","Secrecy has to be tackled globally: Stiglitz and Pieth produce their own Panama report",[96],7619,[98],"Anti-Money Laundering",[14],[],146,[98],[],[],[],[23],[],"2022-05-26T22:58:39.000Z",[],"\u002Fresources\u002Fnews\u002Fsecrecy-has-to-be-tackled-globally-stiglitz-and-pieth-produce-their-own-panama-report-146",{"id":112,"body":113,"status":6,"type":114,"date":115,"slug":116,"title":117,"image":118,"countries":119,"topic":120,"activity":123,"tags":125,"nid":126,"topics":127,"activities":129,"authors":130,"images":132,"websites":133,"area":21,"programme":21,"language":21,"translations":134,"translation_of":21,"user_created":40,"date_created":135,"user_updated":41,"date_updated":136,"content":137,"link":138},9759,"Mark Pieth, Professor Emeritus of the University of Basel President of the Board of the Basel Institute on Governance, offers an insight into the risks of human rights and environmental harms in gold supply chains. \n\nWhere are the risks and responsibilities? Collective Action with gold refineries, suppliers and other stakeholders, he concludes, could help ensure more responsible and sustainable sourcing of gold.\n\n### What is gold laundering?\n\nOn its way from the ground to your wedding ring or mobile phone, gold passes through a chain of transactions and transformations. It is traded, collated, processed, shipped or smuggled across borders – all multiple times by different actors - and then refined. \n\nOne of the challenges caused by the complexity of supply chains is that the gold we buy is easily disconnected from anything criminal or unethical that may have happened in the past. The trading of gold can therefore be misused in similar ways that criminals use complex financial transactions to obscure the money’s origins in crime and corruption.\n\n### What are potential risks in gold supply chains?\n\nEnvironmental risks in the gold industry range from [deforestation](https:\u002F\u002Fedition.cnn.com\u002F2019\u002F02\u002F08\u002Fworld\u002Fgold-mining-deforestation-peru-record-levels-trnd\u002Findex.html) to contamination of land, air and water with [mercury](https:\u002F\u002Fwww.wired.com\u002Fstory\u002Fmercury-poisoning-gold-mines\u002F) and [cyanide](https:\u002F\u002Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\u002Fpubmed\u002F15369321). \n\nWhen mines are decommissioned, there is a risk of [acid, radioactive water](https:\u002F\u002Fwww.earthmagazine.org\u002Farticle\u002Fall-glitters-acid-mine-drainage-toxic-legacy-gold-mining-south-africa) seeping out and contaminating the local area. All too frequently, there are also [accidents](https:\u002F\u002Fwww.mining-technology.com\u002Ffeatures\u002Ffeatureshould-cyanide-still-be-used-in-modern-day-mining-4809245\u002F) involving collapsed or leaking chemical pools. [Profits from illegal gold mining](https:\u002F\u002Fwww.miamiherald.com\u002Fnews\u002Flocal\u002Fcommunity\u002Fmiami-dade\u002Farticle194187699.html) can be higher than those from drug trafficking. Gold is known to have fuelled serious conflict, for example in the [Democratic Republic of the Congo](https:\u002F\u002Fthesentry.org\u002Freports\u002Fthe-golden-laundromat\u002F) and [Sudan](https:\u002F\u002Fwww.reuters.com\u002Farticle\u002Fus-sudan-gold-exclusive\u002Fexclusive-sudan-militia-leader-grew-rich-by-selling-gold-idUSKBN1Y01DQ). \n\nGold has also been used to fund [violent organised crime](https:\u002F\u002Fwww.theguardian.com\u002Fglobal-development\u002F2016\u002Faug\u002F16\u002Fillegal-mines-local-mafia-take-shine-off-latin-american-gold-peru), in particular in Latin America. \n\nAn estimated one million children work illegally in the mining industry, from [underwater gold mining](https:\u002F\u002Fwww.hrw.org\u002Freport\u002F2015\u002F09\u002F29\u002Fwhat-if-something-went-wrong\u002Fhazardous-child-labor-small-scale-gold-mining) in the Philippines to digging and panning amid heavy dust and mercury, for example in [Tanzania](https:\u002F\u002Fwww.reuters.com\u002Farticle\u002Fus-tanzania-mining-children-feature\u002Ftanzania-struggles-to-end-child-labor-from-the-lure-of-gold-idUSKBN176007) and [Uganda](https:\u002F\u002Fwww.theguardian.com\u002Fglobal-development\u002F2016\u002Fmay\u002F20\u002Fchild-labour-uganda-gold-mines-silence-far-from-golden).  \n\nAnother potential risk related to all types of mining is the displacement of indigenous communities. This can happen after governments try to [attract foreign investment by granting mining licences](https:\u002F\u002Fearthworks.org\u002Fstories\u002Fwassa_ghana\u002F) or simply through [corruption and intimidation](https:\u002F\u002Fwww.scmp.com\u002Fnews\u002Fworld\u002Fafrica\u002Farticle\u002F2142852\u002Fchinese-gold-mining-brings-killings-land-grabs-and-corruption).\n\n### Strong incentives to mitigate the risks\n\nAside from laws on responsible business conduct and conflict minerals, the gold industry is mostly self-regulated. \n\nCompanies may choose to commit to voluntary standards developed by industry associations including the [LBMA](http:\u002F\u002Fwww.lbma.org.uk\u002Fresponsible-sourcing), [Responsible Jewellery Council](https:\u002F\u002Fwww.responsiblejewellery.com\u002F) and [World Gold Council](https:\u002F\u002Fwww.gold.org\u002Fwhat-we-do). \n\nThis voluntary system relies on third-party audits and is not enforced by law. However, there are strong non-legal incentives to mitigate the risks in gold supply chains. \n\nThanks to the work of investigative journalists and NGOs such as Human Rights Watch and Public Eye, awareness of the issues is growing fast. Younger generations are embracing ethical consumerism and demanding products that haven’t harmed the planet or its people. \n\nSome jewellers and watchmakers, such as [Chopard](https:\u002F\u002Fwww.chopard.com\u002Fintl\u002Fresponsible-sourcing) and A. Favre & Fils, whose owner Laurent Favre is a founding member of the [Swiss Better Gold Association](https:\u002F\u002Fwww.swissbettergold.ch\u002F), have started to pledge that they will only source gold from certified “green” or “ethical” sources. [Investors are also increasingly attentive to the environmental, social and governance risks](https:\u002F\u002Fwww.economist.com\u002Fbusiness\u002F2020\u002F02\u002F06\u002Fgold-companies-try-to-restore-their-sparkle) of the gold trade. \n\nIn my book _Gold Laundering_ I highlight the role of refineries, particularly in Switzerland, where most of the world’s gold is refined. This is not because the refineries are involved in illegal activities, but because they are located at a critical point in the gold supply chain. After the gold has been refined, it is almost impossible to trace its true origin. \n\nThis makes gold refineries potentially powerful players in efforts to ensure that gold supply chains are as clean as possible.\n\n### Spot-cleaning is not a solution\n\nWhen companies act alone to escape a common problem, their actions may have unforeseen and potentially negative consequences for others and in the long term. \n\nAn example is the action of one Swiss refinery that, with the aim of ensuring a more traceable and transparent gold supply chain, [imposed a blanket ban](https:\u002F\u002Fwww.swissinfo.ch\u002Feng\u002Fcompliance-costs_swiss-gold-refinery-turns-back-on-artisanal-miners\u002F45036052) on all gold from small-scale miners. \n\n[Boycotting small-scale mining](https:\u002F\u002Fwww.swissinfo.ch\u002Feng\u002Fopinion_metalor--mark-pieth-gold\u002F45037966), however, will harm and not help the estimated 100 million people worldwide who rely on it for their livelihoods. It is also not an action that will help the industry or consumers concerned about human rights. \n\nSmall-scale mining contributes around [20 percent of the world’s newly mined gold](https:\u002F\u002Fwww.worldbank.org\u002Fen\u002Ftopic\u002Fextractiveindustries\u002Fbrief\u002Fartisanal-and-small-scale-mining) and large-scale gold mining is not risk-free.\n\n### Collective Action: a golden opportunity\n\nBy coming together in [Collective Action](https:\u002F\u002Fwww.baselgovernance.org\u002Fcollective-action), major players in the gold refining sector and other stakeholders can find real, practical solutions to some of the risks and problems I have listed above. \n\nHow about this as a first step? Most stakeholders agree on the urgent need to strengthen the third-party audits that are supposed to enforce the system of self-regulation. The OECD and others have criticised these audits as weak, leaving the whole approach of industry self-regulation open to question. \n\nOther areas of potential collaboration and support could be technologies to eliminate the use of mercury or blockchain technologies to increase the transparency of supply chains. Developing common due diligence standards and processes to lighten the burden on legitimate gold traders, and help flag bogus ones, could be another. \n\nMany such useful efforts are already underway by different actors in different parts of the world. Coming together will give them the critical mass they need to succeed.\n\n### A pathway to responsible sourcing\n\nEnsuring that gold supply chains are as clean as possible – and demonstrating this to consumers – will take time and effort. If there were easy answers, we would have them by now. \n\nThere are also clearly limits to what the private sector can do alone. Collective Action initiatives by refineries and mining companies must complement, and be complemented by, concerted efforts by governments such as tighter regulations, stronger customs checks and enforcement against organised crime. NGOs and civil society organisations still have an important part to play. \n\nAt the end of the day, “laundering” gold through tangled supply chains doesn’t wash the risks away but makes them harder to identify and mitigate. Collective Action can help to bring the risks and problems to light and find ways to truly clean them up, so we can wear our jewellery and use our phones with a shining conscience.\n\n### Find out more\n\n*   The [Basel Gold Day](https:\u002F\u002Fbaselgovernance.org\u002Fnews\u002Fbasel-gold-day-virtual-conference-gold-supply-chains-9-october) workshop on 9 October 2020 will gather gold industry leaders and experts to explore \"How to obtain clean gold: the consumer perspective\".\n*   My book on Gold Laundering was published in 2019 in English ([_Gold Laundering_](https:\u002F\u002Fwww.baselgovernance.org\u002Fpublications\u002Fgold-laundering-dirty-secrets-gold-trade-and-how-clean)) and German ([_Goldwäsche_](https:\u002F\u002Fwww.baselgovernance.org\u002Fpublications\u002Fgoldwasche-die-schmutzigen-geheimnisse-des-goldhandels)) by Salis Verlag.\n*   [Download a PDF of this quick guide in English, Spanish and French](https:\u002F\u002Fcollective-action.com\u002Fexplore\u002Fpublications\u002F1866).","Blog","2020-03-02","mark-pieths-quick-guide-to-gold-laundering-1094","Mark Pieth’s quick guide to gold laundering","https:\u002F\u002Fjam.baselgovernance.org\u002Fapi\u002Fassets\u002F801af88b-814d-4aa1-9261-53d6a24ef59d?width=1000&height=650&format=webp&quality=80",[],[98,121,122],"Collective Action","Compliance",[124],"Insights",[],1094,[98,121,128],"Business Integrity Ethics and Compliance",[124],[131],860,[],[23,121],[],"2022-05-26T22:55:17.000Z","2026-05-29T22:21:54.000Z",[],"\u002Fresources\u002Fnews\u002Fmark-pieths-quick-guide-to-gold-laundering-1094",{"id":140,"body":141,"status":6,"type":10,"date":142,"slug":143,"title":144,"image":145,"countries":146,"topic":147,"activity":149,"tags":151,"nid":152,"topics":153,"activities":155,"authors":156,"images":157,"websites":158,"area":21,"programme":21,"language":21,"translations":159,"translation_of":21,"user_created":40,"date_created":160,"user_updated":41,"date_updated":161,"content":162,"link":163},9899,"Basel Institute President Mark Pieth was interviewed by cash.ch journalist Daniel Hügli at the 2019 World Economic Forum in Davos. See the [original interview here](https:\u002F\u002Fwww.cash.ch\u002Fnews\u002Ftop-news\u002Fmark-pieth-bei-rohstoffanlagen-muss-man-ganz-genau-hinschauen-1268816).\n\nBelow is the (unofficial) English translation of his comments on commodity trading, gold supply chains and clean investments. \n\n\"You have to pay real close attention to commodity investments”\n---------------------------------------------------------------\n\n_Are investments in commodities immoral? Where does our gold come from? And why is commodity trading growing so strongly in Switzerland?_ \n\nCriminal Law Professor and corruption fighter Mark Pieth answers these questions and more in an interview with cash.ch at the World Economic Forum. \n\ncash: Mr. Pieth, don't you sometimes feel out of place at the WEF as a professor of criminal law and an anti-corruption activist? \n\nMark Pieth: When I first started coming here, more than 10 years ago, I felt like a clown. We, that is PACI (editor's note: Pieth is co-founder of the 'Partnering Against Corruption Initiative' of the WEF), have long been uncertain whether our activities are really relevant for the business world. Over time, however, we got the feeling that we had influence. This has to do with the fact that the penalties are now enormously high if you do something stupid, especially in the USA. But also with the fact that I have become an expert in arbitration cases. This is partly about insanely high sums.\n\ncash: According to the list of WEF participants, the top managers of all the major commodity companies in Switzerland are in Davos. But they're staying in the background. What are these people doing here?\n\nPieth: That’s easy to explain. Every boss of these commodity companies sits here in a hotel and has a different conversation every quarter of an hour. I used to do this myself at the oil companies. I just rattled them off. In the arms industry there was once a difficult case, namely British Aerospace with its case of corruption in Saudi Arabia. We made peace, so to speak, during this conversation. The deal was: I would become less 'sharp', and British Aerospace had to make sure that the UK got a new law. So on the one hand you catch these people in Davos in a more relaxed environment. On the other hand, people are clearly here to do business.\n\ncash: Glencore, Trafigura, Vitol and so on: Switzerland's six largest companies in terms of turnover are commodity companies, followed by Nestlé in seventh place. Why is this sector growing so strongly? \n\nPieth: This development was to be expected. Switzerland used to be a manufacturing centre as well as strong in the financial services sector. The machinery industry, for example, is now moving away. Switzerland is increasingly being pushed into specialist areas. Commodity trading is one of them.\n\ncash: What is the role of Switzerland’s well-known advantages as a business location? \n\nPieth: Not so long ago, some company executives told me they were in Switzerland just because of taxes. And the well-known commodities trader Marc Rich said bluntly: If you put me under the Money Laundering Act, I'm going. I know that because at the time I was sitting in a commission of the Department of Finance. But the companies have realised today that they have to do something. Recently, this has included going through a process of opening up – to some extent.\n\ncash: In its reports on raw materials and gold, the Federal Council focuses on self-regulation by the industry instead of new laws. Parliament also wants it that way. Does self-regulation work?\n\nPieth: I have concerns about that. I say this with my 25 years of experience in the fight against corruption and in the field of money laundering. Self-regulation is okay, but we must set clear guidelines, as the European Union has done for example \\[with the [Conflict Minerals Regulation](http:\u002F\u002Ftrade.ec.europa.eu\u002Fdoclib\u002Fdocs\u002F2017\u002Fmarch\u002Ftradoc_155423.pdf)\\]. It has declared the relatively soft OECD requirements \\[the [OECD Due Diligence Guidance for Responsible Supply Chains of Minerals from Conflict-Affected and High-Risk Areas](http:\u002F\u002Fwww.oecd.org\u002Fcorporate\u002Fmne\u002Fmining.htm)\\] binding.\n\ncash: This EU regulation comes into force in 2021. How do Swiss gold refiners, for example, behave when they have dealings with the EU? Then they have to apply EU rules. \n\nPieth: Switzerland imports about 70 percent of the world's gold production. In the [Gold Report](https:\u002F\u002Fwww.swissinfo.ch\u002Feng\u002Fbusiness\u002Fgold-report_switzerland-s-golden-opportunity-for-responsible-business\u002F44556442), the Swiss legal situation is equated with South Africa, the United Arab Emirates and India. But this is the 'dirty competition'. Switzerland is on a different level, especially with regard to human rights.\n\ncash: The main problem for Swiss gold refiners is the origin of their raw material. Do the companies make enough efforts? \n\nPieth: They’re trying hard – on paper. They don't really know where their gold comes from. They know the supplier, for example an export company from Peru, but not the whole supply chain behind it. I wanted to personally find out the origin of the gold last summer. That's a frightening story. \n\ncash: Tell us. \n\nPieth: A Swiss refinery obtains all its gold from the area around Lake Titicaca in Peru. I drove there and saw a slum with 60,000 miners and 4,000 forced prostitutes near the glacier at an altitude of 5,500 meters. All that gold mining there is illegal. The miners work for 28 days without pay in order to have access to the mine. Then they are allowed to mine gold for themselves for two or three days. That is the way the Incas did it in the old days. That way you can earn $400 or more a month. There are only 20 cops there. The reason there are so few is because they only make $200. The cops become miners as soon as they arrive.\n\ncash: That doesn't sound safe. How did you get access to this place? \n\nPieth: I asked a journalist from Lima to accompany me. She knows about gold and also knows miners personally. We were then passed from priest to priest, until we ended up talking to a well-known engineer of the mine. We went there with the protection of the Catholic Church.\n\ncash: Are investments in commodities immoral? \n\nPieth: I don't think so. There are big differences. The Norwegian sovereign wealth fund, which is fed by the country's oil revenues, pays close attention to its investments. But if you invest in the Congo, there is a relatively high risk that the investments will be linked to the civil war.\n\ncash: And from the private investor's point of view?  \n\nPieth: You really have to keep your eyes open. Investments in cocoa sound relatively harmless. But there is a fair amount of child labour in this sector. Coffee looks better. Organised crime in Colombia, for example, is not widespread in the coffee sector. In the case of cereals or rice, there is a risk that you might contribute to fuelling price increases. \n\ncash: Some companies, such as the Zürcher Kantonalbank, offer their customers 'Fair Gold' or 'Clean Gold'. Does it live up to its promise? \n\nPieth: I also visited such places in Peru, where gold is mined and processed under better conditions, during my trip last summer. Even with these certified products, there is no guarantee that mercury or cyanide will not be used during processing. These are highly toxic substances. But child labour is excluded and the workers are at least subject to labour laws.\n\ncash: We live in times characterised by less tolerance towards critics. Have you ever been put under pressure or attacked by more modern means, such as cyber attacks? \n\nPieth: When I was working at the OECD, I was relatively harsh with both countries and companies. I've been threatened with defamation several times. During my work at 'Oil for Food' in New York we changed the ceiling panels of our office every two weeks due to possible bugging and unscrewed the telephones. We also had a secret service come to give advice. Personally, I had to make sure that there was no risk of eavesdropping and that no one came into my office. So in the end, it happened that my office was not cleaned for over a year (laughs).\n\n_Mark Pieth (65) has been Professor of Criminal Law, Criminal Procedure and Criminology at the University of Basel and an Honorary Doctor of Sussex University in the UK since 1993. He is founder and President of the Basel Institute on Governance and was President of the OECD Working Group on Bribery in International Business Transactions from 1990 to 2013. From 2011 to 2013, Pieth also chaired FIFA's independent governance committee. He resigned from this post in protest._","2019-01-27","mark-pieth-on-commodity-trading-gold-and-investment-interview-with-cashch-563","Mark Pieth on commodity trading, gold and investment – interview with cash.ch","https:\u002F\u002Fjam.baselgovernance.org\u002Fapi\u002Fassets\u002F856bb88f-1c86-4bd7-b119-54422daa9fe7?width=1000&height=650&format=webp&quality=80",[],[148],"Asset Recovery",[124,150],"Presentations",[],563,[154],"Asset Recovery and Enforcement",[124,150],[],[],[23],[],"2022-05-26T22:57:17.000Z","2026-05-29T22:22:03.000Z",[],"\u002Fresources\u002Fnews\u002Fmark-pieth-on-commodity-trading-gold-and-investment-interview-with-cashch-563",{"id":165,"body":166,"status":6,"type":10,"date":167,"slug":168,"title":169,"image":71,"countries":170,"topic":171,"activity":172,"tags":173,"nid":174,"topics":175,"activities":176,"authors":177,"images":178,"websites":179,"area":21,"programme":21,"language":21,"translations":180,"translation_of":21,"user_created":40,"date_created":160,"user_updated":85,"date_updated":86,"content":181,"link":182},9900,"_\"For fighting corruption, the focus is very much on what the private sector do. And we're turning very much to India and China as places where things are happening.\"_ \n\nBasel Institute President Mark Pieth talks to Jessica Davis Plüss at swissinfo.ch about corruption and the private sector's role in tackling it. \n\nPieth also touches upon inequality, populist governments, tax fraud and the need for tax harmonisation. _\"Can we worldwide agree on some kind of level or will people escape to places like Switzerland to pay less taxes than otherwise?\"_\n\n[View video on Swissinfo.ch](https:\u002F\u002Fplay.swissinfo.ch\u002Fplay\u002Ftv\u002Fpolitics\u002Fvideo\u002Fcorruption-inequality-tax-fraud---and-switzerland?id=44699820).","2019-01-23","mark-pieth-on-corruption-inequality-and-tax-fraud-interview-by-swissinfoch-at-the-world-economic-forum-564","Mark Pieth on corruption, inequality and tax fraud – interview by swissinfo.ch at the World Economic Forum",[],[14],[124],[],564,[],[124],[],[],[23],[],[],"\u002Fresources\u002Fnews\u002Fmark-pieth-on-corruption-inequality-and-tax-fraud-interview-by-swissinfoch-at-the-world-economic-forum-564",{"id":184,"body":185,"status":6,"type":14,"date":186,"slug":187,"title":188,"image":71,"countries":189,"topic":190,"activity":191,"tags":193,"nid":194,"topics":195,"activities":196,"authors":197,"images":198,"websites":199,"area":21,"programme":21,"language":21,"translations":200,"translation_of":21,"user_created":40,"date_created":201,"user_updated":85,"date_updated":86,"content":202,"link":203},9992,"On 29 September 2017, Professor Mark Pieth, President of the Basel Institute, moderated a [panel discussion](https:\u002F\u002Ftelebasel.ch\u002F2017\u002F09\u002F30\u002Ffcb-mit-gewalt-muss-man-leben\u002F?channel=3563) at the University of Basel on the topic of “how safe are football stadia?”\n\nThe discussion highlighted interesting elements of violence prevention and control strategies, including at club level with examples from F.C. Basel. It also showcased concrete challenges in ensuring security and safety in and around football stadia: who carries what responsibility and where are the implementation boundaries between clubs, municipalities and the state.\n\nThe panelists included President of F.C. Basel, Bernhard Burgener, Director for Safety of the Canton Basel Stadt, President of the “Fan-Arbeit Schweiz”, Andi Schneider, and SP Member of Parliament of Basel-Stadt, Tanja Soland. all of whom contributed to the lively exchange of opinions on the topic.  \n\nChallenges that affect the football sport as illustrated in this panel discussion are not limited to issues of violence, but include also sports betting, financial integrity and corruption, and the governance of sports organisations, amongst others. The Basel Institute has dedicated a substantial amount of work to some of these themes, including during 2010-2013 when it played a key role in supporting the reform process of FIFA as the Secretariat of the Independent Governance Committee under the direct leadership of Professor Pieth.\n\nBased on this track record and with a view to advancing the cause of good governance in sport, the Institute in January 2017 also joined the founding group of members of the Sport Integrity Global Alliance (SIGA). SIGA focuses its attention on good governance, financial integrity and sports betting, and is well placed as an organisation in bringing together a wide range of stakeholders committed to ensuring that sporting organisations remain credible actors in the world of sports.","2017-10-05","mark-pieth-moderates-panel-at-university-of-basel-on-football-stadium-safety-109","Mark Pieth moderates panel at University of Basel on football stadium safety",[],[14],[192,150],"Events",[],109,[],[192,150],[],[],[23],[],"2022-05-26T22:58:09.000Z",[],"\u002Fresources\u002Fnews\u002Fmark-pieth-moderates-panel-at-university-of-basel-on-football-stadium-safety-109",{"id":205,"body":206,"status":6,"type":114,"date":207,"slug":208,"title":209,"image":210,"countries":211,"topic":212,"activity":213,"tags":214,"nid":215,"topics":216,"activities":217,"authors":218,"images":219,"websites":220,"area":21,"programme":21,"language":21,"translations":221,"translation_of":21,"user_created":40,"date_created":222,"user_updated":41,"date_updated":223,"content":224,"link":225},10314,"_Article by Mark Pieth, Founder and former President of the Basel Institute on Governance._\n\nOn October 1, I officially handed over the baton as President of the Basel Institute on Governance to Peter Maurer. After founding and leading the organisation for around 20 years, this was a significant moment for me.\n\nI feel a mix of pride, anticipation and deep gratitude. First, for the tremendous [Board](https:\u002F\u002Fbaselgovernance.org\u002Fabout\u002Fgovernance) members that have supported our mission for so many years. Second, for the [leadership team](https:\u002F\u002Fbaselgovernance.org\u002Fabout\u002Fpeople) and staff that have not only made our vision a reality but transformed it into so much more. It has been quite a journey.\n\n### A brief history\n\nBack in 1989, I was working as Head of Section on Economic and Organised Crime at the Swiss Federal Office of Justice. In that role I was involved in early efforts to develop international regulations on money laundering (as a Member of the Financial Action Task Force) and corruption (as Chair of the OECD Working Group on Bribery, a position I held for 24 years).\n\nThose experiences gave me significant hands-on knowledge of these topics. I developed strong personal views, but I also saw a wider need. The international agenda on corruption and money laundering was just starting to take shape. In those formative years, it was critical to involve people who understood the issues and cared deeply about getting policies and actions right.\n\nAfter becoming a Professor of Criminal Law at the University of Basel in 1993, I therefore decided to convene a core group of three individuals, plus interested academics and business representatives. This provided an independent platform for us to contribute our knowledge to policy dialogues and to fulfil specific advisory missions. We also experimented with early forms of [Collective Action](https:\u002F\u002Fbaselgovernance.org\u002Fcollective-action), bringing together businesses with public sector and civil society representatives to tackle specific issues of business integrity.\n\nThe Basel Institute on Governance existed as a letterhead from the early 1990s. It was established as a Foundation and an Associated Institute of the University of Basel when we received a major donation in 2003.\n\n### Evolutions in corruption and anti-corruption\n\nIn the early days, corruption was considered a technical issue of criminal law. The awareness that it was a fundamental worldwide problem undermining sustainable development and trust in society grew over time. Gradually, anti-corruption approaches also widened beyond the early efforts in international law towards a much more holistic picture. That was the world into which the Basel Institute was born.\n\nFor me personally, the wider thrust of the Basel Institute’s activity has always been the challenges posed by the deregulated, globalised world that we inherited following the Cold War. The fall of the Berlin Wall opened up markets and brought positive developments for many people. But the free movement of capital and services did not necessarily raise standards of living for everyone.\n\nConflicts have continued to rage. Organised crime has been on the rise. Corporations have colluded with corrupt elites to embezzle the natural resources of desperately poor countries. Many citizens even in rich states live a precarious existence, thanks to the outsourcing of jobs to low-wage economies and to the instability caused by short-term policies and happy-go-lucky financial markets.\n\nAll these developments create dark spaces for corruption to occur. The ultimate goal of the Basel Institute‘s anti-corruption work under my leadership has always been to bring light to those dark spaces and to improve the lives of citizens everywhere.\n\n### Milestones and achievements\n\nIn its early days, the work of the Basel Institute was very much associated with my [personal activities](https:\u002F\u002Fwww.pieth.ch\u002Fabout-me\u002Fcv) in fora like the UN, OECD, Council of Europe, World Bank and regional international financial institutions. Gradually, we entered the field of anti-corruption compliance, helping companies and organisations apply the international standards to which we had contributed.\n\nA key step was the creation of the [Wolfsberg Group](https:\u002F\u002Fwww.wolfsberg-principles.com\u002F) of private banks in 1999. Now one of the longest-running Collective Action initiatives, the Wolfsberg Group recently became an [independent legal entity](https:\u002F\u002Fcollective-action.com\u002Fnews\u002Fcollective-action-in-banking-the-wolfsberg-groups-role-in-a-fast-evolving-industry-2202) housed at the Basel Institute.\n\nOther [Collective Action initiatives](https:\u002F\u002Fcollective-action.com\u002F) followed as we tested different ways to bring diverse stakeholders together and build the trust they needed to overcome their common problems. Back then, Collective Action was still considered a novel approach. The Siemens Integrity Initiative, which emerged from Siemens’ [settlement](https:\u002F\u002Fcollective-action.com\u002Fnews\u002Fsiemens-and-the-european-investment-bank-fostering-integrity-through-collective-action-and-constructive-settlements-2133) with the World Bank and European Investment Bank, gave a strong boost to our efforts. I am proud now to see that anti-corruption Collective Action tools and approaches have blossomed around the world. It is on the path to becoming a standard element of both state-led corruption prevention efforts and private-sector compliance.\n\nAnother key development was the decision in 2006 to create the [International Centre for Asset Recovery](https:\u002F\u002Fbaselgovernance.org\u002Fasset-recovery) (ICAR). The idea was to help countries whose public funds had been plundered by politicians build capacity to recover the stolen money. This was and still is a major need, since only a tiny proportion of corrupt funds are ever traced, confiscated and returned to the countries they were stolen from. With the help of stable funding from ICAR’s core donor group, the Basel Institute has managed to build up a global team of some of the most experienced former law enforcement and legal specialists in this area. Demand for ICAR’s assistance continues to grow.\n\nBeyond that, the Basel Institute’s relentless focus on [evidence](https:\u002F\u002Fbaselgovernance.org\u002Fpublic-governance) and its expansion into other areas such as [Green Corruption](https:\u002F\u002Fbaselgovernance.org\u002Fgreen-corruption) are to a large extent down to the vision and talent of its Managing Director, Gretta Fenner.\n\n### Looking ahead\n\nSince retiring from teaching at the University of Basel, I have set up a boutique law firm (Office Pieth) and spent more time delving into abuses of power in particular areas.\n\nMy book on [_Gold Laundering_](https:\u002F\u002Felstersalis.com\u002Fprodukt\u002Fgschnaetzlets-mark-pieth\u002F) (in English and German) has triggered widespread concern about human rights violations and environmental harms in the gold trade. Among the initiatives to address these concerns is [Basel Gold Day](https:\u002F\u002Fwww.pieth.ch\u002Fgold-day-II), in which we convene relevant stakeholders including regulators, civil society groups and private-sector firms and associations involved the gold trade.\n\nMy most recent project has looked at problems in the shipping industry exacerbated by gaps in regulation, resulting in the publication of a book in German: [_Seefahrtsnation Schweiz_](https:\u002F\u002Felstersalis.com\u002Fprodukt\u002Fseefahrtsnation-schweiz-mark-pieth-kathrin-betz\u002F).\n\nCloser to my legal background, I am working on the effects of illegal activities like corruption, fraud or money laundering on the world of arbitration through the [Arbitration and Crime Competence Centre](https:\u002F\u002Farbcrime.org\u002F) and our annual workshops.\n\nIn all this work and more, now and in the future, I will continue to apply the principles by which I led the Basel Institute for the last 20 years. I look forward with great hopes and anticipation for the Basel Institute’s next steps in this ever changing world.","2022-11-08","mark-pieth-fighting-corruption-with-the-basel-institute-and-beyond-2297","Mark Pieth: Fighting corruption with the Basel Institute and beyond","https:\u002F\u002Fjam.baselgovernance.org\u002Fapi\u002Fassets\u002F79b82bd8-8cf9-4350-ad86-03aef103ce3a?width=1000&height=650&format=webp&quality=80",[],[14],[124],[],2297,[],[124],[],[],[23],[],"2022-11-08T11:01:25.000Z","2026-04-27T21:01:58.000Z",[],"\u002Fresources\u002Fnews\u002Fmark-pieth-fighting-corruption-with-the-basel-institute-and-beyond-2297",{"id":227,"body":228,"status":6,"type":10,"date":229,"slug":230,"title":231,"image":71,"countries":232,"topic":233,"activity":234,"tags":235,"nid":236,"topics":237,"activities":238,"authors":239,"images":240,"websites":241,"area":21,"programme":21,"language":21,"translations":242,"translation_of":21,"user_created":40,"date_created":243,"user_updated":85,"date_updated":86,"content":244,"link":245},10275,"Prof Mark Pieth, President and Founder of the Basel Institute on Governance, has been awarded the 2007 Integrity Award by the leading international NGO anti-corruption coalition Transparency International.\n\nHe receives the award, which will be presented to him in a ceremony to be held on 21 January 2008 in Berlin, jointly with Le Hien Duc, a Vietnamese grassroots anti-corruption activist.","2007-01-20","ti-honours-mark-pieth-as-leading-expert-against-international-bribery-381","TI honours Mark Pieth as leading expert against international bribery",[],[14],[14],[],381,[],[],[],[],[23],[],"2022-05-26T22:59:39.000Z",[],"\u002Fresources\u002Fnews\u002Fti-honours-mark-pieth-as-leading-expert-against-international-bribery-381",{"id":247,"body":248,"status":6,"type":10,"date":249,"slug":250,"title":251,"image":252,"countries":253,"topic":254,"activity":255,"tags":257,"nid":258,"topics":259,"activities":260,"authors":261,"images":262,"websites":263,"area":21,"programme":21,"language":21,"translations":264,"translation_of":21,"user_created":40,"date_created":265,"user_updated":266,"date_updated":267,"content":268,"link":269},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],[256],"Media releases",[],2135,[],[256],[],[],[23],[],"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",{"left":271,"top":271,"width":272,"height":272,"rotate":271,"vFlip":273,"hFlip":273,"body":274},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>",1780676405253]