[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":376},["ShallowReactive",2],{"news-professor-anne-peters-on-how-anti-corruption-organisations-can-survive-in-todays-volatile-world-2907":3,"news-professor-anne-peters-on-how-anti-corruption-organisations-can-survive-in-todays-volatile-world-2907-similar":153,"i-heroicons:arrow-left-20-solid":371},[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":21,"language":22,"image":23,"translation_of":21,"countries":33,"tags":34,"authors":134,"images":150,"translations":151,"content":152},10598,"published","2026-01-22T11:01:42.000Z","2026-04-27T21:01:56.000Z","Professor Anne Peters on how anti-corruption organisations can survive in today’s volatile world","Blog","_Professor Anne Peters, a renowned scholar of international law and governance, stepped down from her role as Vice President of the Basel Institute on Governance at the end of 2025. In this Q&A she looks back at her involvement with the Basel Institute since its inception more than 23 years ago._\n\n_Her insights emphasise the importance of underpinning anti-corruption and governance efforts with interdisciplinary academic research, and of connecting abstract concepts like governance and asset recovery to real-world challenges like human rights, biodiversity and climate change._\n\n_She traces the Basel Institute’s path from a small group of friends driven by individual passion to a highly professional, global centre of expertise on anti-corruption and asset recovery. This professionalism, she says, is essential for non-profit organisations to survive and even thrive in today’s unstable new world._\n\n_Anne is known for her pioneering work on animal rights, human rights and corruption. She holds long-standing academic positions as Director of the Max Planck Institute for Comparative Public Law and International Law (MPIL) Heidelberg and Professor of International Law at the University of Basel._\n\n### You were a part of the Basel Institute from the beginning. How did it all start?\n\nMy engagement with the Institute took root when I joined the University of Basel in 2001 and met Professor Mark Pieth, the Institute’s founder and former President. He was involved in establishing the [Wolfsberg Group](https:\u002F\u002Fwolfsberg-group.org\u002F), an early multi-stakeholder initiative of banks focused on developing anti-money laundering guidelines. This was a time when concepts like banking due diligence and know-your-customer were relatively unknown, and the idea of multi-stakeholder associations didn’t even exist.\n\nBecause of Mark Pieth’s personal standing as a Professor of Criminal Law at the University of Basel and as Chair of the OECD Working Group on Bribery, he received requests for advisory and consultancy services on problems of corruption and governance.\n\nThe Basel Institute gradually rose out of those beginnings, helped by individuals like Gemma Aiolfi and Thomas Christ, who continued to play key roles at the Institute for the next two decades.\n\nBack then we used to meet in cafés or in Mark’s office, and we just had a letterhead and a flyer describing the Basel Institute on Governance. Things became more formalised when we received seed funding from a foundation, drafted statutes and – this was the game-changer – hired Gretta Fenner in 2005. Gretta was the first paid staff member. [We miss her dearly](https:\u002F\u002Fgretta.baselgovernance.org\u002F).\n\n### What excited you about it? What did you bring from the academic world?\n\nI was young, I had energy and I liked Mark as a colleague and friend. The concept of governance was also quite new and exciting.\n\nI am a public international lawyer, not a criminal lawyer, so I had little technical expertise in corruption or money laundering. But since these crimes have clear transnational dimensions, my background in international law made sense. I was able to bring the academic perspective to the Institute’s work, later reinforced by Lucy Koechlin and [Claudia Baez Camargo](https:\u002F\u002Fbaselgovernance.org\u002Fabout\u002Fpeople\u002Fdr-claudia-baez-camargo), who joined to lead research on public and global governance.\n\nThe association with the University of Basel was crucial. It gave structure to the original idea: providing practical advice and assistance on corruption and governance, grounded in academic research. An important aspect was financing doctoral students who would work at the Basel Institute while completing their PhDs. I supervised three such dissertations.\n\nThis academic underpinning and insistence on research and evidence is still one of the Basel Institute’s strongest points.\n\n### What other milestones and innovations do you remember?\n\nA major academic milestone was our conference on non-state actors and the resulting book, [_Non-State Actors as Standard Setters_](https:\u002F\u002Fbaselgovernance.org\u002Fpublications\u002Fnon-state-actors-standard-setters), which was published with Cambridge University Press in 2009. The term “non-state actor” – covering the private sector as well as non-profit organisations, academia, the media and the like – was still novel. I co-edited the book with Gretta Fenner, Lucy Koechlin and our former Board colleague and social anthropologist Till Förster. It was a serious and influential publication that is still cited today.\n\nI remember us retreating for a full day to review drafts. At first the mix of different writing styles and perspectives – political science, law, social anthropology and sociology – was a bit of a shock. Then we realised the value of this interdisciplinary nature in helping to gain a holistic perspective of how non-state actors can contribute to setting governance standards in the messy world of real life.\n\nAgain, this interdisciplinary approach remains central to the Basel Institute’s current work.\n\n### How did the Basel Institute’s work expand into so many different areas – from asset recovery to conflicts of interest, to money laundering in the art market. What’s the connection?\n\nPersonal interests, reputations and networks mattered greatly. And new concepts were appearing in the international anti-corruption arena. People and governments needed help working out how to apply them in practice in different contexts.\n\nThat’s what happened with asset recovery, a concept that appeared in the 2003 UN Convention Against Corruption with the aim of depriving corrupt actors of their criminal gains. We developed a distinct workstream at the Basel Institute that soon became the [International Centre for Asset Recovery](https:\u002F\u002Fbaselgovernance.org\u002Fasset-recovery).\n\nThe concept and practice of [Collective Action](https:\u002F\u002Fcollective-action.com\u002F) – sustained, trust-based multi-stakeholder collaboration with the private sector to address specific corruption challenges – evolved in large part thanks to our colleague Gemma Aiolfi’s tireless efforts.\n\nSimilarly, it was a personal interest that led myself and fellow board member Lukas Handschin to edit a book on [_Conflict of Interest in Global, Public and Corporate Governance_](https:\u002F\u002Fbooks.google.ch\u002Fbooks\u002Fabout\u002FConflict_of_Interest_in_Global_Public_an.html?id=NMKCIyPzyMkC&redir_esc=y) published by Cambridge University Press. It’s a topic that I was convinced was underappreciated at the time and is now, in these current times, showing its importance.\n\nWe did early work on [money laundering in the art market](https:\u002F\u002Fbaselgovernance.org\u002Fpublications\u002Fworking-paper-12-basel-art-trade-guidelines-intermediary-report-self-regulation). Again this was a personal interest of our board member Thomas Christ that is now a key concern for not only [money laundering but sanctions evasion](https:\u002F\u002Fbaselgovernance.org\u002Fpublications\u002Fquick-guide-29-money-laundering-and-sanctions-evasion-using-art-market).\n\nA newer area we have helped to establish internationally is [green corruption](https:\u002F\u002Fbaselgovernance.org\u002Fgreen-corruption), i.e. applying anti-corruption and governance tools to address challenges like the mass extinction of species, biodiversity decline, the climate crisis. This is a topic that is dear to me personally and that is evolving fast.\n\nCommon to this all is how the Basel Institute applies anti-corruption and governance research and tools to different fields that really matter in the world, from business to health to environmental protection.\n\n### And human rights? How does that connect to corruption?\n\nMy interest in the intersection between corruption and human rights grew from Gretta’s involvement in several side events at the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva. I began thinking about legal relationships between corruption and human rights and whether, for example, states have a human rights obligation to protect citizens from corruption.\n\nI wrote a [Working Paper](https:\u002F\u002Fbaselgovernance.org\u002Fpublications\u002Fworking-paper-20-corruption-and-human-rights) on the topic for the Basel Institute back in 2015 and later published two academic papers. You can get a short overview of the topic in this [Quick Guide to corruption and human rights](https:\u002F\u002Fbaselgovernance.org\u002Fpublications\u002Fqg32).\n\nThe Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (UN Human Rights) references my work in a recently published [practical guide](https:\u002F\u002Fwww.ohchr.org\u002Fen\u002Fdocuments\u002Ftools-and-resources\u002Fcorruption-and-human-rights-practical-guide) on corruption and human rights to which I contributed, as well as other work of the Basel Institute on [human rights in the context of asset recovery laws](https:\u002F\u002Fbaselgovernance.org\u002Fpublications\u002Fwp-54).\n\nIt’s great to see our scholarly work being used to underpin practical international guidance that will ultimately have impact on people’s lives.\n\n### What does the current global context mean for anti-corruption efforts and organisations like the Basel Institute?\n\nWe are in a period of profound global change. The political order is fundamentally shifting and the optimism of the 1990s is all but gone. The United States, an early driver of international anti-corruption treaties, efforts and successes, is retreating from its role. In some countries, anti-corruption laws and campaigns are misused for political purposes.\n\nEven if concepts like good governance, rule of law, human rights and democracy don’t seem to be _en vogue_ right now, they remain important. Not least because they, and corruption, are key to understanding and tackling today’s toughest challenges, from poverty and inequality to crime and conflict.\n\nSo non-profit organisations like the Basel Institute are more essential than ever, as are other non-state actors dedicated to tackling corruption and governance challenges. But it’s not easy for small organisations to survive in this rocky world, and many face their own governance challenges.\n\nThat’s why it’s good that the Basel Institute has professionalised its governance and compliance structures over the years, while keeping the sense of passion and personal conviction that characterised its early years.\n\n### Any bright side for those who care about anti-corruption and governance?\n\nOn the positive side, public awareness, opposition and global debate about corruption is far stronger than in the past. And much of international law – on travel, transportation, communication, diplomatic relations etc. – functions quietly and effectively every day.\n\nDespite how dire the current situation seems, change for the better has only ever occurred after major catastrophes. For example, the establishment of the International Criminal Court in 1998 was a direct result of the rape camps and the Srebrenica massacre in Bosnia and Herzegovina.\n\nThe question is how severe crises must become and how much they must affect people directly before meaningful reform occurs. Climate change, biodiversity loss and pollution, for example, are slow-moving crises that still feel abstract to many.\n\n### What’s coming up for you personally?\n\nIn my research I remain focused on the big-picture development of the international legal order.\n\nI look forward to the publication in 2026 of the [_Oxford Handbook of Global Animal Law_](https:\u002F\u002Fwww.mpil.de\u002Fen\u002Fpub\u002Fresearch\u002Fareas\u002Fpublic-international-law\u002Fhandbook-of-global-animal-law.cfm), which I co-edited and which seeks to authoritatively establish this fairly new field of international law.\n\nAlongside my research I continue to advise the German Foreign Affairs Department (and sometimes the Swiss, too), and will serve as an expert witness on international legal questions in a case before a domestic court.\n\nAnd, of course I will continue to follow and support what the Basel Institute is doing. The organisation and its mission remain dear to my heart.\n\nThank you, Anne Peters, for your time and for your unwavering support and guidance over so many years. We wish you well in your future endeavours and adventures.","2026-01-22",[14],"","professor-anne-peters-on-how-anti-corruption-organisations-can-survive-in-todays-volatile-world-2907",[17],"Insights",2907,[],[17],null,"English",{"id":24,"storage":25,"filename_disk":26,"filename_download":27,"title":9,"type":28,"created_on":7,"modified_on":7,"charset":21,"filesize":29,"width":30,"height":31,"duration":21,"embed":21,"description":21,"location":21,"tags":21,"metadata":32,"focal_point_x":21,"focal_point_y":21,"tus_id":21,"tus_data":21,"uploaded_on":7},"1a70b3d8-53be-4948-893b-afe3bcaa0367","local","1a70b3d8-53be-4948-893b-afe3bcaa0367.webp","tmp.webp","image\u002Fwebp",13020,800,533,{},[],[35,59,74,89,104,119],{"id":36,"news_id":37,"tags_id":56},5595,{"id":5,"status":6,"user_created":38,"date_created":7,"user_updated":39,"date_updated":8,"title":9,"type":10,"body":11,"image":24,"date":12,"topic":40,"slug":15,"activity":41,"nid":18,"topics":42,"activities":43,"programme":21,"area":21,"websites":21,"translation_of":21,"language":22,"countries":44,"tags":45,"authors":51,"images":53,"translations":54,"content":55},"03bebfd8-0b40-4a2a-820d-b9d9c13b9de6","3d9ff205-1640-4f34-b5b6-86977f51bbd6",[14],[17],[],[17],[],[36,46,47,48,49,50],5597,5601,5602,5621,5622,[52],1368,[],[],[],{"id":57,"name":58},982,"Anti-corruption",{"id":46,"news_id":60,"tags_id":71},{"id":5,"status":6,"user_created":38,"date_created":7,"user_updated":39,"date_updated":8,"title":9,"type":10,"body":11,"image":24,"date":12,"topic":61,"slug":15,"activity":62,"nid":18,"topics":63,"activities":64,"programme":21,"area":21,"websites":21,"translation_of":21,"language":22,"countries":65,"tags":66,"authors":67,"images":68,"translations":69,"content":70},[14],[17],[],[17],[],[36,46,47,48,49,50],[52],[],[],[],{"id":72,"name":73},932,"Human rights",{"id":47,"news_id":75,"tags_id":86},{"id":5,"status":6,"user_created":38,"date_created":7,"user_updated":39,"date_updated":8,"title":9,"type":10,"body":11,"image":24,"date":12,"topic":76,"slug":15,"activity":77,"nid":18,"topics":78,"activities":79,"programme":21,"area":21,"websites":21,"translation_of":21,"language":22,"countries":80,"tags":81,"authors":82,"images":83,"translations":84,"content":85},[14],[17],[],[17],[],[36,46,47,48,49,50],[52],[],[],[],{"id":87,"name":88},843,"Asset recovery",{"id":48,"news_id":90,"tags_id":101},{"id":5,"status":6,"user_created":38,"date_created":7,"user_updated":39,"date_updated":8,"title":9,"type":10,"body":11,"image":24,"date":12,"topic":91,"slug":15,"activity":92,"nid":18,"topics":93,"activities":94,"programme":21,"area":21,"websites":21,"translation_of":21,"language":22,"countries":95,"tags":96,"authors":97,"images":98,"translations":99,"content":100},[14],[17],[],[17],[],[36,46,47,48,49,50],[52],[],[],[],{"id":102,"name":103},909,"Collective Action",{"id":49,"news_id":105,"tags_id":116},{"id":5,"status":6,"user_created":38,"date_created":7,"user_updated":39,"date_updated":8,"title":9,"type":10,"body":11,"image":24,"date":12,"topic":106,"slug":15,"activity":107,"nid":18,"topics":108,"activities":109,"programme":21,"area":21,"websites":21,"translation_of":21,"language":22,"countries":110,"tags":111,"authors":112,"images":113,"translations":114,"content":115},[14],[17],[],[17],[],[36,46,47,48,49,50],[52],[],[],[],{"id":117,"name":118},1371,"Public governance",{"id":50,"news_id":120,"tags_id":131},{"id":5,"status":6,"user_created":38,"date_created":7,"user_updated":39,"date_updated":8,"title":9,"type":10,"body":11,"image":24,"date":12,"topic":121,"slug":15,"activity":122,"nid":18,"topics":123,"activities":124,"programme":21,"area":21,"websites":21,"translation_of":21,"language":22,"countries":125,"tags":126,"authors":127,"images":128,"translations":129,"content":130},[14],[17],[],[17],[],[36,46,47,48,49,50],[52],[],[],[],{"id":132,"name":133},1303,"Environment",[135],{"id":52,"news_id":136,"authors_id":147},{"id":5,"status":6,"user_created":38,"date_created":7,"user_updated":39,"date_updated":8,"title":9,"type":10,"body":11,"image":24,"date":12,"topic":137,"slug":15,"activity":138,"nid":18,"topics":139,"activities":140,"programme":21,"area":21,"websites":21,"translation_of":21,"language":22,"countries":141,"tags":142,"authors":143,"images":144,"translations":145,"content":146},[14],[17],[],[17],[],[36,46,47,48,49,50],[52],[],[],[],{"id":148,"name":149,"position":21,"image":21},549,"Prof Anne Peters",[],[],[],[154,180,212,234,258,282,304,330,351],{"id":155,"body":156,"status":6,"type":10,"date":157,"slug":158,"title":159,"image":160,"countries":161,"topic":162,"activity":164,"tags":166,"nid":167,"topics":168,"activities":169,"authors":170,"images":171,"websites":172,"area":21,"programme":21,"language":22,"translations":174,"translation_of":21,"user_created":38,"date_created":175,"user_updated":176,"date_updated":177,"content":178,"link":179},10555,"_A joint blog by Naomi Roht-Arriaza, Distinguished Professor of Law (emerita), University of California Law, and Lucie Binder, Senior Specialist, Governance and Integrity, Basel Institute on Governance._\n\nWho are the real victims of corruption? \n\nTraditionally, the answer has been “the state.” This stems from the fact that corruption typically involves the misuse of public office and the theft or diversion of public funds. In this legal framework, the state prosecutes the crime, claims the damage and receives any recovered assets.\n\nBut what if the state is part of the problem? In contexts of grand corruption or kleptocracy, where entire government systems are complicit or captured, treating the state as the sole victim makes little sense. The real harm falls on individuals and communities: children poisoned by unsafe food in corrupt school feeding programmes (as happened in [Peru](https:\u002F\u002Fwww.proetica.org.pe\u002Fnoticias\u002Fgrave-caso-de-intoxicacion-infantil-en-puno-solicitan-medidas-cautelares-ante-la-cidh-contra-el-estado-peruano\u002F)); patients denied treatment because health budgets were looted (as happened in [Venezuela](https:\u002F\u002Fdossiervenezuela.com\u002Fsocial\u002Ffuncamama-corrupcion-en-venezuela-genera-escasez-de-servicios-para-enfermos-oncologicos\u002F)); or families displaced by infrastructure projects greenlit through bribery (as happened in [Honduras](https:\u002F\u002Fberta.copinh.org\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2021\u002F02\u002FCaso-Gualcarque-CESPAD2020-1.pdf) and elsewhere).\n\nThese are not abstract harms – they are direct violations of human rights. As explored in Naomi Roht-Arriaza’s [_Fighting Grand Corruption: Transnational and Human Rights Approaches in Latin America and Beyond_](https:\u002F\u002Fwww.cambridge.org\u002Fcore\u002Fbooks\u002Ffighting-grand-corruption\u002F4B738654046BEA6F0F2FF336BEA12112) (Cambridge University Press), a growing movement of legal scholars, judges and practitioners is challenging the state-centric model. They are pushing for a more victim-centred approach to corruption: one that recognises and repairs harm and enables those affected to participate in justice processes.\n\n### Aligning anti-corruption and human rights: a Basel Institute priority\n\nThe convergence that _Fighting Grand Corruption_ highlights aligns with the Basel Institute’s own work at the intersection of corruption and human rights. In [Quick Guide 32](https:\u002F\u002Fcollective-action.com\u002Fexplore\u002Fpublications\u002F2367), our Vice President Anne Peters explains how corruption contributes to systemic conditions that undermine human rights, especially access to healthcare, education and justice. It also directly violates rights through discriminatory practices, illegal detention or the suppression of freedoms essential to exposing corruption itself, such as press freedom and the right to information.\n\nFurthermore, asset recovery and forfeiture mechanisms – as analysed in our [Working Paper 54](https:\u002F\u002Fbaselgovernance.org\u002Fpublications\u002Fwp-54) – must adhere to international human rights standards to build trust and ensure fairness, and foster international cooperation.\n\n### Reimagining remedy: what reparations for corruption could look like\n\nIn our [Quick Guide 31](https:\u002F\u002Fbaselgovernance.org\u002Fsites\u002Fdefault\u002Ffiles\u002F2024-05\u002FQuickguide_31.pdf), we argue that countries already have a range of policy options to ensure that confiscated assets are used for the public good. These range from reinvesting funds into law enforcement or community programmes to enabling direct repatriation or co-managed development projects in countries where citizens have suffered the harms of corruption.\n\nModels like Italy’s redirection of mafia assets to social initiatives or France’s development-focused asset return mechanisms show how the reinvestment of stolen wealth can foster both justice and sustainable development. Roht-Arriaza’s book explores these and related options for return and reparation in detail.\n\nThe Basel Institute has long emphasised the importance of such responsible asset return models. We actively support countries in developing frameworks that align with both anti-corruption and human rights principles.\n\n### How would these approaches affect the private sector?\n\nRecognising that corruption and human rights violations are often systemic and deeply linked reinforces the need for companies to connect compliance efforts across both areas. Doing so enables businesses to more effectively:\n\n*   identify large-scale governance risks;\n*   understand their cascading impacts; and\n*   anticipate regulatory or reputational exposure, particularly in high-risk environments.\n\nIntegrating anti-corruption considerations into sustainability and human rights due diligence processes can help prevent costly missteps, such as inadvertently supporting abusive actors or financing projects that harm vulnerable communities.\n\nFor example, Dutch banks financing Honduran dams secured by high-level bribes and regulatory subterfuge suffered years of lawsuits and tarnished reputations. Importantly, identifying victims and documenting harm makes corruption tangible. It moves corruption out of the abstract and enables ethical businesses to distinguish themselves from competitors who profit from impunity.\n\nIn Honduras, Mexico, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Argentina and elsewhere, legal systems increasingly recognise victims’ rights to participate in proceedings and seek redress. These developments will also need to be reflected in corporate risk assessments, especially for marginal or politically exposed projects. Companies will need to ask not only “is this legal?” but also “what is the harm, and who bears it?”\n\n[Collective Action](https:\u002F\u002Fcollective-action.com\u002F), in the sense of sustained, collaborative multi-stakeholder initiatives involving the private sector, provides a powerful vehicle for navigating these challenges. By engaging in such initiatives, businesses can help shape shared standards, mitigate systemic risks and demonstrate commitment to responsible conduct in environments where state capacity may be weak or compromised.\n\nSuch collaboration not only fosters more coherent and credible compliance approaches but also supports wider efforts to ensure that justice reaches those most affected by corruption.\n\n_Fighting Grand Corruption_ is available through the publisher or major bookstores.","2025-06-02","how-connecting-anti-corruption-and-human-rights-can-help-both-victims-and-businesses-2813","How connecting anti-corruption and human rights can help both victims and businesses","https:\u002F\u002Fjam.baselgovernance.org\u002Fapi\u002Fassets\u002Fc7389186-1599-4ae8-9b94-5745b8adb635?width=1000&height=650&format=webp&quality=80",[],[103,73,163],"Private Sector",[165,17],"Research",[],2813,[103,73,163],[165,17],[],[],[173,103],"Main page",[],"2025-06-02T22:01:34.000Z","b0662e2a-864d-4888-a1b7-4342b7570b30","2025-08-31T23:10:53.000Z",[],"\u002Fresources\u002Fnews\u002Fhow-connecting-anti-corruption-and-human-rights-can-help-both-victims-and-businesses-2813",{"id":181,"body":182,"status":6,"type":183,"date":184,"slug":185,"title":186,"image":187,"countries":188,"topic":189,"activity":193,"tags":194,"nid":199,"topics":200,"activities":203,"authors":204,"images":205,"websites":206,"area":21,"programme":21,"language":21,"translations":207,"translation_of":21,"user_created":38,"date_created":208,"user_updated":39,"date_updated":209,"content":210,"link":211},9890,"The Basel Institute's Vice-President, Prof. Dr. iur. Anne Peters, has published an illuminating paper on \"Corruption as a Violation of International Human Rights\". \n\nPublished in the _European Journal of International Law_, the article asks two basic questions:\n\n*   Can we legally view corruption as a violation of human rights?\n*   Should we?\n\nPeters' clear writing and examples make this an essential read for anyone concerned about corruption, human rights and the link between the two.\n\n[Read Corruption as a Violation of Human Rights](https:\u002F\u002Facademic.oup.com\u002Fejil\u002Farticle\u002F29\u002F4\u002F1251\u002F5320164) on the OUP Academic site.\n\n[Anne Peters](\u002Fuser\u002F74\u002F) is Titular Professor of Law at the University of Basel, Switzerland and Director at the Max Planck Institute for Comparative Public Law and International Law in Heidelberg, Germany.","News","2019-02-24","new-publication-corruption-as-a-violation-of-international-human-rights-702","New publication: Corruption as a Violation of International Human Rights","https:\u002F\u002Fjam.baselgovernance.org\u002Fapi\u002Fassets\u002F0976dd89-1cbc-4b35-81a9-b93d7b4c128c?width=1000&height=650&format=webp&quality=80",[],[190,191,192],"Asset Recovery","Prevention"," Research and Innovation",[165],[195,197],{"tags_id":196},{"id":72,"name":73},{"tags_id":198},{"id":57,"name":58},702,[201,202],"Asset Recovery and Enforcement","Prevention Research and Innovation",[165],[],[],[173],[],"2022-05-26T22:57:09.000Z","2026-05-29T22:22:02.000Z",[],"\u002Fresources\u002Fnews\u002Fnew-publication-corruption-as-a-violation-of-international-human-rights-702",{"id":213,"body":214,"status":6,"type":10,"date":215,"slug":216,"title":217,"image":218,"countries":219,"topic":220,"activity":221,"tags":223,"nid":224,"topics":225,"activities":226,"authors":227,"images":228,"websites":21,"area":21,"programme":21,"language":22,"translations":229,"translation_of":21,"user_created":38,"date_created":230,"user_updated":176,"date_updated":231,"content":232,"link":233},10609,"To mark International Women’s Day 2026, the Basel Institute on Governance and the International Academy of Financial Crime Litigators hosted an online discussion on women’s leadership in the fight against corruption and financial crime.\n\nModerated by [Elizabeth Andersen](https:\u002F\u002Fbaselgovernance.org\u002Fabout\u002Fpeople\u002Felizabeth-andersen), Executive Director of the Basel Institute, the event brought together practitioners, academics and students to reflect on career journeys, challenges and opportunities in this complex and evolving field.\n\nSpeakers shared personal experiences of entering and advancing in anti-corruption and financial crime work, highlighting the diverse motivations that drive professionals in this area.\n\n### Different paths, a shared commitment\n\nFor Verónica Sabella, the link between financial crime and human rights violations was a key motivator in her decision to launch a career in law and to join the Basel Institute’s Certificate of Advanced Studies course in [Combating Financial Crime Through Asset Recovery](https:\u002F\u002Fbaselgovernance.org\u002Flearning\u002Fbasel-study\u002Fcas-asset-recovery) with the University of Basel. She underscored the importance of understanding financial flows to address crimes such as trafficking\n\nEmmanuela OkonkwoAbutu, who will shortly complete the Basel Institute’s CAS programme [Mastering Today’s Anti-Corruption Challenges](https:\u002F\u002Fbaselgovernance.org\u002Flearning\u002Fbasel-study\u002Fcas-anti-corruption), described how witnessing the impact of corruption in Nigeria shaped her commitment to strengthening transparency, accountability and international cooperation. She hopes with her new qualification she will be better able to address the “international networks, legal loopholes and institutional weaknesses” that enable corruption.\n\n[Anne-Claude Scheidegger](https:\u002F\u002Fbaselgovernance.org\u002Fabout\u002Fpeople\u002Fanne-claude-scheidegger) highlighted the role of hands-on, scenario-based [training programmes](https:\u002F\u002Fbaselgovernance.org\u002Fasset-recovery\u002Ftraining-programmes) in building investigative and asset recovery skills worldwide. She explained how the Basel Institute works with partner agencies to ensure that women have equal access to training opportunities.\n\nProfessor Karen Woody reflected on the importance of professional networks and interdisciplinary collaboration. She emphasised how communities of practitioners and scholars – in particular the [International Academy of Financial Crime Litigators](https:\u002F\u002Ffinancialcrimelitigators.org\u002F) – help connect different perspectives and sustain long-term professional growth.\n\nElizabeth Ortega highlighted the importance of investing in people – through training, mentorship and professional support – noting that many women reach leadership positions because someone believed in their potential and helped open opportunities along the way.\n\nThe discussion also explored structural barriers women may face in the profession, including persistent gender imbalances in leadership roles and the need to balance career progression with family responsibilities. At the same time, participants noted encouraging trends, including growing numbers of women entering the field and increased efforts to promote gender representation in training and professional development programmes.\n\nThroughout the conversation, speakers emphasised the importance of mentorship, peer learning networks and specialised training in opening career pathways. Particular attention was given to the value of professional communities, which create space for practitioners and experts from different backgrounds and jurisdictions to share knowledge, build connections and support one another’s growth.\n\nA central theme was the importance of targeted support mechanisms – including scholarships and sponsorships – that expand access to high-quality education and professional opportunities. Initiatives such as the [Gretta Fenner Scholarship Fund](https:\u002F\u002Fbaselgovernance.org\u002Flearning\u002Fbasel-study\u002Fscholarship) aim to ensure that talented professionals around the world can develop the skills, confidence and networks needed to lead the global fight against corruption and financial crime.\n\n### Key takeaways\n\n*   Countering financial crime is closely linked to protecting human rights. Understanding how illicit financial flows move through systems is essential to tackling crimes such as human trafficking, corruption and organised crime, which have a strong negative impact on the whole of society.\n*   Women are increasingly entering the field but leadership gaps remain. While many women work in lower-level compliance and investigative roles, structural and cultural barriers can still slow progress into senior leadership positions.\n*   Mentorship and sponsorship help open doors. Speakers stressed the importance of asking for help, building relationships and having others actively support your growth and advancement.\n*   Peer learning networks add lasting value, especially across borders. Communities such as the International Academy of Financial Crime Litigators connect practitioners, academics and specialists across jurisdictions, enabling knowledge exchange and strengthening careers over time.\n*   Education and specialised training accelerate impact. Programmes such as the Basel Institute’s [Certificate of Advanced Studies](https:\u002F\u002Fbaselgovernance.org\u002Flearning\u002Fbasel-study) courses on anti-corruption and asset recovery help practitioners deepen technical skills, understand global frameworks and collaborate internationally.\n*   Scholarships and targeted support expand access to opportunity. Initiatives such as the Gretta Fenner Scholarship Fund show how sponsorship and financial support for employees can help talented professionals access high-quality training and increase their impact in the fight against corruption and financial crime.\n\n### Help open the door to future leaders\n\nThis year’s International Women’s Day theme was “Give to Gain”. The slogan encapsulates many of the points the speakers made about the value of supporting others in their careers.\n\nThe International Academy of Financial Crime Litigators and its Co-Founders Elizabeth Ortega (ECO Strategic Communications), Stéphane Bonifassi (Bonifassi Avocats) and Lincoln Caylor (Bennett Jones) were the first donors to the Gretta Fenner Scholarship Fund.\n\nThe Basel Institute is grateful for their support and that of subsequent donors.\n\nIf this discussion resonated with you, consider helping open the next door for future leaders.\n\nContributions of any size help expand access to high-quality education and strengthen the global fight against corruption and financial crime.\n\nTo support the Gretta Fenner Scholarship Fund with a donation of any size, please visit our [crowdfunding page](https:\u002F\u002Fwhydonate.com\u002Ffundraising\u002Fgretta-fenner-scholarship-fund).","2026-03-11","women-leading-the-fight-against-financial-crime-how-education-mentorship-and-networks-expand-impact-2943","Women leading the fight against financial crime: how education, mentorship and networks expand impact","https:\u002F\u002Fjam.baselgovernance.org\u002Fapi\u002Fassets\u002F121ca068-13ee-4ee1-bcff-de793b77b915?width=1000&height=650&format=webp&quality=80",[],[14],[222,17],"Events",[],2943,[],[222,17],[],[],[],"2026-04-15T22:45:20.000Z","2026-05-08T21:36:28.000Z",[],"\u002Fresources\u002Fnews\u002Fwomen-leading-the-fight-against-financial-crime-how-education-mentorship-and-networks-expand-impact-2943",{"id":235,"body":236,"status":6,"type":183,"date":237,"slug":238,"title":239,"image":240,"countries":241,"topic":243,"activity":244,"tags":246,"nid":247,"topics":248,"activities":249,"authors":250,"images":251,"websites":252,"area":21,"programme":21,"language":21,"translations":253,"translation_of":21,"user_created":38,"date_created":254,"user_updated":39,"date_updated":255,"content":256,"link":257},9821,"[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","mark-pieth-appointed-extraordinary-professor-at-the-university-of-the-western-cape-980","Mark Pieth appointed Extraordinary Professor at the University of the Western Cape","https:\u002F\u002Fjam.baselgovernance.org\u002Fapi\u002Fassets\u002F63c2d14d-9408-465e-bb1a-279dd9b044e4?width=1000&height=650&format=webp&quality=80",[242],7454,[14],[245],"Training",[],980,[],[245],[],[],[173],[],"2022-05-26T22:56:10.000Z","2026-04-27T21:01:49.000Z",[],"\u002Fresources\u002Fnews\u002Fmark-pieth-appointed-extraordinary-professor-at-the-university-of-the-western-cape-980",{"id":259,"body":260,"status":6,"type":183,"date":261,"slug":262,"title":263,"image":264,"countries":265,"topic":266,"activity":267,"tags":270,"nid":271,"topics":272,"activities":273,"authors":274,"images":275,"websites":276,"area":21,"programme":21,"language":21,"translations":277,"translation_of":21,"user_created":38,"date_created":278,"user_updated":176,"date_updated":279,"content":280,"link":281},10013,"Professor Mark Pieth on behalf of the Basel Institute and the German Institute for Compliance (DICO) signed a Memorandum of Understanding in June 2017. The cooperation agreement foresees a range of joint projects being undertaken to address compliance themes relevant to the private sector, focusing particularly on preventive work. The agreement was signed at the DICO annual general meeting in Berlin where Professor [Mark Pieth held a keynote speech](\u002Fnode\u002F114).\n\nDICO is keen to promote anti-corruption Collective Action within the private sector and will be engaging with the Basel Institute to further understanding on that topic as well as to promote its application in a variety of industry sectors.\n\n[Read more](http:\u002F\u002Fwww.dico-ev.de\u002F2017\u002F06\u002F23\u002F4-dico-forum-compliance-den-blinden-flecken-auf-der-spur\u002F) (in German) on the \"4. DICO Forum Compliance: Den blinden Flecken auf der Spur\".","2017-07-03","basel-institute-and-dico-sign-a-cooperation-agreement-115","Basel Institute and DICO sign a cooperation agreement","https:\u002F\u002Fjam.baselgovernance.org\u002Fapi\u002Fassets\u002Ff7da0395-fac8-44d6-bd85-4c6dfae8540a?width=1000&height=650&format=webp&quality=80",[],[163],[268,269],"Partnerships","International cooperation",[],115,[163],[268,269],[],[],[173],[],"2022-05-26T22:58:19.000Z","2025-08-31T23:14:59.000Z",[],"\u002Fresources\u002Fnews\u002Fbasel-institute-and-dico-sign-a-cooperation-agreement-115",{"id":283,"body":284,"status":6,"type":183,"date":285,"slug":286,"title":287,"image":288,"countries":289,"topic":290,"activity":291,"tags":293,"nid":294,"topics":295,"activities":296,"authors":297,"images":298,"websites":299,"area":21,"programme":21,"language":21,"translations":300,"translation_of":21,"user_created":38,"date_created":301,"user_updated":176,"date_updated":279,"content":302,"link":303},10255,"Professor Mark Pieth, Chairman of the Independent Governance Committee of FIFA, gave this address at the 62nd FIFA Congress 2012. \n\n[Download the presentation](https:\u002F\u002Fbaselgovernance.org\u002Fsites\u002Fdefault\u002Ffiles\u002F2019-01\u002F62nd_fifa_congress_2012.pdf) (PDF).\n\nMr President, Ladies and Gentlemen, \n\nOn behalf of the Independent Governance Committee (IGC) and its members I would like to thank you for this opportunity to present our findings. Allow me first, though, to congratulate you to the decision to engage in this major reform process.\n\nI. The challenges\n-----------------\n\nSome of you may ask, why this far reaching reform process is necessary, and probably the perceptions of FIFA’s current situation will diverge. However, I assume there is a common understanding that FIFA has evolved from a mere game regulator and organizer to a commercially extremely powerful entity. And yet, its structures have remained simple, basically those of an association according to Swiss law. It is an experience most enterprises have gone through: economic success and minimal governance structures invite risk of abuse. Clearly, a Sports Governing Body of the significance of FIFA needs a modern Governance structure. What is more, you are not a supervised entity, you have to govern yourself. That is why it is so crucial that you recognize your responsibility to regulate yourself (self-regulation).\n\nII. The reform process\n----------------------\n\nNow, you have been informed about the steps of this reform process. You have heard about the very useful and constructive work done by the Task Forces, leading to suggestions to amend the statutes (I am referring to the Annexes C. and E. of your Congress package). Our own role has been that of an independent oversight body. It is crucial, though, to understand that the IGC is made up half of professional governance experts and half of members of the football world, representing different types of stakeholders. For me it has been a very comforting experience that we in the IGC came out, at the end of intensive discussions, with results adopted by unanimity. And, what is more, they are very close to what the Task Forces, made up of insiders, are proposing to you. Let me highlight the key Recommendations relating to the two stages of this reforms: first, the suggestions for now, the Congress 2012, and then the issues for further consideration and decision in 2013.\n\nIII. The reform of the internal justice system\n----------------------------------------------\n\nToday, you are asked to upgrade FIFA’s Internal Justice System. The Task Force “Ethics Committee” has rightly placed emphasis on the separation of powers, and this in two ways:\n\n*   Investigation and adjudication need to be placed in different hands.\n*   Furthermore, the Investigatory Chamber decides independently from FIFA’s administration whether to open an investigation.\n\nNext, the Chairs of the Investigatory and the Adjudicatory Chamber of the Ethics Committee need to be independent experienced professionals of a high standing. We have proposed a series of names to the ExCo to choose from and this point will be addressed by the President under agenda item 13. Trust me, that we have found the best possible names available worldwide. They will lend your first stage of reform the necessary credibility.\n\nFinally, it is essential that FIFA officials standing for election or re-election are – in the same way as this is established practice, both in the corporate world and in international organizations – subjected to an integrity check. “Fit and proper conduct” or “due diligence” are standard requirements of leadership in the public and the private sector. It is high time that criteria are applied also to the officials of Sports Governing Bodies. There is nothing peculiar in this, rather integrity checks have become a standard discipline, following technical rules.\n\nIV. Audit Committee and integrity check\n---------------------------------------\n\nStill within the first stage is the upgrade of FIFA’s financial and compliance oversight:\n\nThe Chairman of the Audit Committee needs to be in the same way independent. Furthermore, you need someone with a very specific professional background, with the experience of years in a senior position in multinational enterprises. Again, the IGC has proposed a list of candidates to FIFA and there is a concrete person fitting perfectly these requirements. This point will be addressed by the President under agenda item 13.\n\nThe “Audit and Compliance Committee”, as it is now called, will under the new rules have three major tasks: \n\n*   financial oversight\n*   compliance oversight\n*   the decision on remunerations of senior officials\n\nV. Consultation phase for 2013\n------------------------------\n\nTurning now to your second phase of reforms:\n\nIt rapidly became obvious that there are several further fundamental issues that need to be considered, but in a democratic environment they need time for discussion. I would like to invite you to consider in particular the following Recommendations for 2013. I am merely picking some of the points made and I would like to refer to our own report (available on the web) as well as the draft statutes in annex E. of your Congress Materials.\n\n*   I am sure you will want to discuss our proposal to include an independent component within the ExCo, this is current practice in business and there are several ways of doing so. This is an item addressing the requirement of accountability.\n*   You will equally want to study our suggestions on new ways to determine the remuneration of senior officials and staff and to make the information available to Congress (addressing the requirement of transparency).\n*   We have made several Recommendations upgrading the system of financial reporting as well as streamlining the procedures on development programs. Here we are proposing unified strategies and procedures within a newly created Development Committee.\n*   There are several standard Recommendations on creating an adequate compliance program and a conflict of interest policy. This implies introducing a whistleblower hotline, open to the general public. Again, we are here in the sphere of established business principles.\n*   The report contains further details on the election of senior officials as well as − on hosting and on marketing.\n\nNow, I am not going to go through the entire list. Please read our report (handed out to you and available on the web) and please consult the reform proposals by the Task Forces. I will merely encourage you to address the key issues and to abstain from “cherry picking”. Please do not just pick the easy decisions out of a menu that has an overall logic.\n\nVI. Conclusion\n--------------\n\nI would like to conclude my presentation by inviting you to make use of this opportunity. It will not repeat itself easily: do something courageous and generations footballers, fans and further stakeholders will remember you for it!","2012-05-25","fifa-reform-address-by-the-chairman-of-the-independent-governance-committee-360","FIFA reform: address by the Chairman of the Independent Governance Committee","\u002Fpics\u002Fimg-placeholder.png",[],[163],[292],"Presentations",[],360,[163],[292],[],[],[173],[],"2022-05-26T22:59:36.000Z",[],"\u002Fresources\u002Fnews\u002Ffifa-reform-address-by-the-chairman-of-the-independent-governance-committee-360",{"id":305,"body":306,"status":6,"type":10,"date":307,"slug":308,"title":309,"image":310,"countries":311,"topic":312,"activity":315,"tags":316,"nid":317,"topics":318,"activities":320,"authors":321,"images":323,"websites":324,"area":21,"programme":21,"language":21,"translations":325,"translation_of":21,"user_created":38,"date_created":326,"user_updated":39,"date_updated":327,"content":328,"link":329},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).","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",[],[313,103,314],"Anti-Money Laundering","Compliance",[17],[],1094,[313,103,319],"Business Integrity Ethics and Compliance",[17],[322],860,[],[173,103],[],"2022-05-26T22:55:17.000Z","2026-05-29T22:21:54.000Z",[],"\u002Fresources\u002Fnews\u002Fmark-pieths-quick-guide-to-gold-laundering-1094",{"id":331,"body":332,"status":6,"type":14,"date":333,"slug":334,"title":335,"image":336,"countries":337,"topic":338,"activity":339,"tags":340,"nid":341,"topics":342,"activities":343,"authors":344,"images":345,"websites":346,"area":21,"programme":21,"language":21,"translations":347,"translation_of":21,"user_created":38,"date_created":348,"user_updated":176,"date_updated":279,"content":349,"link":350},9988,"In conversation with Professor Mark Pieth, President of the Basel Institute and Meinhard Remberg, Chief Representative of SMS on the opportunities, risks, and success factors of anti-corruption Collective Action. Watch below to find out more (in German) on the [Compliance Channel](https:\u002F\u002Fcompliancechannel.tv\u002Fvideo\u002Fcollective-action-gegen-korruption\u002F).","2017-11-10","compliance-channel-feature-on-collective-action-105","Compliance Channel feature on Collective Action","https:\u002F\u002Fjam.baselgovernance.org\u002Fapi\u002Fassets\u002Fbe22a49f-217b-4ad0-ae83-bab6be255866?width=1000&height=650&format=webp&quality=80",[],[103],[14],[],105,[103],[],[],[],[173,103],[],"2022-05-26T22:58:07.000Z",[],"\u002Fresources\u002Fnews\u002Fcompliance-channel-feature-on-collective-action-105",{"id":352,"body":353,"status":6,"type":14,"date":354,"slug":355,"title":356,"image":288,"countries":357,"topic":358,"activity":359,"tags":360,"nid":361,"topics":362,"activities":363,"authors":364,"images":365,"websites":366,"area":21,"programme":21,"language":21,"translations":367,"translation_of":21,"user_created":38,"date_created":368,"user_updated":176,"date_updated":279,"content":369,"link":370},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],[222,292],[],109,[],[222,292],[],[],[173],[],"2022-05-26T22:58:09.000Z",[],"\u002Fresources\u002Fnews\u002Fmark-pieth-moderates-panel-at-university-of-basel-on-football-stadium-safety-109",{"left":372,"top":372,"width":373,"height":373,"rotate":372,"vFlip":374,"hFlip":374,"body":375},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>",1780676517336]