Collective Action
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Building trust: how Collective Action strengthens business ecosystems
In this article, Celia Lourens examines the role of cross-sectoral trust for a functional business environment. Collective Action, she argues, can be an approach to overcoming trust deficits between relevant stakeholders. Celia Lourens supports the organisation of our 6th International Collective Action Conference. At its core, anti-corruption Collective Action is about tackling corruption challenges together, rather than alone. Collective Action is primarily driven by businesses, often in collaboration with government representatives and civil society, to address a shared challenge and attain a common objective. Building trust is one critical element of Collective Action efforts, as it requires a genuine and sustained willingness from all involved stakeholders to collaborate. Trust across sectors: the foundation of effective markets Markets depend on trust – not only between businesses and their customers or employees and their organisational leadership, but between the institutions that shape the business environment: Business relies on regulatory bodies to create fair and predictable markets. Governments depend on businesses to act with integrity, beyond merely meeting compliance requirements. Civil society holds both public and private sectors accountable whilst advancing transparency and public confidence. Where these relationships are founded in trust, business ecosystems function more effectively and markets remain stable. Yet, cross-sector trust is increasingly under strain. Geopolitical volatility, tightening regulations and elevated complexity within supply chains are creating distance between the very actors who need to collaborate. The cost of low-trust systems When trust between the private sector, government and civil society breaks down, the consequences are immediate: slower transactions, higher compliance costs and due diligence burdens, duplicated oversight and heightened reputational risk. Oversight becomes adversarial, compliance turns reactive and businesses invest more time managing risks than creating value. In an era of heightened competitiveness, trust across sectors becomes the most valuable currency. Where it is systemically weak, a vicious cycle takes hold: low trust demands heightened scrutiny and more controls, which in turn erode trust further. Government enforcement of standards becomes inconsistent and civil society turns sceptical rather than being a partner. Breaking this cycle requires a different approach – one built on shared commitment, sustained engagement and coordinated action. This is where Collective Action comes into play. Collective Action as a trust-building mechanism In practice, Collective Action enables organisations to jointly raise integrity standards across industries, develop sector-specific norms and tackle systemic risks such as bribery and unethical conduct. Its ultimate objective – and the key incentive to participate in Collective Action initiatives – is to create fairer, more transparent markets where companies can compete on equal terms. But beyond its role as an anti-corruption approach, Collective Action also serves as a powerful trust-building mechanism. In a low-trust environment, individual organisations acting ethically on their own can find themselves at a disadvantage. Collective Action changes this dynamic. Shared commitments level the playing field, the involvement of multiple stakeholders builds credibility and joint accountability mechanisms increase transparency. Over time, this collaborative approach fosters trust where it is hardest to achieve – between actors with different roles, responsibilities and pressures. The result is a shift in systemic behaviour that lowers the cost of doing business and drives a more predictable business environment. From compliance to competitive advantage Too often, doing business with integrity is treated as a compliance obligation rather than a source of competitive advantage. Yet, in high-trust business environments, stronger partnerships and faster decision-making enable organisations to withstand disruptions. Organisations invested in building trust across their business ecosystem are better positioned to navigate complexity and sustain long-term value. Collective Action supports this shift by helping to shape markets that reward integrity, moving beyond a risk mitigation exercise. Building trust in practice This is exactly the focus of the 6th International Collective Action Conference, taking place on 9–10 June 2026 in Basel, Switzerland. Bringing together leaders from business, government and civil society, the conference is designed as a space not just for dialogue, but for practical exchange. It showcases how Collective Action initiatives are being implemented across sectors, what makes them effective and how they can be adapted to different contexts. The conference reflects a core conviction: trust across sectors does not happen by default but must be actively built. Organisations that commit to building trust together, as a collective, will not only manage risks more effectively, but help shape a new competitive advantage rooted in integrity. Learn more 6th International Collective Action Conference 2026 B20 Collective Action Hub Working Paper 56: Anti-corruption Collective Action: A typology for a new era Book: Collective Action in practice: a game-changer for business integrity
Professor Anne Peters on how anti-corruption organisations can survive in today’s volatile world
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. 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. 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. 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. You were a part of the Basel Institute from the beginning. How did it all start? My 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, 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. Because 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. The 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. Back 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. What excited you about it? What did you bring from the academic world? I was young, I had energy and I liked Mark as a colleague and friend. The concept of governance was also quite new and exciting. I 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, who joined to lead research on public and global governance. The 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. This academic underpinning and insistence on research and evidence is still one of the Basel Institute’s strongest points. What other milestones and innovations do you remember? A major academic milestone was our conference on non-state actors and the resulting book, Non-State Actors as 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. I 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. Again, this interdisciplinary approach remains central to the Basel Institute’s current work. 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? Personal 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. That’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. The concept and practice of Collective Action – 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. Similarly, 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 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. We did early work on money laundering in the art market. 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. A newer area we have helped to establish internationally is green 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. Common 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. And human rights? How does that connect to corruption? My 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. I wrote a Working Paper 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. The Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights UN Human Rights references my work in a recently published 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. It’s great to see our scholarly work being used to underpin practical international guidance that will ultimately have impact on people’s lives. What does the current global context mean for anti-corruption efforts and organisations like the Basel Institute? We 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. Even 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. So 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. That’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. Any bright side for those who care about anti-corruption and governance? On 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. Despite 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. The 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. What’s coming up for you personally? In my research I remain focused on the big-picture development of the international legal order. I look forward to the publication in 2026 of the Oxford Handbook of Global Animal Law , which I co-edited and which seeks to authoritatively establish this fairly new field of international law. Alongside 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. And, 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. Thank 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.
Holding the line: Betsy Andersen on corruption and hope in uncertain times (The Academy Bulletin)
Corruption corrodes trust, weakens institutions, and undermines societies. Few people understand this better than our Executive Director Elizabeth Andersen. With more than two decades of experience advancing the rule of law around the world, Betsy brings a wealth of insight into why corruption matters and how to confront it. In the fifth issue of the Bulletin of the International Academy of Financial Crime Litigators, Betsy is in conversation with the Bulletin’s co-editor Dr Maria Nizzero. She discusses what drew her to the Basel Institute, the challenges of sustaining anti-corruption momentum in a turbulent geopolitical climate, and why, despite the setbacks, she remains deeply optimistic about the fight ahead. The interview is republished here with permission from the Academy. Can you tell us a little bit more about yourself and what drew you to the Basel Institute on Governance? Elizabeth Andersen: I’ve spent more than 20 years working to strengthen the rule of law globally, and one of the most pressing challenges we face is corruption. It undermines institutions, harms societies and erodes trust in government. The Basel Institute’s reputation for impact made it a compelling place to continue this work. What especially attracted me is its model: combining hands-on technical assistance with research and policy engagement. I was particularly drawn to the way in which the Basel Institute transforms lessons learnt from their very impactful technical assistance and case-based assistance on the ground into policy recommendations. These recommendations contribute to global conversations and policymaking that can in turn deliver systemic change. This virtuous cycle of on-the-groundwork, learning and policy engagement was really very attractive to me as a terrific model. You previously led the World Justice Project. What lessons are you bringing to Basel? EA: Both organisations share a commitment to data-driven, evidence-based solutions. At the World Justice Project, I saw how indices can be powerful diagnostic tools and motivators for change, as countries or jurisdictions work to strengthen their scores. They open the door for really important conversations on the path forward for change. I intend to carry this work forward to the Basel Institute, as I believe the Basel AML Index – our flagship tool for assessing risks of money laundering and related financial crimes at the country level – has the potential to achieve even more than what it is already doing. Another key point these organisations have in common is the value they place on multi-stakeholder approaches. The rule of law isn’t just for lawyers and judges: it requires governments, businesses and civil society to work together. At the Basel Institute, one of the ways in which we’re advancing that vision is through Collective Action initiatives. These bring together the private sector and other stakeholders – typically government and civil society – in sustained, collaborative efforts to overcome shared corruption challenges and raise standards of business integrity and fair competition. I look forward to building on the Basel Institute’s track record in convening such multi-stakeholder initiatives, so critical to combating corruption effectively. From geopolitical shifts, to the threat of war, to tariffs, to climate change, with so many urgent global issues, how do you keep anti-corruption on the agenda? EA: This is something I have been thinking about a lot – in particular about the ways in which we need to frame, or reframe, the work that we do in terms of the policy priorities that prevail today. We have to link corruption to today’s top policy concerns, whether that’s defence spending, organised crime or the energy transition. There is an important corruption dimension to all of these contemporary priorities. By highlighting that connection through research, we can make the case that anti-corruption work isn’t a distraction or unnecessary expense; it’s foundational and an investment in long-term success. Illicit financial flows are another critical issue. These are not victimless crimes, but ones that rob communities of resources. Especially at a time when development assistance is shrinking, asset recovery and international cooperation to return stolen funds are more urgent than ever. That has always been at the core of the Institute’s work, but it feels all more urgent now. Some argue momentum on asset recovery is waning. Do you agree? EA: In fact, demand for our support in partner countries is growing. We have more demand than we can currently meet from governments asking us to help them develop capacity to investigate, prosecute and recover assets. We’re also seeing governments adopt stronger legal tools, such as non-conviction based forfeiture and improved anti-money laundering frameworks. And international cooperation mechanisms are maturing, which gives me confidence that progress is possible. There may be some fatigue, but there is also a growing awareness that asset recovery is not only a strategy for recovering stolen assets and obtaining much needed resources; it also acts as a deterrent and signals that organised crime will not pay. We also find a lot of promise in the work of the International Anti-Corruption Coordination Centre IACCC , the ongoing Global Forum on Asset Recovery GFAR Action Series and the GlobE Network – the Global Operational Network of Anti-Corruption Law Enforcement Authorities. This kind of international cooperation on anti-corruption and asset recovery is essential, and there are a lot of opportunities to enhance it through such initiatives. In this context, UK Deputy Prime Minister David Lammy’s commitment to tackling illicit finance and the announcement of a summit next year on this topic are really important. The summit represents a great opportunity for financial centres in particular to re-energise and re-focus the fight against illicit finance. How does the Basel Institute bridge the gap between international standards and local realities? EA: This is a really important question, and its answer is a legacy of Gretta Fenner, the Basel Institute’s Managing Director for many years who tragically passed away in 2024. I am proud to say that we never parachute in with a one-size-fits-all presentation. For example, each Basel Institute training on financial investigations and asset recovery is tailored to the local context – to reference the local laws, the local procedures, even the local evidence and context in which crime happens. And this training is typically followed up with mentoring by expert advisors who are often embedded directly with partner agencies in the country. This high-touch approach is time intensive, but it’s the only way to ensure international standards translate into meaningful local practice, and this is something the Institute really excels in. Funding challenges, especially rising from the new US administration’s decisions to cut USAID, have shaken civil society. How is the Basel Institute responding? EA: We’re incredibly fortunate to have a loyal group of donors who have sustained or even increased their support. We don’t take it for granted, however, so we’re also working to diversify funding, including by engaging the private sector. Many companies now recognise that good governance is essential to their bottom line. We’ve also received generous support for education from individuals, such as scholarships for our new graduate-level anti-corruption and asset recovery courses with the University of Basel. Investing in the next generation of leaders is something I’m particularly excited about. I really want to give a shout out to the International Academy of Financial Crime Litigators, which has through the Academy itself and a couple of generous members committed to fund two scholarships for talented professionals who would otherwise not be able to attend the course. Talking about the private sector, what role does the private sector play in fighting corruption? EA: It’s a critical role. We’ve promoted Collective Action for decades, helping to establish initiatives like the Wolfsberg Group and the Metals Technology Initiative. On our B20 Collective Action Hub – a leading free resource centre on this approach – we’ve documented over 300 such initiatives. This growing dataset allows us to identify what works when engaging the private sector in fighting corruption. It allows us to push beyond rhetoric or box-ticking towards initiatives that have meaningful impact. Despite setbacks, what keeps you hopeful? EA: Above all, the people. My colleagues at the Institute, many recruited by my predecessor Gretta Fenner, are extraordinarily talented and committed. Our partners around the world often take up this cause at personal risk, which is deeply inspiring. And then there are the broader networks drawn from government, businesses, civil society, the media and ordinary citizens, standing up against corruption. When you see that collective energy, it’s impossible not to feel optimistic. Finally, what research is the Basel Institute prioritising next? EA: We’re looking closely at how to strengthen legal tools while safeguarding human rights, for example, with a comparative study of non-conviction based forfeiture laws. We’re also exploring mechanisms to help ensure fines from foreign bribery cases can be used to support anti-corruption initiatives, including in communities that have been harmed by corruption. Both areas aim to make anti-corruption and asset recovery frameworks not only more effective, but also more just. The Academy's Bulletin has been established to transmit the work of Academy Fellows, draw attention to matters of importance to the legal community and provide high-level analysis of cutting-edge issues in global financial crime investigations and litigation. The Basel Institute on Governance acts as Secretariat to the Academy.
New book! Explore the impact of anti-corruption Collective Action
“The scope of integrity and anti-corruption Collective Action initiatives has grown massively over the last 20 or so years. This is because companies, civil society and others have recognised that to tackle extortion and the payment of bribes requires more than an inward-looking ethics and compliance programme to ensure fair competition.” Gemma Aiolfi, Senior Advisor, Legal and Compliance, Basel Institute on Governance Over the past two decades, Collective Action has grown from a niche idea to one of the most promising approaches in the global fight against corruption. The concept of sustained multi-stakeholder collaboration is increasingly recognised in international standards, national strategies and corporate practices. We are excited to announce the release of our new book, Collective Action in practice: a game-changer for business integrity , offering an in-depth reflection on this journey. It explores the growing impact it has on promoting business integrity around the world. Collective responses to shared challenges At its core, anti-corruption Collective Action is a simple yet powerful concept: tackling corruption challenges together, rather than alone. The approach brings together diverse stakeholders – primarily businesses, but often also civil society organisations, public sector representatives and/or academic institutions – around common challenges, shared goals and practical solutions. Showcasing real impact Drawing on real-life examples, policy milestones and practical experiences from the Basel Institute on Governance and our partners, Collective Action in practice: a game-changer for business integrity presents how diverse actors have been working together to tackle corruption in complex environments. It aims to capture the living ecosystem of Collective Action as it exists today, its foundations, its progress and the possibilities it continues to offer for the future. The book is structured in three parts: Part 1: Advancing the knowledge base – presents the analytical tools and conceptual models that help us make sense of Collective Action in practice. It showcases the B20 Collective Action Hub as a flagship resource, documenting more than 340 initiatives and providing access to hundreds of publications. Part 1 also introduces a newly developed typology that reflects the evolving forms of Collective Action and their distinct roles in shaping business integrity. It also explores how the anti-corruption field intersects with human rights and sustainable development, offering fresh perspectives on risk, responsibility and collaboration. Part 2: Mainstreaming Collective Action as a norm – illustrates the growing recognition of Collective Action in international standards and policy frameworks. It highlights policy milestones and references in regional and national strategies and legislation. It also showcases the Institute’s International Collective Action Conference series and the Collective Action Awards, which have helped build a common language around Collective Action and inspire action across industries and geographies. Part 3: Providing hands-on support – focuses on the Basel Institute’s direct support to Collective Action practitioners. It highlights the importance of peer learning and the mentoring programme for civil society organisations, which has grown into a global community of practice. These efforts are grounded in our belief that the success of Collective Action depends not only on policies and frameworks, but also on the people driving change on the ground, often with limited resources and in challenging environments. Learn more Access the individual chapters or the complete book for free on our website. Take our free eLearning course on Collective Action Against Corruption. Visit the B20 Collective Action Hub. Collective Action in practice: a game-changer for business integrity was developed and published by the Basel Institute on Governance, with support from the Siemens Integrity Initiative.
Peru’s Integrity Week celebrates transparency and good governance, including for the environment
While most of the world celebrates International Anti-Corruption Day on 9 December, Peru has kickstarted a new tradition: an entire week dedicated to integrity, transparency and anti-corruption events and celebrations. The country celebrated its first Semana de Integridad Pública – Public Integrity Week – last December, following the passing of a law that dedicates the second week of December each year to the occasion. The aim is to reinforce the country’s commitment to transparency and ethics in public administration. Our teams were closely involved in the various events that took place across the country. Building integrity in public finance management Members of our Subnational Public Finance Management programme or Programa GFP Subnacional organised and participated in 14 events in nine different regions. In total, the events involved more than 2,000 individuals in person and a similar number online. Topics included ethical leadership, policies and strategies to mitigate risks and promote transparency in public administrations, and the role of asset forfeiture in fostering integrity and reducing impunity for corruption. The discussions and workshops underscored the commitment of the Swiss-funded programme to: Strengthen capacities: Provide tools and practical knowledge to identify and manage the risks that affect public integrity. Promote multi-stakeholder dialogue: Encourage collaboration between different parties, including government, the private sector and civil society, to address ethical and transparency challenges together. Inspire action: Promote a culture of integrity and accountability as the basis for inclusive and sustainable development. Green corruption high on the agenda Our Green Corruption prevention team, funded by the UK's Conflict, Stability and Security Fund, also participated in 18 separate events, reaching over 6,000 participants in person and more online. Our team drew attention to the fact that corruption is a key enabler of illegal trade in natural resources. Illegal logging in the Peruvian Amazon, illegal mining or wildlife trafficking pose serious threats to the country’s environment, people and economy. But these complex crimes can’t be addressed without an active focus on corruption prevention. The prominence of this topic during Integrity Week is an important achievement. It reflects increased awareness and interest in green corruption among Peruvian authorities, specifically from the Ministries of the Environment and Agriculture, as well as the national Secretariat for Public Integrity that led the organisation of the events. Learn more See the press release in Spanish . See photo highlights from events in Loreto. Watch a series of three debates about asset recovery law and practice in Peru, released at the same time as Integrity Week.
Publications
Working Paper 60: Understanding the enemy: Insights from corrupt networks to improve anti-corruption Collective Action initiatives
Corruption is not simply about individual misconduct. It is a networked phenomenon that arises from entrenched social, economic and political interactions. It is orchestrated through coordination between groups and clusters of individuals.
This Working Paper explores the networked nature of corruption and the opportunities this presents for anti-corruption efforts. The aim is to understand how shifting the unit of analysis from individuals to networks helps to understand the persistence and resilience of corruption, while opening up new anti-corruption perspectives.
A meta-analysis of findings from more than 15 years of research on informal networks and corruption underpins the conceptualisation of corrupt networks. The paper argues that a focus on networks helps to shed light on the functionality of corruption – from petty bribery to large-scale public procurement fraud – and the underlying social norms that enable it.
Understanding the structures, functions and modus operandi of the informal networks associated with corruption and applying the network logic to anti-corruption strategies can help to achieve better outcomes. The paper specifically looks at anti-corruption Collective Action initiatives, suggesting that these should emulate positive aspects of informal networks.
About this Working Paper
This paper is published as part of the Basel Institute on Governance Working Paper series, ISSN: 2624-9650. You may share or republish it under a Creative Commons BY-NC-ND 4.0 International Licence.
The contents are the sole responsibility of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the official position of the Basel Institute on Governance, its donors and partners, or the University of Basel.
Anti-corruption Collective Action in the G20/B20 process: Charting progress 2020–2024
This report analyses the approaches of the previous five B20 presidencies to addressing anti-corruption Collective Action. It captures lessons learned and provides recommendations for future B20/G20 cycles. It is primarily intended for upcoming B20/G20 presidencies, B20 Integrity & Compliance Task Force members and organisations engaging with the B20/G20.
About this report
You may share or republish this report under a Creative Commons CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 licence.
Suggested citation: Scarlet Wannenwetsch. 2025. ‘Anti-corruption Collective Action in the G20/B20 process: Charting progress 2020–2024.’ Basel Institute on Governance.
The report was funded by the Siemens Integrity Initiative, which supports organisations in the fight against corruption and fraud through Collective Action, education and training. The views and opinions expressed in this report are those of the author and do not reflect the position of Siemens or the Siemens Integrity Initiative.
Collective Action in practice: a game-changer for business integrity
Advancing business integrity through collective action
This paper explores governments’ role in fostering, facilitating and engaging in collective action initiatives to support the private sector in its fight against corruption. Building on the OECD Anti-Bribery Recommendation, the first international standard to recommend collective action as a tool to fight foreign bribery, the paper examines when, how and for what purposes governments participate in such initiatives. The paper offers a blueprint for government authorities seeking to support anti-corruption collective action initiatives in ways that are strategic, effective and sustainable.
Working Paper 56: Anti-corruption Collective Action: A typology for a new era
Since its first use by the World Bank in 2008, the concept of “anti-corruption Collective Action” has evolved into a well-established best practice to prevent corruption and strengthen business integrity.
This paper captures the specific characteristics of anti-corruption Collective Action that have emerged over time and translates them into an easy-to-grasp typology that reflects both the variety and unifying principles that make up the Collective Action ecosystem. It aims to:
- spark new impetus for engagement;
- open the concept to new stakeholders, topics and environments; and
- support existing initiatives in developing their long-term visions and aims.
In addition to supporting practitioners, updating the typology will also help strengthen the case for Collective Action as a normative corruption prevention practice.
About this report
The paper is published as part of the Basel Institute on Governance Working Paper series, ISSN: 2624-9650. You may share or republish it under a Creative Commons BY-NC-ND 4.0 International Licence.
The contents are the sole responsibility of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official position of the Basel Institute on Governance, its donors and partners, or the University of Basel.
Suggested citation: Wannenwetsch, Scarlet. 2025. ‘Anti-corruption Collective Action: A typology for a new era.’ Working Paper 56, Basel Institute on Governance. Available at: baselgovernance.org/publications/wp-56.