Customs administrations play an essential role in facilitating global trade while reinforcing integrity in cross-border exchanges of goods and services and collecting public revenue. Evidence shows that addressing lack of integrity in customs can create significant benefits for the public and private sectors, as well as society as a whole.

The OECD Foreign Bribery Report brings us, for the first time, face to face with our foe. This report endeavours to measure, and to describe, transnational corruption based on data from the 427 foreign bribery cases that have been concluded since the entry into force of the OECD Anti-Bribery Convention in 1999. We have learned that bribes are being paid across sectors to officials from countries at all stages of economic development.

Since the early 1990s, with the ever-increasing prospect of integration into the European Union, the countries of the Western Balkans and Turkey have taken important steps to develop and strengthen their anti-corruption systems. Progress has been slow, however, and the implementation of laws and policies lags far behind what is envisaged on paper.

Nigeria is one of the most challenging countries to do business in as requests for cash and in-kind payments are very common. Many government agencies frequently make corrupt demands during port calls related to alleged irregularities of documentation (e.g. yellow fever certificates, crew contracts) or operations (e.g. ballast water discharge documentation, onboard practice in general).

Anti-corruption Collective Action Initiatives (CAIs) are structured efforts that bring together private sector actors with other stakeholders with the aim of preventing corruption and improving the business environment in a particular context.

The landscape of CAIs is extremely diverse. Differences cut across the type and number of stakeholders involved. Initiatives can be sector-specific or cross-sectoral. They can be applied at the community, country, regional or global level.

Corruption is a multi-faceted problem, damaging societies and economies by reducing investment, reducing the quality of goods and services, increasing inequality, and preventing sustainable and fair development. But it also has damaging effects on business as it imposes added transaction costs, increases risk, makes business transactions less reliable and undermines fair competition and productivity.

There was not quite a revolution in Basel on 14–15 November 2018, but there was plenty of lively discussion during the panel sessions and on the margins of the Basel Institute's 3rd International Collective Action Conference. 

The OECD Secretary-General convened a High-Level Advisory Group on Anti-Corruption and Integrity on the occasion of the OECD Integrity Forum in March 2015. The Group, which is composed of independent experts from a variety of professional backgrounds in the anti-corruption field, was tasked with helping the OECD identify ways to strengthen its work on combating corruption and fostering integrity in the public and private spheres through a consultative role to the Secretary-General.

Trade and competition are powerful drivers of growth, increased living standards and job creation. The G20’s growth strategies include reforms to facilitate trade by lowering costs, streamlining customs procedures, reducing unnecessary regulatory burdens and strengthening trade-enabling services.

Customs have significant responsibilities for regulating cross-border trade, including collecting taxes, deterring illicit trade, controlling goods subject to prohibitions or restrictions, and contributing to economic competitiveness by facilitating trade.

These Public Expenditure and Accountability (PEFA) evaluation reports are the results of a joint project carried out by evaluators, authorities and regional government officials to systematically measure the quality of public finance management in different regions of Peru.

The quality control process followed for the preparation of this report complies with all the requirements of the Secretariat for the Public Expenditure and Accountability Program (PEFA) in Peru.