Corruption in government procurement is a massive problem worldwide, especially in developing countries. In an ideal world, measures to combat procurement corruption would include structural changes that would open up monopolies, break cartels, and enact rational, uniform, and effective procurement laws. Sadly, the potential effectiveness of these measures is matched only by the near impossibility of their implementation any time soon. We should continue to push for comprehensive structural solutions to the procurement mess, of course.

Mark Pieth, Founder of the Basel Institute on Governance and author of the book Gold Laundering, offers an insight into the risks of human rights and environmental harms in gold supply chains. Where are the risks and responsibilities?

Collective Action with gold refiners, suppliers and other stakeholders, he concludes, can help to clean up the industry.

The member countries of the ADB/OECD Anti-Corruption Initiative for Asia and the Pacific attach high priority to the fight against corruption in public procurement. In July 2004, member countries of the Initiative decided to dedicate the Initiative’s first thematic review to curbing corruption in public procurement.

The Basel Institute has been collaborating with the OECD’s Trust in Business Initiative on an innovative project to build anti-corruption capacity in state-owned enterprises (SOEs).

Compliance without Borders is a project co-developed with industry leaders under the B20 Argentina presidency. It brings together experienced compliance experts via short-term secondments to SOEs to help them build their compliance capacity and address corruption-related risks.

Every day, an unknown number of elephant tusks, rhino horn, pangolin scales and other wildlife products – alive and dead – cross the oceans in container ships and cargo flights for use in traditional medicine, crafts and the illegal pet trade. Rare trees are felled in ancient forests and shipped out under false certificates.

They leave behind the butchered carcasses of the last remaining animals of many species, scarred and emptied landscapes, legal livelihoods undermined by corruption and criminal activity, and communities ravaged by organised crime networks.

Gemma Aiolfi, Head of Compliance and Collective Action, explains that anti-corruption compliance doesn’t have to be complicated. Even small and mid-sized companies can easily build the basics of an effective anti-corruption compliance programme.

Find out five simple things a business leader can do to raise integrity in an organisation.

A new Working Paper by our Collective Action experts explores private-sector engagement in the fight against illegal wildlife trade.

Part of a multi-disciplinary Basel Institute programme focused on financial crime in illegal wildlife trade (IWT), the working paper explores efforts by and with private-sector organisations to combat the multibillion-dollar illegal trade and strengthen their resistance to the risks it poses to their business.