The United Kingdom published its first Anti-Corruption Strategy (2017-2022) on 11 December 2017 in fulfillment of its pledge made at the London Anti-Corruption Summit in May 2016. Most interesting for us at the International Centre for Collective Action is the UK Strategy’s commitment to support “strengthened business-led collective action to reduce corruption” that is tucked awa
Are we on the brink of the next industrial revolution - or is it already here? Are we about to witness a leap forward into what sounds like a mixture of science fiction and hype but which may also provide new opportunities for economic and social development and see a significant reduction in corruption?
Looking back on developments in Collective Action in 2017, one of the events that stands out was the World Customs Organization’s (WCO) formal adoption of Collective Action as an innovative approach to enhance integrity and combat corruption in Customs and Tax administration.
How can more civil society organisations get involved in anti-corruption Collective Action, and in what capacity? These are the questions that Transparency International addresses in its new publication, Collective Action on Business Integrity: A Practitioner’s Guide for Civil Society Organisations. This Guide is a succinct, easy-to-read, and practical tool for civil society organisations (CSOs) to better understand what anti-corruption Collective Action is and the important –
News
Basel Institute launches new website and working paper on the High Level Reporting Mechanism (HLRM)
The Basel Institute on Governance is pleased to launch two new resources on the High Level Reporting Mechanism (HLRM) as a corruption prevention tool.
What role can compliance certification play in anti-corruption Collective Action?
The discussion around the ISO 37001 standard, published late 2016, created something of a debate on the pros and cons of certifying companies’ compliance programs. And while many welcomed the introduction of a uniform international standard for the prevention and detection of bribes other familiar criticisms of certification remain.
Globally operating companies increasingly feel the pressure to ensure their compliance and integrity standards are maintained throughout their supply-chain. This has led to a transfer of pressure all the way down to the weakest link, the small and medium-sized businesses. As a result, many small and medium-sized business supplying large international companies are faced with unreasonable demands when it comes to their compliance programs that neither reflect their business environment nor their risk profile.
Recent corruption scandals have shown the negative effects that corruption may have in countries around the world, including those of the Latin American and Caribbean region. The Inter-American Development Bank has therefore convened an independent group of experts composed by eight governance and anti-corruption scholars and practitioners to identify innovative and effective approaches to combat corruption in the region.
Publication
The value and importance of Collective Action
Collective Action is becoming increasingly popular as a tool to help solve some of the more difficult and systemic aspects of bribery. It also plays an important role for peer companies keen to ensure a level playing field when acquiring new business.
Lawyers can help their clients to identify, join or initiate new forms of Collective Action because the opportunities and scope are so broad and flexible. There is the potential therefore to find something suitable for all companies wherever they operate in the world.
Publication
Collective Action to tackle corruption
An important factor for success in anti-corruption Collective Action is that it should be a business-driven endeavour. That being said, the role of civil society must be recognised for its important contributions towards successful multi-stakeholder approaches against corruption.
This article from the Spring 2016 edition of Ethical Boardroom magazine looks at how building a strong coalition with civil society puts business on the front foot.