Almost 90% of the countries violates obligations under OECD Anti-Bribery Convention

Transparency International’s annual progress report shows that only a meagre 10% of the countries that signed the OECD Anti-Bribery Convention 16 years ago adhere to the standards.
Just 4 out of 41 countries are actively enforcing the convention by investigating and prosecuting companies that bribe their way into business by providing payments to foreign officials.

The enforcement rate in four countries has risen, but unfortunately Argentina slipped from limited enforcement in 2014 to little or no enforcement this year. José Ugaz, the Director of Transparency International, spoke out about his concern and emphasized that the violation of these international obligations can and will not be tolerated. He stated that non-commitment with the OECD should not be without serious consequences.

On a positive note, the Netherlands has risen from little or no enforcement last year to limited enforcement in 2015. The home country solution, which resulted in a settlement between SBM Offshore and the Dutch Public Prosecutor, helped the Netherlands climb one rung higher in the rankings.

Also, the government promises to be stronger in combating corruption by increasing the resources of anti-corruption bodies and increasing penalties, attributed to this result. The Netherlands is demonstrating its ambition to improve its enforcement ranking by focusing on the prosecution of individuals and showing more involvement in international bribery and corruption cases when a Dutch company or person is involved.

Click here to read Transparency International’s Progress Report 2015.

Courtesy of De Braw Blackstone Westbroek – De Braw Blackstone Westbroek is a member of the EACCNY