Share

Bribery and corruption

book

Committing to Effective Whistleblower Protection

Whistleblower protection is essential for safeguarding the public interest, for promoting a culture of accountability and integrity in both public and private institutions, and for encouraging the reporting of misconduct, fraud and corruption wherever it occurs. While many countries are increasingly developing legal frameworks to protect whistleblowers, more can be done to mainstream integrity and promote open organisational cultures. This report analyses whistleblower protection frameworks in OECD countries, identifies areas for reform and proposes next steps to strengthen effective and comprehensive whistleblower protection laws in both the public and private sectors.

Published on March 16, 2016

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Foreword and Acknowledgements
Acronyms and abbreviations
Executive summary
Whistleblower protection policies and practices5 chapters available
Overview of global standards for whistleblower protection
Public sector whistleblower protection laws in OECD countries
Public sector whistleblower protection in practice: to disclose, or not to disclose
Language, culture and raising awareness to encourage whistleblowing in the public sector
Whistleblower protection in the private sector
Country case studies on whistleblower protection in the public sector7 chapters available
Belgium (Flanders)
Canada
Chile
Ireland
Switzerland
United States of America
Whistleblower protection provisions in the 41 Parties to the Anti-Bribery Convention
Powered by OECD iLibrary

Key recommendations

Implement whistleblower protection broadly, covering all who carry out functions related to an organisation’s mandate.
Clearly communicate the processes in place and raise awareness through training, newsletters, and information sessions about reporting channels and procedures to facilitate disclosures.
Encourage countries to develop review mechanisms to identify data, benchmarks, and indicators relative to whistleblower protection systems and the broader integrity framework in order to evaluate effectiveness and monitor performance.