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Anti-Corruption

Corruption has a significant negative impact on economic growth, trade and development and is detrimental to the functioning of democracies and trust in public institutions. To facilitate cooperation in raising the standards of transparency and accountability as well as contributing to the effectiveness of the global fight against corruption, the G20 Anti-Corruption Working Group (ACWG) was established in 2010. The OECD has been an active partner of the ACWG, supporting G20 ACWG commitments, including fighting foreign bribery, promoting public and private sector integrity, and engaging with the private sector and civil society.

Strengthening the Fight Against Bribery and Corruption and Promoting International cooperation

The OECD actively supports G20 ACWG members’ efforts to ensure G20 countries lead by example in the fight against bribery and corruption. Leveraging the OECD’s experience and expertise as a global anti-corruption and integrity standard-setter, the Organisation supports the ACWG in addressing the challenges of fighting bribery and corruption and promoting international cooperation. This includes supporting G20 countries’ adherence to and effective implementation of the OECD Convention on Combating Bribery of Foreign Public Officials in International Business Transactions, including through joint G20 ACWG and OECD WGB meetings, as well as providing the evidence base for ACWG efforts to strengthen legal and regulatory frameworks, international and interagency cooperation, and law enforcement capacity in the fight against corruption.

Promoting Integrity and Transparency in the Public and Private Sectors

Fighting global corruption equally requires effective measures to promote  integrity and transparency of the public and private sector. Since 2010, the OECD has  provided the evidence base for the ACWG efforts to develop and promote the implementation of preventive measures, including transparency, codes of conduct, and awareness-raising efforts for both the public and private sector. The OECD support to the ACWG includes the promotion of integrity in public procurement and customs, budget transparency and integrity of  public administration; as well as  lending the OECD’s convening power to bring together the private sector and civil society to combat corruption and promote integrity.

The OECD contributed actively across these key priorities in support of the implementation of the previous  2019-2021 Anti-Corruption Action Plan. The Japanese Presidency focused on two overarching priorities: 1) promoting integrity in infrastructure development and 2) strengthening whistle-blower protection. The OECD supported the elaboration of the Compendium of Good Practices in Promoting Integrity in Infrastructure Development as well as the development of High-Level Principles on Whistle-blowers Protection. It also organised the first joint meeting of the OECD WGB and the G20 ACWG to exchange on the global foreign bribery agenda.

During the G20 2020, the Saudi Presidency organised the first G20 Anti-Corruption Ministerial Meeting and announced its intention to participate in the OECD Working Group on Bribery, with a view to join the OECD Anti Bribery Convention. In the Riyadh Declaration, Leaders committed to demonstrate concrete efforts by 2021 towards criminalizing foreign bribery and enforcing foreign bribery legislation in line with article 16 of UNCAC, and with a view to a possible adherence by all G20 countries to the OECD Anti-Bribery Convention. Supporting Members’ understanding of the linkages between corruption and other economic crimes, the OECD also coordinated jointly with other IOs, a scoping paper on international cooperation dealing with economic crime, offenders and recovery of stolen assets.The  agenda of the Italian G20 Presidency 2021 included the following key priorities: to improve the measurement of corruption, to tackle corruption in organized crime, promote integrity in sport, and  prevent and combat corruption in emergency situations. The OECD contributed to the development of a Compendium of Good Practices on Measurement of Corruption, building on its OECD Public Integrity Indicators, as well as of a set of High-Level Principles to address corruption in organized crime, corruption and integrity in sport, and corruption in emergency situations. The OECD also organised the joint session between the G20 ACWG and the OECD Working Group on Bribery.  Following up on the commitments and mandate by Leaders and Ministers to report back on anti-corruption by 2021, the OECD supported Members’ efforts to report back on the state of play regarding the implementation of their foreign bribery commitments.

Looking ahead, the OECD will support the implementation of the new Anti-Corruption Action Plan for 2022-2024 adopted under the Italian Presidency.

Recent OECD Contributions to the G20