Lessons to be learned from (not) addressing corruption in Afghanistan
By Jean-Pierre Méan Published on Tuesday August 31, 2021 The recent events in Afghanistan brought back to my mind a discussion that I had with a member of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) in the aftermath of the then successful US intervention in 2001. Far from being encouraged in its endeavors to promote the United Nations Convention against Corruption (UNCAC) in Afghanistan, UNODC was told at the time that combating corruption was not the order of the day. The thinking was that there were other priorities and that fighting corruption would have to wait until...
Read MoreCorruption and Covid 19
By Marc Tassé Published on Monday January 25, 2021 Times of social, political, and economic stress present opportunities for corrupt actors to act corruptly, and the crisis caused by the novel coronavirus will be no exception. Lessons learned from corruption in the health sector show that procurement and contracting malfeasance could lead to deadly consequences — inflated prices or poor-quality goods, perhaps in exchange for bribes. Pharmaceutical supply chains are very susceptible to corruption and medical supply chains highlight another concern over corruption as the coronavirus...
Read MoreConfiscation acquitted: EU law drops criminal charges
By Francesco Clementucci Published on Tuesday April 14, 2020 Confiscation of illicit funds represents an essential instrument for deterring and effectively combatting corruption, including the recovery of funds and reparation for victims. Typically, confiscation takes place following a wrongdoer’s conviction or indictment. However, successfully convicting criminals is hard, especially in international cases. Non-conviction based (NCB) confiscations can greatly facilitate this task. While the judgment of the criminal person aims at stopping criminals from committing further...
Read MoreRe-Imagining Corporate Accountability on a Multilateral Scale
By Marc Tassé and Noah Archinoff Published on Tuesday April 7, 2020 How do you hold an entity which only exists on paper accountable for a criminal offence? Dealing with corporate corruption has recently veered away from traditional criminal legal proceedings. As discussed in the OECD’s 2018 report,1 non-trial resolutions have accounted for 78 per cent of all corruption enforcement proceedings in states that are signatories to the OECD Convention.2 Creative means are being increasingly employed to imbue responsible behaviour on corporate offenders, often aimed at shifting the focus from...
Read MoreThe Panama Papers and the emergence of anti-corruption compliance
By Marc Tassé Published on Tuesday February 11, 2020 While the leaks continue from the “Panama Papers”, continuing to make headlines around the world, and as the related scandals intensify, there have been numerous articles written on the whole topic. My following comments and remarks take under consideration and outline some of those and my own comments. The International Consortium of Investigative Journalists obtained millions of documents showing heads of state, lawbreakers and celebrities using secret hideaways in tax havens. Files reveal the offshore holdings of 140...
Read MoreKeys to an Effective Anti-Corruption Ethics and Compliance Program
By Marc Tassé Published on Tuesday December 3, 2019 Businesses are coming under increased scrutiny, both at home and abroad, to ensure that their domestic and foreign operations comply with anti-corruption and anti-bribery legislation. International trends towards tougher legislation and increased enforcement of anti-corruption laws internationally make non-compliance a real risk that companies must address as a business priority. There are significant financial, business, and reputational repercussions to not having an anti-corruption policy and effective compliance program in...
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