Adverse impacts of business operations, such as environmental or human rights concerns, are often associated and enabled where integrity is lacking, and corruption is present. Government procurement, representing 13% of GDP in OECD countries, can create incentives for businesses to adopt more responsible operations. Indeed, corruption prevention is a focus in public procurement and business operations (mainly with direct suppliers) but gaps remain. This includes managing corruption risks in the upstream tiers of the supply chain and addressing corruption and responsible business conduct (RBC) issues in an interconnected manner.
Through engagement with suppliers, public buyers and public integrity officials, this workstream is defining new and effective ways to address integrity and corruption risks in public procurement supply chains. The workstream builds on OECD standards around risk-based due diligence, public procurement and integrity, and moves beyond a narrow understanding of corruption risks in supply chains, by broadening the focus to public integrity risks, including not only bribery, but also undue influence.