To strengthen business integrity, governments have in recent years developed anti-corruption policy frameworks and compliance standards, aimed at shaping businesses’ behaviour with a view to deterring, detecting and sanctioning corrupt business practices. Beyond policies and enforcement of mandatory requirements, governments are increasingly recognising that incentives may constitute a powerful tool to foster effective anti-corruption compliance by businesses. The OECD publishes guidance and studies to help governments better understand the power of incentivising business integrity.

In addition, the OECD has developed a global standard on corporate governance, the G20/OECD Principles of Corporate Governance, to help policy makers evaluate and improve the legal and regulatory framework to make companies more accountable and transparent to stakeholders. 

The OECD creates opportunities for regional and global networks to foster cross-sectoral relationships and enhance collective action on business integrity. Collective action brings together organisations to raise standards of integrity and fair competition in business, within or across certain industrial sectors, between the public and private sectors and involve the participation of civil society and academia. It is included in the 2021 OECD Anti-Bribery Recommendation.

The OECD also fosters global co-operation through peer-to-peer capacity development, regional and country-specific support on business integrity, looking at specific challenges and priorities in regions.

Government and business are essential actors in the fight against corruption. Governments that uphold integrity are more trusted by citizens and better equipped to address inequality. Businesses that act with integrity demonstrate better economic, social and environmental leadership and performance. Yet more can be done to strengthen collective action between the government and business to prevent corruption, improve the international business climate and level the playing field.

The OECD’s Global Initiative to Galvanise the Private Sector as Partners in Combatting Corruption (GPS) responds to this challenge and convenes governments and business to exchange knowledge, build and disseminate anti-corruption solutions, advance international standards on anti-corruption and integrity, and inform international, regional and sectoral anti-corruption priorities.

The Business Integrity Group brings together representatives of companies, business associations, collective actions and public institutions of the Anti-Corruption Network for Eastern Europe and Central Asia to promote peer learning on ethical business conduct in the region. 

This knowledge hub, which is part of the OECD/ADB Anti-corruption Initiative for Asia and the Pacific, builds the capacities of governments, businesses and civil society in the Asia Pacific region through thematic studies, capacity-development workshops and country-specific support.  

Fostering dialogue between government and the business community on the prevention of corruption in international transactions and the adoption of internal prevention mechanisms in companies is a pillar of the OECD-Latin America and Caribbean Anti-Corruption Initiative.

Developing practical guidance on preventive measures tailored to the bribery risks confronting African companies and raising awareness-raising on corporate compliance measures, especially for SMEs, is a workstream of the OECD/AfDB Joint Initiative to Support Business Integrity and Anti-bribery Efforts in Africa.

This platform, which brings together regional businesses, civil society and anti-corruption officials from the MENA region and OECD countries, provides a framework for peer learning, sharing of  standards and good practices, and data collection on business integrity.