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Business Principles for Countering Bribery
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What they are and how they were developed |
The Business Principles for Countering Bribery provide a framework for companies to develop comprehensive anti-bribery programmes. Whilst many large companies have no-bribes policies all too few implement these policies effectively. We encourage companies to consider using the Business Principles as a starting point for developing their own anti-bribery programmes or to benchmark existing ones.
The development of the Business Principles for Countering Bribery, introduced in December 2002, was spearheaded by Transparency International in co-operation with Social Accountability International. The Business Principles are the product of a collaborative effort of a multi-stakeholder Steering Committee drawn from companies, academia, trade unions and non-governmental bodies.
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Small and Medium Enterprise (SME) Edition |
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To cater for the needs of smaller businesses, TI has produced an edition of the Business Principles for Countering Bribery tailored to the needs of small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs). More than 95% of the world’s business is carried out by SMEs which may not have the same human and financial resources as larger companies but are just as vulnerable to the risks of bribery. |
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The SME Edition includes model anti-bribery principles for companies with fewer resources of time, money and people. It provides practical guidance for developing anti-bribery programmes that suit the size and structure of smaller enterprises. The SME Edition can also be used by larger companies to encourage SMEs in their supply chain to implement no-bribes policies and practices. For more information, please contact: SMEbusinessprinciples@transparency.org |
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Implementation is vital
TI is developing a suite of tools to support companies in the task of implementing anti-bribery policies and programmes. These currently include:
- TI Guidance Document: a comprehensive guide giving background to the Business Principles and practical information for those wishing to implement the Business Principles or review their own anti-bribery processes
- TI Six Step Implementation Process: a how-to guide for companies that are early on in the process of devising and implementing an anti-bribery programme.
- TI Self-Evaluation Module: It will enable companies to assess their anti-bribery performance using an extensive range of indicators.
The risks to business
More and more businesses of all sizes are seeking foreign markets, exposing themselves to a higher risk of bribery and corrupt practices. Transparency International's Bribe Payers Index 2006 (BPI) shows that bribery by companies among the world’s export giants remains common. The BPI looks at the propensity of companies from 30 leading exporting countries to bribe abroad. Companies from the wealthiest countries tend to rank in the top half of the Index, but data shows that they still routinely pay bribes, particularly in developing economies. Companies from emerging export powers such as India, China and Russia rank among the worst. In the case of China and other emerging export powers, efforts to strengthen domestic anti-corruption activities have failed to extend abroad. Click here to learn more.
Download Transparency International Business Principles for Countering Bribery (English, PDF)
- Arabic version
- French version
- Indonesian version
- German version
- Japanese version
- Russian version
- Spanish version
- Turkish version
Contact us
Secretariat: Business Principles for Countering Bribery
Susan Côté-Freeman
Email: scotefreeman@transparency.org
Peter Wilkinson
Email: businessprinciples@transparency.org
Business Principles - SME Edition
Email: SMEbusinessprinciples@transparency.org
Transparency International (TI)
Alt Moabit 96
10559 Berlin, Germany
