NEWS
ISO PUBLISHES POWERFUL NEW TOOL TO COMBAT BRIBERY
A
new business tool designed to fight bribery is now published . ISO 37001 is the first international antibribery management system standard designed to help organisations combat bribery risk in their own operations and throughout their global value chains . It has the potential to reduce corporate risk and costs related to bribery by providing a manageable business framework for preventing , detecting and addressing bribery .
“ Bribery is a significant business risk in many countries and sectors ,” says Neill Stansbury , Chair of ISO project committee ISO / PC 278 responsible for the new standard .
“ In many cases , it has been tolerated as a ‘ necessary ’ part of doing business . However , increasing awareness of the damage caused by bribery to countries , organisations and individuals has resulted in calls for effective action to be taken to prevent bribery .”
Many organisations have already invested significant time and resources into developing internal systems and processes for preventing bribery . ISO 37001:2016 , Anti-bribery management systems – Requirements with guidance for use , is designed to support and broaden those efforts , while providing transparency and clarity on the measures and controls that organisations should be putting in place and how to implement them most effectively and efficiently .
ISO 37001 will help prevent , detect and deal with bribery , whether such bribery is by or on behalf of an organisation or its employees or business associates . Using a series of related measures and controls , including supporting guidance , the anti-bribery management system specifies requirements for :
• An anti-bribery policy and procedures
• Top management leadership , commitment and responsibility
• Oversight by a compliance manager or function
• Anti-bribery training
• Risk assessments and due diligence on projects and business associates
• Financial , procurement , commercial and contractual controls
• Reporting , monitoring , investigation , and review
• Corrective action and continual improvement
Stansbury says that ISO 37001 has been developed to ensure flexible use by organisations of all sizes , wherever they may do business .
“ The bribery risk facing an organisation varies according to factors such as the size of the organisation , the countries and sectors in which the organisation operates , and the nature , scale and complexity of the organisation ’ s operations . Therefore , ISO 37001 specifies the implementation by the organisation of reasonable and proportionate policies , procedures and controls .”
Organisations may choose to be certified to ISO 37001 by accredited third parties , to confirm that their antibribery management system meets the standard ’ s criteria . Although certification ( or compliance ) to ISO 37001 cannot provide assurance that no bribery has occurred or will take place in relation to an organisation , the standard can help establish that the organisation has implemented all appropriate measures designed to prevent bribery .
ISO 37001 builds on guidance from various organisations , such as the International Chamber of Commerce , the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development , Transparency International and various governments , representing a global consensus on antibribery good practices . It was developed by ISO project committee ISO / PC 278 , Anti-bribery management systems , whose secretariat is held by BSI , the ISO member for the United Kingdom .
By Elizabeth Gasiorowski-Denis
See more at : www . iso . org / iso / news . htm ? refid = Ref2125
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