Preventing corruption in the public sector

Promoting good governance in the public service to prevent corruption is a focus of the OECD’s anti-corruption work. These efforts to address the “demand side” of corruption ensure that the Organisation is tackling corruption from all angles.

The OECD provides a forum where governments can share good practices as they develop sound “ethics infrastructures” – the combination of laws, institutions and management mechanisms that promote integrity in the public service. Several OECD instruments help governments achieve these goals:

• 1998 Recommendation on Improving Ethical Conduct in the Public Service
• Guidelines for Managing Conflict of Interest in the Public Service
• Principles for Enhancing Integrity in Public Procurement

Success requires well-designed and implemented core integrity and anti-corruption standards – and also a public administration environment that supports transparency and accountability.