Business integrity and anti-bribery efforts in Africa: OECD/AfDB Initiative

OECD/AfDB Joint Initiative to Support Business Integrity and Anti-bribery Efforts in Africa

In 2008, the OECD and the African Development Bank (AfDB) launched a partnership to support African governments in their efforts to fight bribery and corruption. Twenty-one African countries are members of the Joint Initiative: Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Madagascar, Malawi, Mali, Mauritania, Mozambique, Namibia, Niger, Nigeria, Rwanda, Senegal, Sierra Leone, South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda and Zambia.

The Joint Initiative helps African countries in their fight against the bribery of public officials in business transactions and to improve corporate integrity and accountability, while promoting growth through an environment conducive to attracting foreign investment. The overall objectives of the Joint Initiative are to increase the capacity for effective anti-bribery enforcement, support international anti-bribery efforts, enhance public and private sector integrity, and contribute to transparent and accountable business conduct in Africa.

These policies and standards are grounded in the anti-bribery and anti-corruption provisions of the African Union Convention on Preventing and Combating Corruption, the UN Convention Against Corruption, and the OECD Convention on Combating Bribery of Foreign Public Officials.

Within a framework of strong African leadership, the OECD and AfDB are working together to design and implement effective measures to combat the bribery of public officials that draws from these international and regional instruments. Through the involvement of African business and industry, as well as policy makers, the Joint Initiative also focuses on providing technical support to Africa’s private sector to improve standards of corporate integrity and accountability. Indeed, while African economies are among the fastest-growing in the world, the perceived levels of corruption in the continent are hindering foreign investment and the ability of companies to conduct business fairly, and on a level playing field.

Following the adoption of the OECD/AfDB Anti-Bribery and Business Integrity Course of Action in 2011, Joint Initiative member countries requested more tools to assist with implementing the Course of Action through practical guidance on preventive measures tailored to the bribery risks confronting African companies. Member countries also highlighted the continued need for awareness-raising of anti-bribery compliance measures among the private sector, which is largely comprised of SMEs with limited resources and access to information.

MEETINGS

Workshop on Fighting Corruption and Tackling Illicit Financial Flows from Africa, Abidjan, October 2016

Consultation of the Joint OECD AfDB Initiative, April 2014

1st Regional Experts’ Meeting of the Joint OECD/AfDB Initiative, Lilongwe
January 2011

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COVID-19 Law Enforcement Impact Survey

Deadline for response - 8 August 2021

As governments take emergency measures to battle the global pandemic and mitigate economic downturn, law enforcement officials have been required to adapt to dramatically different working conditions, and increased risks of fraud and corruption.

The OECD COVID-19 Law Enforcement Impact Survey is collecting information from law enforcement officials in Africa on challenges and good practices for investigating and prosecuting corruption amid the current health and economic crisis. Responses to the survey will be used to support the anti-corruption community with best practices that address the challenges they face.

Participants are invited to submit their responses by 8 August 2021.

This survey builds on similar initiatives conducted in Eastern Europe and Central Asia and Asia Pacific.

Roundtable on Corporate Anti-Corruption Compliance in Africa

14 April 2021 | 13.00-14.30 GMT / 15.00-16.30 CEST

The OECD and AfDB hosted a regional round table reviewing actions taken by African companies to promote corporate anti-bribery policy and related compliance measures. Bringing together business organisations and companies from African and OECD countries, panellists exchanged best practices, challenges and lessons learnt in addressing corporate integrity risks arising in particular from the COVID-19 crisis.