OECD Secretary-General Angel Gurría welcomed the recent passage into law of legislation holding Slovak companies liable for the offence of bribing foreign public officials.
“The introduction of corporate liability into the Slovak Republic’s legislation is a very welcome development,” Mr. Gurría commented. “It sends a strong message of commitment to the fight against corruption and helps create a level playing field for firms competing internationally.”
The Slovak Republic announced the recent passage of the new corporate liability legislation to the OECD Working Group on Bribery, whose members represent the 38 Parties to the OECD Anti-Bribery Convention. Earlier this year, the Working Group alerted the Slovak Republic to the need to include corporate liability in its legislation (http://www.oecd.org/document/61/0,3343,en_21571361_44315115_44419261_1_1_1_1,00.html).
The OECD is a global leader in the fight against foreign bribery. Its Convention on Combating Bribery of Foreign Public Officials in International Business Transactions has been in force for 10 years. Through the Convention, 38 countries - the 31 OECD member countries and Argentina, Brazil, Bulgaria, Estonia, Israel, Slovenia and South Africa - have made it illegal to bribe public officials in international business deals.
For further information, journalists are invited to contact the OECD Media Office.