United Kingdom Anticorruption Forum

Debarment Working Group. The Forum supports the principle of debarment of companies for corrupt activity, but believes that debarment mechanisms should be fair and reasonable, that they should take account of mitigating circumstances, and that one of their primary aims should be to encourage behavioral change by companies. Since late 2005, the Forum Debarment Working Group has been working with the U.K. government and the European Union (EU) Commission to try to ensure that the EU debarment procedures, which took effect in February 2006, are operated in a fair, proportionate, and uniform manner by all EU states, and take proper account of mitigating circumstances. As a result of the Forum’s intervention, the U.K. government has taken up this issue with the EU Commission and other EU states. It has been agreed that the government and the Forum will continue to cooperate on this issue. The Working Group has published a paper, “Fair and Efficient Debarment Procedures.”

Developing Countries Working Group. This group supports the creation of anticorruption forums in developing countries, similar to the U.K. Anticorruption Forum. Engineering associations in several developing countries have expressed an interest in working with the U.K. Forum. The group hosted two meetings in London in June 2007 with representatives from India, Vietnam, Tanzania, Ghana, and Zambia. Participants discussed various ideas for cooperation on anticorruption activities.

Overseas Support Working Group. This group works with the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) of the U.K. government to examine ways in which the FCO and U.K. embassies can provide greater support and advice to U.K. companies and individuals working overseas who may be faced with corruption issues. In particular, it examines ways in which the FCO and other government bodies can assist companies faced with corrupt competitors or extortion.

Transparency and Reporting Working Group. This group examines ways in which increased transparency and disclosure in the infrastructure sector by governments, project owners, funders, contractors, and consulting engineers can help prevent corruption. It also examines ways in which increased reporting of corruption can help prevention, paying particular attention to the methods and results of such reporting, and to confidentiality and safety concerns. The group participated in the consultation process with the U.K. government (Department for International Development) and the World Bank in relation to the development of the Construction Sector Transparency initiative (CoST). In its submissions in this consultation, the Forum highlighted the importance of ensuring that any transparency initiative should extend across all phases of a project. This group has published a discussion paper, “Transparency in Public Sector Construction Projects,” in which the Forum supports greater transparency in public sector construction projects in order to help reduce corruption, and recommends that governments should require the provision of such transparency. The paper identifies a number of issues that need consideration and it includes a schedule of suggested disclosures.

Multilateral Development Bank Working Group. This group examines ways in which improved Multilateral Development Bank (MBD) procedures may help reduce corruption. They look at ways in which MDBs may provide greater assistance to contractors and consulting engineers on MDB-funded projects, who are faced with extortion demands, or who have difficulty in receiving permits, certificates, and payments. The Forum and Transparency International have jointly completed and published a report, “Preventing Corruption on Construction Projects—Risk Assessment and Proposed Actions for Funders.” The report was commissioned by the U.K. Department for International Development, and looks at all aspects of project financing, including equity investment, MDB finance, bank finance, export credits, guarantees, sureties, bonds, and insurance. It examines to what extent the terms on which these are offered can be affected by corruption, and how the funders can be affected by underlying corruption in the project.

Professional Standards Working Group. This group examines ways in which improved training, professional standards, and professional institution disciplinary mechanisms may help reduce corruption. It believes that ethical conduct, including the prevention of corruption, should have equal ranking with health and safety in the requirements for professional status and in continuing professional development. To achieve this, the group opened a dialogue with professional bodies on the way they handle ethical conduct and the prevention of corruption. It has also published two discussion papers, “Corruption Prevention Should Have Equal Standing with Health and Safety” and “Preventing Corruption—Guidance for Professional Bodies.”

Law Reform Working Group. This group examines aspects of U.K. law relevant to corruption and recommends improvements. In November 2007, the U.K. Law Commission issued a consultation paper on reforming the anti-bribery laws. The Forum submitted a consultation paper entitled, “Comments by the U.K. Anticorruption Forum on the Law Commission’s ‘Reforming Bribery,’” which recommended various improvements to the Law Commission’s proposals.

Anticorruption conference. In October 2007, the Forum held an anticorruption conference in London entitled “Preventing Corruption in Infrastructure.” The conference focused on practical aspects of corruption prevention, and included senior speakers from the U.K. and Tanzanian governments, contractors, consultants, professional institutions, the Beijing and London Olympics, the World Bank and EU Commission, and U.K. prosecution authorities. The conference was open to non-Forum members. It was attended by more than 120 participants from 10 countries. The conference was held under the Chatham House Rule, which allowed all participants to speak freely. Key points highlighted at the conference by some of the speakers and/or during the discussion sessions follow.

Anticorruption workshop. In October 2008, the Forum held a one-day anticorruption workshop in London entitled “Corporate Anticorruption Actions.” It was attended by 80 participants from 10 countries. The workshop was divided into four consecutive sessions: (1) gifts, hospitality, and facilitation payments; (2) due diligence; (3) internal monitoring and whistle blowing; and (4) crisis management. Each session commenced with a panel discussion on the topic, led by senior and experienced industry representatives. The topic was then thrown open for discussion. The purpose of the workshop was to exchange ideas on how best to deal at the corporate level with some of the key challenges in this area. The workshop was held under the Chatham House Rule to enable free exchange of ideas and experiences.