International Anti-Corruption Commitments

Title of the document

G20 Guiding Principles to Combat Solicitation

(https://star.worldbank.org/sit...)

Issuing body

G20

Brief description

The guiding principles are build on the best practices developed by countries in confronting the challenge of bribes solicitation and identify mechanisms that may be useful for effectively preventing and combating solicitation by public officials and supporting companies’ efforts to resist solicitation.

According to the G20, these guidelines should be read in conjunction with the Guiding Principles on Enforcement of the Foreign Bribery Offence.

Relevant excerpts

1. As already agreed upon in UNCAC, a robust legislative framework should provide for i) a clear and explicit passive domestic bribery offence which reflect the key elements of the internationally agreed definition, i.e. solicitation or acceptance by a public official, directly or indirectly, of an undue advantage, for the official himself or herself or another person or entity, in order that the official act or refrain from acting in the exercise of his or her official duties; and ii) the availability of dissuasive sanctions and other measures to deter public officials from demanding bribes further. Passive bribery offences should also be explicitly included as predicate offences for money laundering offenses.

2. Easily accessible channels for companies and individuals that have been solicited to report to public authorities should be provided. Although the choice of the mechanism should be left to each government, examples of such channels could take the form of contact points established in embassies, consulates or other diplomatic missions abroad or of governmental help lines to which companies could turn

3. Particular efforts to engage with the private sector in the fight against solicitation should be made....

4. Continue to cooperate with existing groups, including those initiated by non-state actors such as private sector companies and associations, non-governmental policy bodies and civil society, which may play an essential role in assisting companies in developing effective tools to resist bribe solicitation and setting up concrete collective actions.