New calls for companies to encourage whistleblowers

Paris, 12 May 2003

ICC anti-corruption experts have called on companies to encourage whistleblowing by creating internal policies under which employees can report concerns without fear of retribution.

In a new book, titled Fighting Corruption, contributor and ICC Anti-Corruption Commission member, Michael Davies, argues it is in the best interests of companies to encourage and accommodate whistleblowers.

The book was launched today in Paris at an Anti-Corruption conference at ICC headquarters attended by over 100 lawyers, business executives and corporate managers.

"It is in the corporate interest to deal pro-actively with whistleblowers and to make sure employees are provided with comfortable reporting channels and are confident that they will be protected from any form of retribution," Davies writes.

"The public perception is that, if whistleblower concerns had been heeded, some of the recent corporate disasters could have been avoided, and that in order to prevent future misconduct, whistleblowers should be encouraged to come forward.

"Such an approach will enhance the company's chances to become aware of, and to appropriately deal with, a concern before an illegal act has been committed rather than after the fact when the damage has already been done. If reporting is delayed, the company's reputation can be seriously harmed and it can face a serious risk of prosecution."

Whistleblowing is only one of the anti-corruption issues addressed by the new publication, which, according to ICC Publishing, has been produced with an audience of corporate managers in mind.

Other emerging anti-corruption issues covered in the new book include money laundering, terrorist finance and reform of accounting and auditing standards.

ICC Secretary-General, Maria Livanos Cattaui, has welcomed the publication of Fighting Corruption as a "timely, vital tool for business managers everywhere".

"The fight against corruption has taken on additional momentum and increased complexity in the past four years," she said. "Thirty-four countries have enacted laws implementing the OECD Convention's prohibition of foreign bribery. The events of September 11, 2001, and the fight against terrorism have resulted in stepped-up anti-money laundering programmes and the wave of corporate scandals in 2001 and 2002 has created strong pressure for reforms in corporate governance.

"Fighting Corruption has been published to meet the new demands of this new agenda."

Fighting Corruption is edited by ICC Anti-Corruption commission members, Franois Vincke and Fritz Heimann, and is available from ICC Publishing (www.iccbooks.com) publication number 652.

Today's Anti-Corruption conference was convened by the International Bar Association in cooperation with ICC.

For further information or an interview with the authors of Fighting Corruption, please contact Dawn Bartram, in Paris, +33 1 49 53 2907, Click here to send a mail..