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Launch of the OECD Foreign Bribery Report

The OECD Foreign Bribery Report was launched by the OECD Secretary-General in Paris on 2 December 2014. This ground breaking report analyses data emerging from all foreign bribery enforcement actions concluded since the entry into force of the OECD Anti-Bribery Convention and for the first time ‘measures’ the crime of corruption.




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International investment continues to struggle: Foreign direct investment in figures - December 2014

Global FDI flows for 2014 have stalled at levels substantially below the peak levels reached before the financial crisis and ensuing global recession that began in 2008 according to preliminary estimates in the December 2014 issue of FDI in Figures.




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The Dark Horse, The Paper Tiger and Chicken Little: Lessons from the OECD Foreign Bribery Report

One of the more startling findings in the OECD Foreign Bribery Report, is that some level of corporate management was involved in over 50% of the cases sanctioned. This paper by Leah Ambler, published in the Journal of Business Compliance (01/2015), examines what went wrong and why from a corporate governance and compliance perspective.




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Greece should tackle not only domestic corruption but also foreign bribery

The risk of Greek companies bribing foreign officials is substantial, but Greece has not given the same priority to fighting foreign bribery as it has to domestic corruption.




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Asia-Pacific conference on aligning corporate sustainability with sustainable development goals

With a focus on the Asia-Pacific region, this conference addressed what the Sustainable Development Goals will mean for business and how business sustainability strategies can be aligned to support their implementation.




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OECD encouraged by Israel’s recent investigative activity, but remains seriously concerned with overall efforts to enforce foreign bribery laws

Israel is not sufficiently proactive in detecting and investigating foreign bribery, with no prosecutions over the past 7 years, despite 14 allegations of foreign bribery involving Israeli individuals or companies. The OECD Working Group on Bribery is, however, encouraged by the recently-opened investigations, and will pay close attention to how these evolve.




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China signs cooperation agreements with OECD and joins OECD Development Centre

In a historic visit by Chinese Premier Li Keqiang to the OECD in Paris, the People’s Republic of China today decided to enhance longstanding collaboration with the OECD and to join the OECD Development Centre.




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Investigating corruption: OECD gets award for its work on foreign bribery enforcement

24 September 2015 - At the 2015 Global Investigations Review awards, the OECD collected the prize for the "most important investigations development" category. The OECD was given the award in recognition of its tireless work promoting foreign bribery enforcement around the world.




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OECD Technical Workshop on Foreign Direct Investment and Global Value Chains

The workshop will discuss the first results of the OECD Secretariat’s work on integrating FDI statistics into the analysis of Global Value Chains (OECD-WTO Trade in Value Added Initiative) to better account for foreign ownership.




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The OECD’s Revised Benchmark Definition of Foreign Direct Investment: Better data for better policy

Let’s start with a quiz. Which country is the second biggest direct investor in China? Who are the largest investors in India and Russia? You probably won’t believe it, but the answers are




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Colombia needs to address major loopholes to hold companies liable for foreign bribery

Colombia needs to improve its capacity to investigate foreign bribery by establishing an effective corporate liability regime, improving coordination between its numerous agencies and more rigorously training law enforcement, according to a new report by the OECD Working Group on Bribery.




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Latvia’s fight against foreign bribery overshadowed by enforcement weaknesses

Latvia has improved its laws since acceding to the OECD Anti-Bribery Convention in 2014. Yet serious personnel issues until recently as well as negative government commentary concerning KNAB, Latvia’s anti-corruption law enforcement agency, have cast doubts over its capacity to enforce those laws.




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High-Level OECD Mission to Meet Argentine Officials on Fighting Foreign Bribery

A high-level Working Group mission will visit Buenos Aires on 26-27 April 2016 and meet senior Argentine government officials.




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High-level OECD mission to meet Japanese officials on fighting foreign bribery

A high-level Working Group mission will visit Tokyo on 29-30 June 2016 and meet senior Japanese government officials.




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Trends in foreign direct investment and their implications for development

Foreign direct investment can play an important role in financing development, with multinational enterprises also providing employment, technology transfer and access to international markets. This chapter from the 2016 Development Co-operation report examines these trends, the main factors shaping them and their implications.




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Design of funded private pensions needs to be improved

Funded Pension arrangements, in particular defined contribution ones, are playing a growing role in complementing retirement income from public sources in OECD countries and worldwide. However, their design needs to be improved, according to a new OECD report.




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Liability of Legal Persons for Foreign Bribery: A Stocktaking Report

This stocktaking report first presents a chronology of how systems for the liability of legal persons have evolved among the 41 Parties to the Anti-Bribery Convention. It then presents a “mapping” of the features of these systems for the 41 Parties.




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Roundtable on Corporate Liability for Foreign Bribery

9 December 2016, Paris: Held on International Anti-Corruption Day, this roundtable provided an opportunity for governments, the private sector, civil society, and the media, to reflect on the liability of legal persons following more than 15 years of work by the OECD Working Group on Bribery to promote its application for foreign bribery.




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UK has made strong progress fighting foreign bribery, but uncertainty over Serious Fraud Office role remains

Foreign bribery enforcement in the UK has increased significantly since 2012 notably thanks to the pragmatic and effective approach taken by the Serious Fraud Office (SFO) to investigate and resolve foreign bribery cases.




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High acquittal rate jeopardises Finland's efforts to combat foreign bribery

Finland has proactively investigated seven allegations of Finnish individuals or companies paying bribes to foreign public officials since 1999 but needs to address its discouragingly high acquittal rate.




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Ukraine signs OECD agreement to strengthen investment climate

27/03/2017 - Ukraine has become the 47th country to adhere to the OECD Declaration on International Investment and Multinational Enterprises. The Declaration commits Ukraine to provide an open and transparent environment for international investment and to encourage the positive contribution foreign investment can make to economic and social progress.




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The Czech Republic must take significant steps to enforce its foreign bribery laws, but demonstrates commitment to improve

The Czech Republic must strengthen its efforts to detect, investigate and prosecute foreign bribery. Seventeen years after ratifying the OECD Anti-Bribery Convention, the Czech Republic has yet to prosecute a case involving the bribery of foreign public officials.




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International co-operation in combating foreign bribery

Effective international co-operation between countries is crucial for the successful investigation, prosecution and sanction of international corruption offences.




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International trade, foreign direct investment and global value chains

Evidence on the role played by investment in global value chains (GVCs) can assist policy work on GVCs, trade, investment and development. Drawing on new and improved measures of trade and investment, these country notes provide relevant statistical information from OECD databases on trade, investment, the activities of multinational enterprises and global value chains.




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Chile must conclude its current legislative reforms of the criminal sanctions regime and clarify its corporate liability framework to better combat foreign bribery

Chile must make further progress on key recommendations of the OECD Working Group on Bribery in International Business Transactions, more than three years after its Phase 3 evaluation in March 2014.




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Fighting the Crime of Foreign Bribery: The Anti-Bribery Convention and the OECD Working Group on Bribery

The OECD Working Group on Bribery is leading global efforts to fight bribery of foreign public officials in international trade and investment. The fight against foreign bribery is a core shared value that unites all 43 Parties to the Anti-Bribery Convention. This brochure provides a snapshot of 18 years of implementation and enforcement of the Anti-Bribery Convention.




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The Detection of Foreign Bribery

This study looks at common sources of detection in foreign bribery cases, untapped sources which are under or not utilised in foreign bribery investigations, and ways in which these methods of detection may be enhanced.




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Lithuania has made significant legislative reforms to fight foreign bribery and should now ensure effective anti-bribery enforcement

Lithuania has taken significant steps to strengthen its legislative framework to combat foreign bribery. Yet further efforts are needed to ensure effective enforcement of anti-bribery laws with regard to corporate liability and imposing sanctions for foreign bribery, including confiscation, according to a new report by the OECD Working Group on Bribery.




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OECD says Swedish progress combatting foreign bribery insufficient to warrant Phase 4 evaluation

The next review of Sweden’s implementation of the OECD Anti-Bribery Convention, which was scheduled for October 2018, has been delayed until 2019. This is due to the fact that Sweden has not yet enacted legislation to urgently address remaining recommendations to reform its laws on corporate liability for the bribery of foreign public officials.




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Australia takes major steps to combat foreign bribery, but OECD wants to see more enforcement

Australia has stepped up its enforcement of foreign bribery since 2012, when the OECD Working Group on Bribery last evaluated Australia’s implementation of the OECD Anti-Bribery Convention, with seven convictions in two cases and 19 ongoing investigations.




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Poland must make urgent legislative reforms to combat foreign bribery

Poland must make urgent progress on carrying out key recommendations of the OECD Working Group on Bribery that remain unimplemented, more than four years after its Phase 3 evaluation in June 2013.




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Alignment assessment of industry programmes with the OECD minerals guidance

The OECD Due Diligence Guidance is being used as the basis and benchmark by many industry initiatives created to ensure the responsible sourcing of minerals. This report presents the findings of a pilot alignment assessment of five industry programmes against the recommendations of the OECD Guidance to gauge the coherence, effectiveness and credibility of these initiatives.




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Foreign Direct Investment Statistics: Data, Analysis and Forecasts

Latest statistics for global foreign direct investment (FDI) flows and international mergers and acquisitions (M&A). Analysis, trends and forecasts from the OECD using FDI statistics collected in accordance with latest international guidelines.




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Improving detection and treatment would cut cancer death rates significantly, says OECD

Earlier detection and better treatment for cancer would cut death rates from the disease by around a third, saving the lives of nearly a million people in the developed world every year, according to a new report by the OECD prepared with the support of the European Commission, building on earlier World Health Organisation research.




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Redesigning how health services are delivered in Japan would better meet the needs of a super-ageing population, says OECD

Elderly individuals with complex, chronic diseases need continuous and tailored care to maintain their health and maximise their ability to participate in society. Japan must change the way it delivers health services for older citizens by strengthening its specialist primary care and making mental health care services more widely available, according to a new OECD report.




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OECD seriously concerned by lack of foreign bribery convictions, but encouraged by recent efforts by the Australian Federal Police

Australia’s enforcement of its foreign bribery laws has been extremely low, with just a single case leading to prosecutions out of 28 referrals in 13 years. Cases may have been closed prematurely. Australia must vigorously pursue foreign bribery allegations.




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Australia takes major steps to combat foreign bribery, but OECD wants to see more enforcement

Australia has stepped up its enforcement of foreign bribery since 2012, when the OECD Working Group on Bribery last evaluated Australia’s implementation of the OECD Anti-Bribery Convention, with seven convictions in two cases and 19 ongoing investigations.




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Serious Concerns Remain over Japan’s Enforcement of Foreign Bribery Law, Despite Some Positive Developments

The Phase 3 Report on Japan by the OECD Working Group on Bribery evaluates and makes recommendations on Japan'simplementation and application of the OECD Convention on Combating Bribery of Foreign Public Officials in International Business Transactions and related instruments.




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Statement of OECD on Japan’s Efforts to Increase Foreign Bribery Enforcement

Due to serious concerns about the extremely low level of enforcement of Japan’s offence of bribing foreign public officials – just three prosecutions since 1999 – the OECD Working Group on Bribery recommended in December 2013 that Japan establish an Action Plan to organise police and prosecution resources to be able to proactively detect, investigate and prosecute cases of foreign bribery by Japanese companies.




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Redesigning how health services are delivered in Japan would better meet the needs of a super-ageing population, says OECD

Elderly individuals with complex, chronic diseases need continuous and tailored care to maintain their health and maximise their ability to participate in society. Japan must change the way it delivers health services for older citizens by strengthening its specialist primary care and making mental health care services more widely available, according to a new OECD report.




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High-Level OECD Mission to Meet Japanese Officials on Fighting Foreign Bribery

In December 2014, the OECD Working Group on Bribery in International Business Transactions agreed to send a High Level Mission to Japan due to longstanding serious concerns about Japan’s implementation of the OECD Anti-Bribery Convention.




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High-level OECD mission to meet Japanese officials on fighting foreign bribery

A high-level Working Group mission will visit Tokyo on 29-30 June 2016 and meet senior Japanese government officials.




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Japan must urgently address long-standing concerns over foreign bribery enforcement

Japan must step up enforcement of its foreign bribery laws and strengthen the capacities of its law enforcement agencies to proactively detect, investigate and prosecute the foreign bribery offence, according to a new report by the OECD Working Group on Bribery.




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Austria’s enforcement of foreign bribery laws far too weak, but could pick up soon says OECD

The OECD Working Group on Bribery regrets that Austria has not had a conviction of bribing foreign public officials despite a number of allegations, 13 years after ratifying the OECD Anti-Bribery Convention. However, enforcement appears to be picking up, with one case being tried, two more cases soon to be tried, and four ongoing investigations.




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Austria, Luxembourg and Singapore among countries signing-on to end tax secrecy

As a further sign of international efforts to crack down on tax offenders, 12 more countries have signed, or committed to sign, the OECD’s Multilateral Convention on Mutual Administrative Assistance in Tax Matters. In addition, another 6 countries have ratified the Convention.




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Highlights from the OECD Sovereign Borrowing Outlook N°4

OECD governments are facing unprecedented challenges in the markets for government securities as a result of continued strong borrowing amid a highly uncertain environment with growing concerns about the pace of recovery, surging borrowing costs, sovereign risk and contagion pressures. The fourth OECD Sovereign Borrowing Outlook provides estimates for 2011 and projections for 2012. Higher than anticipated gross borrowing needs of




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Sovereign borrowing set to fall in 2014, says OECD

Borrowing operations by OECD governments are set to decrease, as their borrowing needs continue to decline, according to a new OECD report. Net borrowing needs are projected to fall from USD 2.0 trillion in 2013 to USD 1.5 trillion in 2014, the lowest level since 2007.




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China signs cooperation agreements with OECD and joins OECD Development Centre

In a historic visit by Chinese Premier Li Keqiang to the OECD in Paris, the People’s Republic of China today decided to enhance longstanding collaboration with the OECD and to join the OECD Development Centre.




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Design of funded private pensions needs to be improved

Funded Pension arrangements, in particular defined contribution ones, are playing a growing role in complementing retirement income from public sources in OECD countries and worldwide. However, their design needs to be improved, according to a new OECD report.




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Sovereign borrowing outlook for OECD countries, 2007 to 2017

Sovereign gross borrowing needs in the OECD area have continued to decline from the peaks attained in 2012. They are expected to be USD 9.5 trillion in 2017, approximately the same level as 2016.