To mark the 15th anniversary of the signature of the OECD Anti-Bribery Convention, Mark Pieth and Huguette Labelle call on Parties to the OECD's Anti-Bribery Convention to step up enforcement of their anti-bribery laws.

Die OECD-Arbeitsgruppe gegen Bestechung bedauert, dass in Österreich bisher noch kein Urteil wegen der Bestechung von ausländischen Amtsträgern ergangen ist, obwohl seit der Ratifizierung des entsprechenden OECD-Übereinkommens vor 13 Jahren eine Reihe von Vorwürfen vorlag.

Private investment in the food and agriculture sectors can enhance productivity, drive job creation and income growth, increase food supply and improve food security, according to panel participants. The panel also recognised the need to attract more private private investment in the food and agriculture sectors, and called on governments to design coherent policy frameworks and implement reforms to improve the investment climate.

The book assesses the current policy context for young enterprises in the MENA region and outlines policy tools and instruments, both indirect and direct, that governments can implement to support new enterprise development.

Global solutions are needed to ensure that tax systems do not unduly profit multinational enterprises, leaving citizens and small businesses with bigger tax bills.

The OECD, together with the African Development Bank and International Finance Corporation, will assist the Tunisian authorities in implementing a new law on public-private partnerships(PPPs)and a new investment code in order to increase transparency, openness and predictability for investors.

Denmark’s enforcement of its foreign bribery laws has been weak. Only 13 foreign bribery allegations have surfaced, and sanctions have been imposed in just one case that falls under the Convention. Law enforcement authorities have not been sufficiently proactive, and cases have been prematurely closed without complete investigations. Denmark must take more investigative steps and make greater efforts to gather evidence from abroad.

The Czech government must urgently engage with the private sector to raise awareness, says a new OECD report. The awareness of the Czech foreign bribery offence remains regrettably low among companies, despite the recent adoption of a comprehensive corporate liability regime that holds Czech companies liable for this crime.

Despite a 22% increase in the last quarter, global FDI flows in 2012 declined by 14% to USD 1.4 trillion compared to 2011 figures, according to preliminary estimates in the April 2013 issue of FDI in Figures.

Co-organised by the G20 Russian Presidency and the OECD, with UNODC support, this conference focused on promoting transparency and integrity in organising sport and other major events and cutting-edge measures for governments and business to combat corruption.

This paper examines China’s investment policy since the publication of the 2008 OECD Investment Policy Review of China and recommends that the Chinese government continue its efforts to liberalise and increase the transparency and predictability of the framework for both inward and outward FDI. OECD Working Papers on International Investment - No. 2013/1.

Investment strategies almost never consider external costs to the environment when calculating potential returns. But incorporating environmental risk and sustainability into investor mindsets is possible– and urgent.

Co-organised by the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) and the OECD in New Delhi, discussions at this seminar focused on corruption challenges facing Indian companies today and what can be done to overcome these challenges.

Preliminary estimates in the July edition of FDI in Figures show that Russia recorded its highest-ever level of FDI outflows, making the country the second largest investor worldwide in the first quarter of 2013.

This study documents the liberalisation of the FDI regime in Korea between 1990 and 2010 and examines how and why it came about. The paper focuses on the lessons can we draw from the Korean experience about how to achieve rapid and sustainable reforms.

G20 Leaders today endorsed an OECD-launched initiative to encourage the flow of institutional investment towards longer-term assets, such as infrastructure and renewable energy projects, in order to strengthen the global economy.

Global value chains (GVCs) have become a dominant feature of world trade and investment, offering new prospects for growth, development and jobs, according to a new joint report by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), the World Trade Organization (WTO) and the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD).

Costa Rica today became the 45th country to adhere to an OECD international investment instrument, designed to help the country attract more and better foreign investment and promote responsible business conduct.

Fighting foreign bribery is not a priority in Belgium. Together with the flagrant lack of resources for Belgian law enforcement authorities, this has resulted in very few foreign bribery investigations and prosecutions. In the 14 years since the entry into force of the foreign bribery offence in Belgium, only one case of bribery of foreign public officials has been concluded.

Russia has yet to address key provisions of the OECD Anti-Bribery Convention, which entered into force in Russia in April 2012. It has not yet fully implemented recommendations for strengthening its framework for combating foreign bribery and should be more proactive in detecting, investigating and prosecuting foreign bribery cases.

Costa Rica adhered today to OECD legal instruments on Internet governance and international business conduct, demonstrating its willingness to align its policies to best practices in these areas and work together with the Organisation.

Deputy Minister of National Planning and Economic Development, Dr. Khin San Yee, presented her country’s ambitious efforts to improve the investment climate at meetings of the OECD Investment Committee and Advisory Group on Investment and Development from 15-17 October 2013 in Paris.

Global investment activity fell by nearly a third in the second quarter of 2013, after two consecutive quarters of increases, according to preliminary estimates in the October 2013 issue of FDI in Figures.

Georgia has achieved significant progress in reducing corruption over the past decade. To build on this progress, the Government should focus on strengthening its professional civil service and ensure independence of the judiciary, according to a new OECD report.

This Investment Policy Review examines Mozambique's achievements in developing an open and transparent investment regime and its efforts to reduce restrictions on international investment.

Participants in this multi-stakeholder meeting reviewed and discussed the implementation of the OECD Due Diligence Guidance and in the 3Ts supply chain to ensure that companies avoid contributing to conflict through their mineral or metal purchasing decisions and practices.

18 November 2013 - Asia-Pacific Trade and Investment Week 2013 opened in Bangkok today with a regional conference on responsible business practices jointly organised by the United Nations Economic and Social Commission of Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) and the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD).

Jointly organised by the OECD and ESCAP, this conference focused on the role of governments in supporting and facilitating more sustainable and inclusive business practices in the Asia-Pacific region.

The Malaysian government, in partnership with the OECD and ASEAN, has undertaken a review of its investment policies as part of an active programme of investment policy reforms to help revive both foreign and domestic investment.

Jordan has become the 46th country to adhere to the OECD Declaration on International Investment and Multinational Enterprises. This adherence bears witness to the determination that Jordan holds towards strengthening the liberalisation of investment, increasing its integration into the world economy and promoting responsible business conduct.

Developed by companies, for companies, with assistance from the OECD, UNODC, and World Bank, this Handbook serves as a useful, practical tool for companies seeking compliance advice in one, easy-to-reference publication. It brings together the major business guidance instruments for companies and illustrates them using real-life, anonymised case studies provided by companies.

The 2013 Annual Report describes the activities undertaken to promote the observance of the Guidelines during the implementation cycle of June 2012-June 2013. This includes the launch of the Global Forum on Responsible Business Conduct (RBC), the establishment of a Working Party on RBC, and the elaboration of a robust multi-stakeholder proactive agenda to promote the observance of the principles and standards found in the Guidelines.

The 2013 Forum was held on 5-6 December and discussed how governments can improve their investment policy framework to reduce the risk and attract long-term private finance in support of green growth.

The OECD Working Group on Bribery will release a report tomorrow Wednesday 18 December at 12.00 CET/11.00 Dublin time on Ireland’s efforts to fight foreign bribery.

This report covers investment measures taken between mid May and mid November 2013 and was prepared in response to the G20 Leaders' request of 2 April 2009 for quarterly public reporting on their adherence to their trade and investment policy commitments.

Ireland should increase its resources to detect and investigate foreign bribery more efficiently. Resources have, in recent years, been largely devoted to investigating non-bribery cases in the financial sector. Ireland has not prosecuted a foreign bribery case in the twelve years since its foreign bribery offence came into force, and law enforcement has taken few proactive steps to investigate allegations.

This Investment Policy Review examines Tanzania's achievements in developing an open and transparent investment regime and its efforts to reduce restrictions on international investment.

Despite a strong performance in Q3, global FDI flows are set to fall 6% in 2013, according to the latest issue of FDI in Figures. Headwinds discouraging more international investment include persistent Eurozone sluggishness, slowing growth in China, and volatility in emerging markets.

This conference focused on recent reforms undertaken by the government to improve the investment climate in Myanmar, and the ways that the international community can help ensure that renewed investor interest contributes to sustainable and inclusive development. It featured a discussion of the detailed finding of the recently released OECD Investment Policy Review of Myanmar.

Recommendation of the OECD Council on Effective Public Investment Across Levels of Government

Chile has made positive efforts to implement the Convention, but there has not been a single foreign bribery conviction. Chile did not sufficiently investigate several of the six foreign bribery allegations that have surfaced since 2001. Chile should improve its investigative and detection efforts, says OECD

South Africa must take urgent steps to proactively investigate and prosecute foreign bribery. No foreign bribery cases have been prosecuted since South Africa joined the Convention in 2007. The 4 on-going investigations – out of only 10 allegations that have surfaced to date – are also far from reaching the prosecution stage, according to a new report by the OECD Working Group on Bribery.

The European Commission has proposed an integrated EU approach to stop profits from trading minerals being used to fund armed conflicts. The package of measures aims to make it more difficult for armed groups in conflict-affected and high-risk areas to finance their activities through the mining of and trade in minerals.

This workshop focused on how to comply with international regulations on conflict-free gold supply chains and how to make the most of the OECD Due Diligence Guidance for Responsible Supply Chains of Minerals from Conflict-Affected and High-Risk Areas.

Held in Amsterdam on 7 April 2014, this workshop focused on: long-term pension investment strategies under risk-based regulation; riskiness and pro-cyclicality in pension asset allocation; and, regulatory challenges for long-term illiquid assets.

This G20 report looks at the evolution of private institutional investment in infrastructure and examines how the market has developed; analyses various investment vehicles with a snapshot of the growth experienced in the market; categorises methods used for investing in infrastructure; and, highlights the challenges and barriers to investment.

Global FDI flows increased by only 4.5% in 2013 and international mergers and acquisitions, an important component of FDI, were down sharply in the first quarter of 2014 according to preliminary estimates in the April 2014 issue of FDI in Figures.

This meeting provided the opportunity to review and discuss implementation of the OECD Due Diligence Guidance and the ICGLR Regional Certification Mechanism. Issues pertinent to the tin, tantalum and tungsten (3Ts) and gold supply chains were addressed during the three-day forum.

Participants at the forum adopted a communiqué calling for companies to confront challenges they encounter openly and transparently by publicly reporting on due diligence in accordance with the OECD Due Diligence Guidance for Responsible Supply Chains of Minerals from Conflict-Affected and High-Risk Areas

Singapore, 4 June 2014: This roundtable focused on how policymakers and investors can facilitate private sector infrastructure financing, as well as issues related to governance for institutional investors and the accounting treatment for long-term investment.