On March 20-21, 2019, the OECD hosted its annual Global Anti-Corruption & Integrity Forum in Paris. This year, the Forum’s theme was “Tech for Trust” and it focused on the risks and opportunities of new technologies for anti-corruption and integrity. USCIB Senior Director for Investment, Trade and Financial Services Eva Hampl represented USCIB at the Forum.

The sessions covered issues including data analytics, tax information sharing, parcels trade, regulation, state-owned enterprises, and lobbying.

The OECD is currently reviewing their 2009 Anti-Bribery Recommendation which was adopted by the OECD in order to enhance the ability of the States Parties to the Anti-Bribery Convention to prevent, detect and investigate allegations of foreign bribery. This document, which is open for review in a public consultation, was also the topic in several sessions last week in Paris. The lively debate that included USCIB and others representing Business at OECD raised issues such as the demand side of bribery, voluntary self-disclosure, incentivizing investing in compliance systems, and state-owned enterprises.

“The issue of bribery and corruption more broadly continues to be a significant cost to business,” said Hampl, reporting from the meeting in Paris, “Technology, including blockchain, big data analytics, AI and others are transforming the way business is done, but they also have the potential to address many of the anti-corruption issues. As this discussion continues at the OECD, business will be at the table providing valuable input from dealing with these issues at the front lines.”