We explore the recently released United States Anti-Corruption Strategy (the strategy “); captioned” In accordance with the National Security Study’s Memorandum on Establishing the Fight Against Corruption as a Core National Security Interest of the United States “; in response to the statement President Biden’s preamble that corruption is a national security concern of the US In this 5-part blogging series, I will delve deeper into the strategy and examine its impact on the compliance professional. pillar 1, modernize, coordinate and fund the efforts of the US government to fight corruption. Then, we took over Pillar 2, the fight against illicit financing. With Pillar 3, we envisioned empowering corrupt actors. under pillar 4, we seek to preserve and strengthen the multilateral anti-corruption architecture.

Today we look south of the border to pay tribute to Vicente Fernández, the mighty tenor who was known to generations of fans simply as “El Rey”. He was the king of traditional ranchera music and passed away on Sunday. According to his New York Times Obituary, he “brought ranchera music, which emerged from the ranches of Mexico in the 19th century, to the rest of Latin America and beyond. In his signature charro outfit and intricately embroidered sombrero, a celebration of the genre’s rustic origins, he has performed in some of the world’s greatest venues. El Rey has recorded dozens of albums and hundreds of songs during a career that spanned six decades. He has won almost all of the awards for a singer, “including a place in the Billboard Latin Music Hall of Fame, a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, three Grammy Awards, and eight Latin Grammy Awards.” He has sold tens of millions of copies of his albums and appeared in dozens of films.

Clearly, the United States is committed to the global fight against corruption and “remains committed to strengthening the international architecture in which multilateral initiatives, agreements and standards amplify and legitimize anti-corruption efforts around the world.” Only by doing so will we reduce the prevalence of corruption and decrease the rewards for engaging in corrupt behavior. By leading within existing institutions and, in consultation with partners, creating suitable new platforms, the United States will further strengthen the multilateral system’s approach to corruption as a global problem, using all available forums. to tackle common priorities and eliminate shelters. for corrupt actors and their proceeds of crime.

The strategy has two areas of general focus under pillar 4. The first is to strengthen ABC frameworks and institutions. The second is to redouble our efforts in multinational forums. This area includes refocusing efforts on international frameworks and their use around the world, including conventions such as the ‘United Nations Convention against Corruption (UNCAC), the OECD Anti-Bribery Convention, the FATF and regional treaties and frameworks ”. It also incorporates compliance program frameworks and enforcement mechanisms. The United States will “place particular emphasis on pressuring foreign partners to meet their obligations to criminalize and prosecute foreign bribery, given its effect on the ability of American companies to compete fairly abroad.” . The United States will also pressure “foreign partners to meet their obligations to criminalize and prosecute foreign bribery, given its effect on the ability of American companies to compete fairly abroad.” Finally, the United States will seek to strengthen and increase the implementation of the UNCAC.

An interesting new angle identified by the strategy is to use the Department of Defense (DoD) to work on “raising, prioritizing and increasing funds for Institutional Capacity Building (ICB) activities to leverage DOD’s history and expertise in improving resilience. by supporting democracy and anti-corruption efforts with our global partners. In addition to this initiative with the DOD, the United States will also leverage NATO and its Integrity Building program to “simultaneously integrate key principles of promoting democratic civil-military relations, creating transparent and resilient security sectors; and strengthening civilian leadership in multiple institutional functions. areas. I admit that I had never considered using DoD or NATO in ABC efforts, but upon reflection the DoD appears to have policies and protocols in place to assist with such an effort.

The second general area, “multilateral forums”, translates into multiple nations. The first place noted is the G7 and the G20. Leaving aside the question of Russia and China, the G7 appears to be a good place to engage in the fight against corruption. Here, the United States will continue to push G7 members to effectively implement transparency and anti-corruption measures, such as those set out in the FATF standards, and to strengthen the G7’s engagement with parties. non-governmental stakeholders to include the private sector, civil society and other relevant actors have a say in shaping these efforts. The next area turns to the fight in the financial realm where the United States will “continue to work and engage with these entities to align and strengthen anti-corruption safeguards” and “will advocate for more attention to corruption. Anti-corruption efforts in International Financial Institutions (IFIs), with increased emphasis on anti-corruption reforms and capacity building in IFI operations and allocation systems that reward good governance.

Finally, the United States will work with global partnerships and platforms, including the Open Government Partnership (OGP), to “solidify channels of collaboration with civil society and expand existing support both directly to the OGP and international partners working to advance OGP processes ”. The United States will work with other key global platforms, such as the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative, which is a critical tool in advancing accountability, tackling strategic corruption and promoting a level playing field. for US businesses and other businesses around the world.

It is clear that the United States will work with public and private sector actors under this pillar. Every compliance professional should take note and be aware of such initiatives in their sector or industry. You can make your contribution or use the information developed.

Join us tomorrow as we honor Shirley McBay and conclude with Pillar 5 – Enhancing Diplomatic Engagement and Leveraging Foreign Aid Resources to Advance Political Goals.

[View source.]