Anti-corruption newsletter: spring 2019 (accessible version)
Published 17 April 2019
© Crown copyright 2019
This publication is licensed under the terms of the Open Government Licence v3.0 except where otherwise stated. To view this licence, visit nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3 or write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gov.uk.
Where we have identified any third party copyright information you will need to obtain permission from the copyright holders concerned.
This publication is available at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/anti-corruption-newsletter-spring-2019/anti-corruption-newsletter-spring-2019
Ministerial and champion headlines
Welcome to HM Government’s inaugural Anti-Corruption newsletter! As you’ll see below, we’ve made a lot of progress but there’s still a lot more to do, especially as the threat of corruption doesn’t stand still. The Year One update (published just before Christmas) shows we have a strong base to build on, and we’ve scored well in international anti-corruption rankings; for example, the Financial Action Task Force, the international standard setter for anti-money laundering and counter terrorist finance, rated the UK as having the strongest controls of any country they’ve assessed to date. But it isn’t all good news; we’ve fallen from 8th to 11th position in Transparency International’s Corruption Perceptions Index, for example, so we can’t take our eyes off the ball.
We will be publishing this newsletter quarterly to share news and updates on what we’re doing to battle corruption both at home and abroad. Read on for your first instalment.
John Penrose
Ministerial Appointment
The Prime Minister’s Anti-Corruption Champion, John Penrose MP was appointed Minister of State for Northern Ireland on 16 November and will continue in his role as Champion.
Anti-Corruption Champion launches UK’s International Beneficial Ownership Transparency Campaign.
The Champion is driving a five-year international campaign to change the global norms on corporate transparency, by encouraging more countries to introduce public company registers listing the people that control and benefit from the ownership of all companies incorporated in their jurisdictions. This was launched at the International Anti-Corruption Conference (IACC) in Copenhagen in October 2018 and the Champion is now working closely with the FCO to lobby over 30 countries to sign-up to and implement higher standards. The Joint Anti-Corruption Unit (JACU) is working with BEIS and Companies House on plans to share UK expertise in this field with interested developing countries. The UK statement is on the IACC website and the DFID press statement is on GOV.UK.
The Home Secretary spoke on illicit finance at the UK Finance Economic Crime Congress in December.
The Security Minister, Rt. Hon. Ben Wallace MP, spoke at the Royal institute of Chartered Surveyors in February on the role of property professionals in combating money laundering.
The Anti-Corruption Champion spoke on a panel at Wilton Park in January on the beneficial ownership campaign.
Cabinet Office Minister for Implementation Oliver Dowden MP was interviewed on ways to reduce corruption in procurement.
Business Integrity Initiative
This provides Anti-Corruption and integrity support to help UK businesses work in emerging markets. The Business Integrity Hub is the contact point for practical support for companies to help prevent bribery, corruption and human rights issues when doing business in emerging markets.
Available to all businesses, in particular small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), looking to export to, import from or invest in emerging markets and fast-growing developing economies. It offers free online guidance on integrity considerations for exporters and access to affordable support from an expert to help SMEs get started on their journey of managing integrity risks when doing business in Africa or Asia.
International Partnership Against Corruption in Sport
More than 100 Ministers, international sports organisations and experts from around the world met in London on 6 December 2018 to reaffirm the global commitment to tackling corruption in sport. It was the first high-level International Partnership Against Corruption in Sport (IPACS) meeting since the partnership was launched at the International Olympic Committee’s Forum on Sport Integrity in 2017.
The summit represented a strengthening of the international commitment to protect sport from the corrosive effects of corruption. More details can be found on GOV.UK.
The Economic Crime Strategic Board
This was jointly launched by the Home Secretary and Chancellor of the Exchequer on 14 January 2019 to oversee a comprehensive programme of economic crime reform. The Board consists of senior figures from law enforcement and government, including the UK’s Anti-Corruption Champion, as well as senior representatives from the financial, legal and property sectors. The Board will set priorities, direct resources and scrutinise performance against the economic crime threat. The first meeting agreed to the preparation of a joint threat assessment and an Economic Crime plan to guide future efforts.
Limited Partnerships: government response published
Measures to increase transparency and prevent abuse of limited partnerships, which some criminals have used to launder dirty money through the UK were unveiled on 10 December, as we published our response to the ]consultation on the reform of Limited Partnership law.
Transparency International Professional Supporters
In February, we updated the Transparency International Professional Supporters (TIPS) network, a group of professionals, academics and students engaged in anti-corruption and business integrity, on the key findings from the Year 1 update to the UK’s Anti-Corruption Strategy
United Nations Convention Against Corruption Review
The UK is taking part in its UNCAC review, focussing on chapters II and V (Prevention and Asset Recovery). The review process is comprised of the UK completing a self-assessment detailing its compliance with the Convention chapters under review; a desk review by the reviewers (Turkey and Israel) of our self-assessment, outlining further questions and requests for information from the UK; and a country visit by the reviewers and the UN Secretariat, meeting with a wide range of departments and agencies involved in the fight against corruption, as well as other important national stakeholders (e.g. academics and civil society groups). The reviewers will now produce an executive summary and a final report on their assessment of the UK.
Prosperity Fund
In October 2019 the government approved the £45 million Prosperity Fund Global Anti-Corruption Programme. The programme works with partner governments to promote inclusive sustainable growth and increase global prosperity by removing corruption as a barrier to economic growth and providing the stable level playing field needed for business (including UK-based business) to thrive. It provides an important mechanism for delivering elements across the Anti-Corruption Strategy. The programme will focus on supporting efforts to disincentivise corruption, design out opportunities for corruption, recover illegally gained assets and help end impunity, working both bilaterally and with multilateral partners including the UN and OECD.
Our Year Two Update to the OECD’s phase four review of our implementation of the Anti Bribery Convention was completed and their summary can be found on the OECD website.
In the news
Unexplained Wealth Order assets seized
Former senior executive convicted of bribery in Petrofac investigation
Year One update
In December 2018, we published our Year One update of the 2017-2022 Anti-Corruption Strategy. The update examined implementation of the commitments made in the Strategy and found that of the 30 of 134 commitments in the Strategy due in 2018:
- 25 had been fully completed or exceeded (although 3 were not completed exactly on time)
- 2 were partially completed
- 1 was completed in a way other than envisioned in the strategy
- 2 were not completed, however, work has commenced and is on track to be completed in 2019
The full update can be found on GOV.UK.
What’s next?
The House of Lords Bribery Act Select Committee evidence sessions are available to view. The Committee has reported and we will issue a response.
We will produce a report on compliance with the Council of Europe Group of States against Corruption (GRECO) 5th round evaluation report on prevention of corruption amongst Top Executive Functions of Government and Law Enforcement Agencies in the UK.