ICC Rules on Combating Corruption

Preface

By Jean-Guy Carrier, ICC Secretary General,
François Vincke, Vice-chair of the ICC Commission on Corporate Responsibility and Anti-corruption, and
Jean-Pierre Méan, Chair of the Task Force on the Revision of the ICC Rules on Combating Corruption

The International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) has always been at the forefront of the drive for more integrity
in business transactions, because only a corruption-free system makes it possible for all participants to
compete on a level playing field.

ICC emphasizes the critical role of compliance by enterprises with self-imposed rules, while recognizing the
basic responsibility of international organizations and national governments in the fight against all corrupt
practices, including extortion, solicitation and bribery.

Enterprises' adherence to strict rules will help them fulfil their legal obligations in a more natural, effective and
sustainable way. The adoption and implementation by businesses of their own corporate compliance
programmes is therefore strongly recommended, as it is made compulsory in an increasing number of
jurisdictions.

ICC was the first business organization to issue anti-corruption rules with the publication as early as 1977 of
its Rules of Conduct to Combat Extortion and Bribery. It has updated these Rules in 1996, 1999 and 2005 to
reflect the adoption of key international legal instruments, such as the Convention on Combating Bribery of
Foreign Public Officials (1997) of the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development and the United
Nations Convention on Corruption (2003). These instruments, which are major milestones in the fight against
corruption, have been actively supported in their adoption, implementation and enforcement by the business
community. ICC will continue to actively contribute to these organisations' anti-corruption programmes.

The present 2011 revision of the ICC Rules on Combating Corruption mirror-images the impressive evolution
of the ethics and compliance practice of leading enterprises. It is based on numerous contributions made by
ICC national committees, member companies and experts of the Commission on Corporate Responsibility and
Anti-corruption. It provides a compliance model applicable to large, medium and small-sized enterprises. It
builds on other documents ICC has prepared such as the ICC Handbook "Fighting Corruption, a Corporate
Practices Manual" and on various ICC Guidelines on specific integrity matters.

Fighting corruption, which is at the core of corporate responsibility and good corporate governance, is never
finished. Sustained efforts will continue to be necessary in the future. A better awareness is necessary among
public officials, in board rooms and in all layers of the corporate world. ICC is committed to continue to bring its
contribution to this daunting task.

This paper is also available in:

• French: Règles d’ICC pour combattre la corruption
• Spanish: Reglas de la ICC para Combatir la Corrupción
• Turkish: ICC Yolsuzlukla Mücadele Kuralları