ISO 37001:2016: The First International Standard for Anti-Bribery Management
ISO 37001 was published in October 2016. It gives organisations a certifiable framework to prevent, detect and respond to bribery.
Key points
- ISO 37001:2016 is a requirements standard, so an organisation can be certified against it.
- It follows the same structure as ISO 9001 and ISO 14001 and can be integrated with them.
- The system is proportionate: controls depend on the bribery risks the organisation faces.
What the standard covers
ISO 37001 addresses bribery by the organisation, by its personnel and by business associates acting on its behalf, as well as bribery of the organisation. It does not address fraud, cartels or money laundering, although an organisation can extend its system to cover them.
Core requirements
- An anti-bribery policy and visible top management commitment
- A bribery risk assessment
- Due diligence on projects, transactions and business associates
- Financial and non-financial controls, including rules on gifts and hospitality
- An anti-bribery compliance function, reporting channels and investigation
Who benefits
Organisations that bid for public contracts, work through agents, or operate in high-risk sectors gain most. Certification does not guarantee that bribery will never occur, but it shows that reasonable measures are in place.