Dealing with extortion and solicitation

New expanded training toolkit for companies launched

Bribery and extortion impede both fair and open trade – vital for a healthy global economy, and efforts to curb corruption. Companies determined to counter the problem now have a new tool: the expanded edition of Resisting Extortion and Solicitation in International Transactions (RESIST), a practical toolkit to help companies train employees to respond appropriately to a variety of solicitations.

“While governments must pass and implement anti-bribery legislation, companies must protect their reputations and long-term investments by ensuring their employees are equipped to resist solicitation and extortion. This tool can help them to do that,” said Susan Côté-Freeman, Private Sector Programme Manager at Transparency International (TI), one of the four organisations that developed the tool.

Comprising 22 real-life scenarios, RESIST is a joint initiative of TI, the International Chamber of Commerce, the UN Global Compact and the World Economic Forum Partnering Against Corruption Initiative (PACI). The toolkit, which is available online free of charge, was released during a meeting of the United Nations 10th Principle Working Group, part of the UN Global Compact. The Global Compact is the world’s largest voluntary corporate citizenship initiative.

This expanded edition of RESIST includes 15 new scenarios that companies and organizations could be faced with during the implementation phase of a project. It includes, for example, advice on what to do when a bribe is demanded for the release of perishable goods at customs, and on ways of dealing with a tax inspector requesting a kickback against a tax discharge.

The second instalment of RESIST builds on the initial 2009 edition, which set out seven solicitation scenarios in the procurement stage of a project, and it significantly expands the generic recommendations. It is a user-friendly tool for small, medium or large enterprises to complement their compliance programmes. Any company exposed to solicitation risks will find the toolkit a valuable resource to stimulate open internal discussions on how to face dilemmas.

“RESIST is the only anti-bribery training toolkit developed by companies for companies and sponsored by the four global anti-corruption initiatives working on the supply side of the issue of fighting corruption,” said Iohann Le Frapper, who chaired phase two of the RESIST initiative.

RESIST is the latest of a series of close collaborations between the four groups. Other projects include a joint publication making the business case for fighting corruption and organising a letter from chief executives of some of the world’s biggest companies to the UN Secretary General calling on governments to enforce the UN Convention against Corruption.

TI works to reduce corruption by advocating for the effective enforcement of anti-bribery laws and supporting prevention through the development of dedicated anti-bribery tools and approaches for enterprises.

Transparency International is the global civil society organisation leading the fight against corruption.

Note to editors: The 10th Principle of the UN Global Compact states: "Businesses should work against corruption in all its forms, including extortion and bribery." It was adopted in June 2004. For more information about RESIST, please contact: businessprinciples@transparency.org