It is estimated that globally, over $1.5 trillion in bribes changes hands every year. Apart from the negative economic impact, bribery also impacts the whole society as it undermines trust, leads to unfairness, creates inequality, and stifles motivation. ISO joined the global fight against bribery by developing ISO 37001, an international standard that sets out the requirements for an anti-bribery management system (ABMS). What is ISO 37001?
Published in 2016 as a Type A management system standard (MSS), ISO 37001 specifies the requirements and provides guidance for the establishment, implementation, monitoring, maintenance, and continual improvement of an ABMS.
An ABMS based on ISO 37001 is intended to help organizations effectively prevent, detect, and respond to bribery. Other forms of corruption, such as fraud, are not covered by the standard. The requirements of the standard are generic and applicable to all organizations, regardless of their type, size, and sector (public, private, or not-for-profit). Furthermore, ISO 37001 can be used to tackle bribery by or of the organization as well as direct and indirect bribery.