International standard ISO 37001 Anti-bribery management system

ISO 37001 is a proposed new anti-bribery management system standard that is currently under development by ISO, ISO is the international organization for standardization that develops and publishes international standards, which is made up of national standards bodies from 163-member countries.

ISO 37001 specifies the requirements and guidelines for establishing, implementing, maintaining, reviewing and improving an anti-bribery management system, which may be a standalone system or may be integrated into another management system such as ISO 9001.

The term “bribery” is used to refer to the offer, promise, giving, acceptance or solicitation of an advantage which may be financial or non-monetary, directly or indirectly, in contravention of applicable law, as an inducement or reward to a person who acts, or refrains from acting, in connection with perform his duties.

ISO 37001 is applicable to bribery only, and it specifies requirements and provides guidance for a management system designed to help an organization prevent, detect and respond to bribery and comply with anti-bribery laws and obligations with laws and regulations applicable to its activities.

ISO 37001 does not specifically address fraud, other antitrust/competition offences, money laundering, or other activities related to corrupt practices, although an organization can choose to extend the scope of the management system to include these activities.

The requirements of ISO 37001 are general and aim to be applicable to all types of organizations, regardless of the type, size and nature of the activity, and whether the activity follows the public, private or non-profit sector, and the choice of the field of application of these requirements depends on the factors specified in Clauses 4.1 and 4.2 and 4.5 from ISO 37001.

What is the purpose of ISO 37001?

ISO 37001 is designed to help an organization implement an anti-bribery management system. It outlines a series of measures that an organization should implement to help it prevent, detect and address bribery, and provides guidance with regard to their implementation

Who can use ISO 37001?

ISO 37001 is designed for use by small, medium and large organizations in the public, private and voluntary sectors. It is a flexible method, which can be adapted according to the size and nature of the organization and the risks of bribery it faces.

What countries can use ISO 37001?

ISO 37001 can be used in any country. It is designed to help the organization comply with international best practices and with relevant anti-bribery legal requirements in all countries in which the organization operates.

What types of measurement are required by ISO 37001?

ISO 37001 requires the organization to implement a series of measures and measurements in a proportionate and reasonable manner. Which includes adopting an anti-bribery policy, which requires senior management leadership to appoint a person to supervise anti-bribery compliance, provide training for employees, conduct bribery risk assessment and procedures to fulfill requirements regarding projects and business establishments, implement financial and commercial controls, and report and investigation procedures.

How can ISO 37001 benefit my organization?

(1) Assists the organization in establishing and implementing an anti-bribery management system, or in strengthening existing controls.
(2) It helps to provide assurances to management, owners, financiers, customers and other business partners, that the organization has implemented internationally recognized good practices and anti-bribery controls.
(3) In the event of an investigation, it helps to provide evidence to the Public Prosecution Office or the courts that the organization has taken reasonable steps to prevent bribery.

Will ISO 37001 impose unnecessarily heavy bureaucracy on my organization?

It will not impose heavy bureaucracy on the organisation, but rather requires that anti-bribery measures be implemented in a manner that is reasonable and proportionate to a number of relevant factors, such as the size and structure of the organisation, the locations and sectors in which it operates, the nature, scale and complexity of its activities, and the risk of bribery it faces.

Can a third party issue a certificate of conformity to my organization with ISO 37001?

ISO 37001 is a Type A requirements standard and is therefore amenable to independent certification of conformity

What is the status and schedule for publishing ISO 37001?

More than 80 experts from 28 participating countries, 16 observer countries and 7 observer organizations, participated in the formulation of this standard. The project is currently in the second draft stage. Timeline The standard is expected to be published in late 2016.

Benefits of implementing the ISO 37001 Anti-Corruption and Bribery Management System

Organizations that have good anti-bribery management systems in accordance with ISO 37001 have a better competitive advantage over an organization that is not certified.
It helps organizations reduce risks resulting from corruption and bribery, and works to save costs and achieve sustainable growth.
Anti-bribery activities are constantly seen as actions associated with the good performance of organizations
Implementing a good anti-bribery management system means that the organization has reliable and measurable indicators to track internal operations.
Prevent financial fines, loss of contracts, denial of profitable markets, criminal liability and/or negative press.
Attracting new clients and a talented workforce (Studies have shown that having an anti-bribery system in any organization is seen as valuable to the organization’s brand because it contributes effectively to building trust between the organization and the surrounding community. It will therefore also motivate employees to take pride in the organization’s integrity and reputation – and motivate them to work out in the first place)
As a result of the anti-corruption and bribery program, organizations achieve measurable cost savings in their day-to-day operations by optimizing internal processes, discovering and addressing weaknesses leading to cost reductions and preventing improper flow of funds.

Steps to implement the ISO 37001 system and obtain the ISO 37001 certificate

The experts of the Center for Arab Professionals can help all organizations of all kinds, whether private or governmental, to implement the requirements of ISO 37001

And obtaining the ISO 37001 certificate from international accreditation bodies by achieving the requirements of ISO 37001 and training and qualifying workers as follows:

Receiving the request for preparing and qualifying the organization to obtain the ISO 37001 certificate
Conducting a study of all operations and activities of the Department of Operations and Service Delivery and analyzing the gap between the current situation and the desired situation
Training of employees to raise awareness of the requirements of ISO 37001
Preparation of ISO 37001 system documents (procedures – forms – work manuals … etc.)
Preparing an action plan (vision – mission – goals – policy….etc)
Analysis of risks and opportunities
Implementing the documented system and finding physical evidence of the application
Conducting the internal audit and qualifying the internal audit team
Conduct a simulation of assessment by the awarding body to identify and correct non-conformances
Invite the donor to conduct a review of the granting of the certificate

Entities interested in implementing the ISO 37001 system

All ministries, government institutions and companies
All commercial, industrial, service and commercial companies of all kinds
All financial companies, banks and insurance companies
All companies and sectors that perform and provide services to the public

Download a file in English that explains the terms of ISO 37001