ICC Rules of Conduct : ICC Follow-up

PART III - ICC Follow-up and Promotion of the Rules

To promote the widest possible use of the Rules set forth in Part II and to stimulate cooperation between governments and world business, ICC is establishing a Standing Committee on Extortion and Bribery.

The Chairman of that body shall be nominated by the President of the ICC and the Secretary General shall be responsible for ensuring, in conjunction with ICC National Committees, that members of the Committee are representative of both developed and developing countries and that businessmen are adequately represented in the membership.

Among its primary tasks, the Standing Committee shall:

• Urge ICC National Committees promptly to take all appropriate measures to ensure that enterprises and business organizations in their country - whether multi-disciplinary or sectoral - give strong support to these Rules of Conduct. In particular, international business groups shall be encouraged to ensure that their subsidiaries endorse the Rules, or other corporate rules having similar effect, and publicize them in their local environment;
  
  
• Collect through National Committees a wide range of company codes of conduct on ethical issues, including extortion and bribery, and serve as an information clearing house for businesses seeking to develop their own codes and requiring advice on the problems involved;
  
  
• Promote the organization, both by ICC International Headquarters and by National Committees, of seminars designed to stimulate interest in, and discussion of, the Rules among the business community;
  
  
• Encourage National Committees to impress upon their governments the need to include, from the initial stages, the business community - through its representative organizations - in discussions aimed at enacting or strengthening legislation against extortion and bribery;
  
  
• Ensure liaison with the OECD, the WTO and other international organizations to provide the ICC point of view concerning progress at the international level in combating extortion and bribery;
  
  
• Conduct a study within two years on the most appropriate policies and procedures practiced by top management of companies to minimize risks of exposure to extortion of, and bribery by, personnel dealing with sensitive issues (participation in public tenders, privatizations, etc.);
  
  
• Issue at least every two years a report to ICC's Executive Board and Council on results achieved concerning worldwide recognition of the Rules of Conduct and of progress otherwise made by business in combating extortion and bribery. Decisions concerning the dissemination of the Report shall rest with the Executive Board and the Council;
  
  
• Review these Rules in the light of experience and recommend amendments, as necessary, to the Executive Board and the Council.

Company Codes

Introduction