Transparency International Sweden together with Transparency International Lithuania and Transparency International Russia, during the autumn of 2018 – mid- 2020  implemented a project on how to promote sustainable integrity practices and increase the transparency of businesses in Sweden, Lithuania, and Russia by strengthening regional networks and knowledge-sharing, through the project ”Together Towards Integrity: Building Partnerships for Sustainable Future in the Baltic Sea Region”. The findings show some key takeaways:

• Although many companies have implemented anti-corruption programs, they are restricted to large, mainly international, companies, however good practices from international businesses coupled with increased expectations from customers, clients and employees are influencing local companies to act with integrity and responsibility.
• Board members and managers need to fully grasp the consequences of the lack of business integrity – not only in direct costs but also loss of productivity and loss of qualified personnel. Thus, integrity programs are still considered as a mere paper product.
• Anti-corruption capacity programs, such as training and e-learning, are mainly offered as a “once-off” occurrence rather than continuous training and dialogue.

Based on the findings, TI Sweden recommends concerted parallel efforts to enhance business integrity capacity, build incentives for ethical business culture, and strengthen effective enforcement. Nevertheless,  media coverage on corruption cases is a vital contributor to awareness-raising!

More information can be found HERE.