Fighting corruption one of OECD's highest priorities

International Anti-Corruption Day Statement by Drago Kos, Chair of the OECD Working Group on Bribery

International Anti-Corruption Day provides us all with a unique opportunity to reflect on the progress we have made over the past year in the global fight against corruption, but also to think about the work that remains to be done in the years ahead. Fighting corruption is one of the OECD's highest priorities, and today we are proud to join anti-corruption activists around the world in raising awareness of the severe impact of corruption on creating a stronger, cleaner and fairer world economy.

Corruption permeates—and facilitates—some of the most important global threats of our time, such as terrorism, climate change and the refugee crisis. It is therefore vital that we come together with a collective response to eradicate corruption. Multiple events at the OECD Conference Centre this week have seen a wide range of stakeholders teaming up to share knowledge and collaborate on this issue. Anti-corruption law enforcement practitioners from around the globe are meeting for the first time to share good practices, exchange modern and effective methods of investigation and build solid networks for future collaboration. Today, the OECD Working Group on Bribery will meet with private sector stakeholders from the Business and Industry Advisory Committee to the OECD (BIAC) for a roundtable to discuss strengthening joint public and private sector initiatives to combat corruption.

These events are helping to prepare the ground for the next major push to keep the OECD Anti-Bribery Convention at the forefront of the global fight against bribery. Sixteen years after the Convention first came into force, the OECD Working Group on Bribery will officially launch the fourth round of monitoring at a ministerial meeting on 16 March 2016.

• International Anti-Corruption Day Statement by Drago Kos, Chair of the OECD Working Group on Bribery