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Donate today to fund our research and evidence-based advocacy. With your support we can promote ethical business conduct and government that leads with integrity.
Corruption is the root cause of so many of the social and environmental challenges the world is facing today. That’s why we are committed to tackling corruption.
Together, we can champion a healthier democracy, with firm roots grounded in transparency and accountability.
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The lack of access to adequate information on these corporate structures, including beneficial ownership, ranks among the greatest corruption risks in the sector.
“Our members want to be and be seen by their stakeholders as miners of choice, and acting transparently and ethically is an imperative for them. This tool is a really useful addition to the toolkit for business integrity practitioners. Transparency International has been strategic and systematic in focusing on licensing and approvals as a point of pressure and leverage. This has given their work a level of rigour that is unmatched in this space. For the board and for broader executive management, this is a practical tool which helps them understand where they are and where the gaps are in this critical area.”
“No equivalent tool of this sophistication exists as far as I am aware in relation to project selection. This seems to be an extremely well written, well researched and well thought through tool.”
Neill Stansbury
Global Infrastructure Anti-Corruption Centre, Co-founder and Director
The evidence is clear. The government’s positive integrity reforms show Australia is turning the corner in the fight against corruption. But the risk to our democracy remains.
“Bribery and corruption compromise the discovery outcome which is the prime reason investors invest in junior exploration companies. As an investor, I stay away from companies that act like cowboys in a casino with no rules. These days there’s no excuse for a cavalier attitude to bribery and corruption. We know the risks in exploration are very high, and to compound these with the risks set in motion by paying bribes and acting corruptly, is a double down. Good luck if you don’t think the consequences apply to you.”
Peter Williams
Director, Elemental Royalties
In the course of my research, I’ve seen first-hand the devastating impact of regulatory capture on our natural resources and the communities who depend on them. Back-room decision-making, old boys clubs, politicisation of science, and smoke and mirrors tactics create an impenetrable system for people trying to make a difference. This is why I am committed to good governance and transparency in decision-making. Because by improving transparency, we build a more socially enlightened and environmentally sustainable future.
“Australian anti-corruption laws apply to Australian businesses in any country, so adopting (corrupt) local standards may seem expedient in the short term, but it leaves a company vulnerable to prosecution in an Australian court, and at the mercy of any competitor or part of a supply chain wishing to report to authorities.”
David Tonkin
Chief Counsel, Legal, Procurement & Fraud, Australian Trade & Investment Commission (Austrade)
Corruption, in all its forms, corrodes our trust in government and the integrity of our markets. It compounds inequity and undermines the strength of our democracy. And it will require all of us to be involved – to work to improve the transparency and integrity of systems and processes. We need many voices to take a stand against corruption and support the movement to improve the the integrity of our governance systems.
“BHP is committed to upholding the highest standards of ethical conduct and expects the same from all of our partners, investments and contractors. Bribery in licensing and permitting has serious consequences including depriving host communities of legitimate benefits from the development of their resources and cancellation of licences to explore, develop and extract resources.
BHP supports the use of the Anti-bribery & Corruption Guide for Junior Mining Companies and other resources available on the Bribery Prevention Network and is always open to working with other industry participants on the global fight against corruption.”
Tim Robinson
Chief Compliance Officer, BHP
“Australian mining and exploration companies which ignore ethical practices in foreign jurisdictions do so at their own peril and put their shareholders’ investments at jeopardy. Not only is participation in corrupt practices generally illegal it is ultimately counter-productive since it demonstrates to authorities that you and your company can be manipulated, are corrupt and not to be trusted. Corruption puts your company’s key assets – its tenements (rights) – at risk of cancellation and forfeiture.”
Adrian Larking
Councillor (2003-2017) and life member, Association of Mining & Exploration Companies, Australia (AMEC)
“Corruption increases the cost of doing business, and simultaneously raises uncertainty over expected returns for investors. This is why a growing number of investors are looking into companies’ anti-bribery and corruption systems. They are also using anti-bribery and corruption engagement as a litmus test for the overall quality of companies’ business practices and management.”
United Nations Global Compact and Principles for Responsible Investment
“The engineers of this tool are to be commended as in my view they have very accurately identified, and treated, all the key issues or “points of difference” between a sound project selection/design process and an unsound one.“
peter kelly
Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade
“Political and public sector corruption remains the biggest problem in the development of infrastructure in the Solomon Islands. We intend to use this tool, not only as an advocacy tool, but also to empower public officials to advocate for the application of the ICRAT to all public infrastructure projects. The ICRAT is a crucial tool for holding government to account and to demand reform.”
Ruth Liloqula
Executive Officer TI Solomon Islands
“Companies that view foreign bribery as simply the cost of doing business overseas are creating an uneven playing field which unfairly penalises businesses who do the right thing and play by the rules.”
xxxx
Australian Attorney-General and Minister for Industrial Relations
We believe in a better democracy
That’s why we are championing transparency, accountability and integrity.
Our work is focused on:
- Political integrity, because we need a national anti-corruption watchdog and better rules for political donations, lobbying and parliamentary conduct.
- Responsible business, because we want businesses to take a zero tolerance approach to corruption, money laundering and foreign bribery.
- Accountable mining permits, because we want to stop corruption in the mining sector before ground is even broken.