“In times of multiple crises integrity is more important than ever”

“In times of multiple crisis, efforts to prevent corruption and foster integrity are more important than ever”, said Dirk Meyer, Director-General at the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), in his opening remarks. He stressed that the success of Alliance for Integrity’s network is based on its many members and partners from the private sector, civil society, and public institutions from all over the world. Iris Plöger, Member of Executive Board of the Federation of German Industries (BDI), a founding partner of the Alliance for Integrity, addressed the guests by pointing out that trust is an important factor for economic success. "Corruption disturbs competition and thus harms the economy itself. Integrity principles must be lived and practiced. Companies can support each other and exchange experiences even beyond their own supply chains”, she said.

The conference entitled “Integrity in challenging times” offered several panel discussions and key-note speeches. This year’s focus was on the actors in the Global South, who are suffering particularly from global developments with rising poverty rates and precarious working conditions. The conference showcased how a partnership-based approach together with the Global South can help meet the requirements of laws and standards on transparency along supply chains, anti-corruption, human rights, and environmental due diligence.

In his closing remarks, Norbert Kaliwe, Global Compliance Lead Anti Money Laundering at Merck Group and Member of the Alliance for Integrity’s Steering Committee, stressed the power of collective action. Susanne Friedrich, Director of the Alliance for Integrity, summed up by saying that the event provided participants with the opportunity to get to know different perspectives: “We have connected the dots today”, she said.

One of the highlights of the conference was the ceremony of the “Trainer of the Year” award. Compliance experts from thirteen member countries were honored for their high commitment in facilitating capacity-building addressing anticorruption for SMEs and thereby have contributed significantly to the success of the network of the Alliance for Integrity.

The Alliance for Integrity's Global Conferences aim to gain global perspectives on specific integrity issues. Therefore, the event brings together relevant stakeholders from different regions and various sectors to share their experiences and approaches in the fight against corruption. The conference is held approximately every two years and is commissioned by the BMZ. This year, the event took place in Berlin (Germany) and was co-organized by the United Nations Global Compact Network Germany and the Viadrina Compliance Center of the European University Viadrina.