Combating Corruption: A Private Sector Approach

The participation of the private sector in the fight against corruption is key to success. The most effective anti-corruption programs engage the private sector in institutional reforms that promote competitive markets and good governance. The business community can take positive action both in the public arena – by advancing legal and regulatory reforms and transparency in government – and in the private sector – through improved corporate governance, better information, and voluntary standards.

This toolkit introduces important concepts, explains how to address the underlying causes of corruption, and suggests concrete areas in which the private sector can lead governance reform. It includes:

• Costs and causes of corruption
• Stages in the fight against corruption
• Demand-side and supply-side ways to fight corruption
• Case studies of anti-corruption programs in Armenia, Bulgaria, and
  Colombia.

Published by CIPE with support from The Association for Foreign Investment & Cooperation (AFIC), the Center for the Study of Democracy (CSD), the Colombian Confederation of Chambers of Commerce (Confecámaras), the National Endowment for Democracy (NED), and the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID).