Corruption — whether in the form of bribes, extortion, money laundering or other illegal acts — is the scourge of international commerce, costing untold billions of dollars in losses and distorting trade. For more than two decades, the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC), has taken the lead among business organizations in denouncing corruption and developing rules of conduct to combat it. As early as 1977, ICC issued its Rules of Conduct and Recommendations for Combating Extortion and Bribery, which broke new ground in setting forth practical ways in which companies should conduct themselves when dealing with bribery, both public and private, and when confronted with demands for illegal payments (extortion). The Rules, which have been revised twice since they were first issued, were followed by ICC guidelines on whistleblowing; publication, along with other organizations, of the “Business Case Against Corruption”; and active cooperation with OECD, the UN and other international organizations that have developed anti-corruption conventions.

In 1999, to reinforce its anti-corruption drive, ICC published a corporate practices handbook, in which ICC experts from the Anti-Corruption Commission examined diverse forms of corruption and made precise recommendations to combat them. The present handbook is the third edition of that publication, expanded to cover new issues and updated to take account of the latest developments in the field.

In these pages, readers will find expert commentary and recommendations concerning bribery and its many forms, as well as other fields in which corruption often distorts trade and governance —corporate gifts, political contributions, accounting and the insidious “facilitation payments” that have long plagued international commerce.

Compliance officers, managers, lawyers, accountants, bankers, customs officials and everyone concerned with stamping out corruption in all its forms would do well to follow the recommendations in this classic text.