Global CEOs launch first-ever anti-corruption campaign on YouTube

• CEOs launch first appeal of its kind to engage public in fight against corruption
• Submit a “breakthrough” idea on how best to fight corruption
• View latest survey results – Leading global companies assess their programmes to fight corruption

Geneva, Switzerland – The World Economic Forum’s Partnering Against Corruption Initiative (PACI) launches the first-ever anti-corruption campaign on YouTube to mark the International Anti-Corruption Day tomorrow.

With US$ 1 trillion lost in bribes and other forms of corruption around the world each year, CEOs of leading global companies, including Alan L. Boeckmann, President and Chief Executive Officer, Fluor Corporation, USA; Richard O’Brien, President and Chief Executive Officer, Newmont Mining Corporation, USA; Samuel A. DiPiazza Jr, Chief Executive Officer, PricewaterhouseCoopers International, USA; and Peter Bakker, Chief Executive Officer, TNT, Netherlands, have come together for Anti-Corruption Day to further engage the general public in a CEO Appeal on YouTube. All of the CEOs are members of the PACI board and PACI signatories.

The general public is invited to submit “breakthrough ideas” on how best to fight corruption in the world on YouTube. The best ideas will be shown to participants at the upcoming World Economic Forum Annual Meeting 2009 in Davos-Klosters in January. Participants will be encouraged to reply directly to questions from the wider public with the aim of opening a global conversation on how best to fight corruption today.

PACI is the only global anti-corruption initiative that systematically surveys how and to what extent global companies – across industries and regions – are fighting corruption. The results of the “Highlighting Achievers” survey, released today, show that private sector players are stepping up to the plate to fight corruption.

“The survey results and the CEO appeal indicate that leading companies are indeed serious in their commitment to fight corruption,” said Richard Samans, Managing Director at World Economic Forum and Board Member of the Forum’s Partnering Against Corruption Initiative (PACI). “Now it is time for governments, NGOs and other relevant players to recognize companies demonstrating anti-corruption leadership and to incentivize more companies to follow their lead.”

The survey reveals that, today, all of the companies surveyed have anti-corruption programmes in place, which include measures such as whistle-blowing mechanisms, compared to 90% last year. Of the surveyed companies, 20% put an anti-corruption programme in place after signing PACI. In addition, PACI’s Highlighting Achievers survey indicates that 77% of the surveyed companies now screen their business partners’ anti-corruption measures before doing business with them.

PACI is a global anti-corruption initiative driven by the private sector, bringing together companies from multiple industries throughout the world to fight bribery and corruption. Launched by CEOs from leading global corporations at the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting 2004 in Davos, PACI helps to consolidate industry efforts on the issue and shape the evolving regulatory framework. By becoming a PACI signatory, a company commits to a zero-tolerance policy towards bribery and corruption and agrees to put in place an internal anti-corruption programme that reflects the PACI Principles for Countering Bribery

Notes to Editors
Complete survey results are found at: www.weforum.org/paci/ha
For further information about PACI visit: www.weforum.org/paci
For a list of PACI signatories visit: www.weforum.org/en/initiatives/paci/signatories
For the PACI Principles visit: www.weforum.org/pdf/paci/PACI_PrinciplesWithoutSupportStatement.pdf

The World Economic Forum is an independent international organization committed to improving the state of the world by engaging leaders in partnerships to shape global, regional and industry agendas.

Incorporated as a foundation in 1971, and based in Geneva, Switzerland, the World Economic Forum is impartial and not-for-profit; it is tied to no political, partisan or national interests http://www.weforum.org