Media Releases
Combating bribery in international business transactions
October 8, 2010
TORONTO, ON — Bribing foreign public officials is a serious crime with serious consequences. Foreign bribery distorts competitive markets and stands in the way of good governance and sustainable economic development. Since the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development’s Convention on Combating Bribery of Foreign Public Officials in International Business Transactions entered into force in 1999, 38 countries have recognized the risks foreign bribery presents and made foreign bribery illegal.
Christine Uriarte, senior anti-corruption analyst and general counsel at the OECD, will be speaking in Toronto at the University of Toronto Faculty of Law as part of the organization’s new Initiative to Raise Global Awareness of Foreign Bribery (www.oecd.org/corruption/initiative).
The Convention establishes legally binding standards to criminalize bribery of foreign public officials in international business transactions and provides for a host of related anti-bribery measures. The 33 OECD member countries and five non-member countries — Argentina, Brazil, Bulgaria, Estonia and South Africa — have adopted this Convention and made it illegal for their citizens to bribe public officials in other countries while conducting business deals abroad.
Ms. Uriarte will speak on the issue of foreign bribery, the Convention and recent developments and tools in the fight against foreign bribery.
WHEN: Monday, October 18, 2010
TIME: 9 AM TO 10:30 AM
WHERE: Flavelle House, Faculty of Law, 78 Queen’s Park Cres. [Museum subway stop; parking limited]
COST: Free
INFO: http://www.law.utoronto.ca/conferences/OECD.html
CONTACT: Lucianna Ciccocioppo, Director, External Relations
Seating is limited, please RSVP to: Lucianna.ciccocioppo@utoronto.ca
Office: 416–946-0334 / Mobile: 416–857-5220
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