Conference programme

This Session will cover various aspects of global anti-corruption efforts, including the latest guidelines and priorities set by the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) for enforcing the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA), the implications of these guidelines for U.S. economic interests, and practical impacts on international cooperation and enforcement. The panel will also explore the responses from the U.K. and France to these new U.S. priorities, the introduction of new legal requirements in the U.K., and the broader implications for multinational companies operating in a challenging regulatory environment.

DOJ's FCPA Enforcement Guidelines, which aim to limit undue burdens on American companies operating abroad and target enforcement actions against conduct that undermines U.S. national interests, will be examined seasoned practitioners.  The panel will also address the increased risks of anti-corruption enforcement and best tools and strategies for companies to mitigate these risks. These discussions aim to provide a comprehensive understanding of the evolving anti-corruption enforcement landscape and offer practical guidance for companies navigating these challenges.

This panel will explore in-house perspectives on challenges faced, including enforcement activity and agency guidance, the use of AI, organisational models, and other hot topics of the day.

This panel will explore international legal requirements from selected jurisdictions and offer best practices in implementing the always challenging, yet for many good reasons worthwhile implementation of corporate whistleblowing systems. The panellists are tackling these topics:
•    Is there a one-size-fits-all master solution on dealing with whistleblowing in different regions, countries or industries? 
•    Do we have to offer financial awards for whistleblowers?
•    What is the recommendable scope of a modern whistleblowing system: Preventing corruption only vs identifying all kinds of potential misconduct?  
•    How can we assure whistleblowing effectiveness over time?

Nick Ephgrave QPM: Director, Serious Fraud Office, London

Economic sanctions have evolved in recent years to serve ever-more-sophisticated policy objectives of the countries that impose them.  One of those new objectives is the deterrence and punishment of public officials and governments in the countries subject to sanctions.  This panel explores the use of sanctions for this purpose, the measures which authorities in countries most using sanctions for this purpose have adopted and whether they are effective, and – at this time in the fight against international corruption – what we can expect in months and years to come. 

Public procurement is consistently identified as a sector raising significant corruption risks around the world. Efforts to combat corruption in the public procurement sector have been sporadic, and have had mixed results. Panelists will discuss developments concerning corruption-related risks in public procurement contexts, different legal regimes, and trends in particularly jurisdictions, along with practical cases and approaches by companies. The panel will address the importance of compliance steps and prevention in avoiding higher corruption-related risks in public procurement matters, including in the context of recent geopolitical developments. 

This discussion, which encourages audience participation, will focus on the evolution from policy, procedural, and tick-the-box based compliance programs to culture and ethical decision making. 

This panel explores how AML prosecution is emerging as a powerful tool in global anti-corruption efforts. As authorities leverage on enhanced regulations and cutting-edge technologies, the tracing of illicit funds becomes central to the fight against corruption too. Experts will discuss the challenges and opportunities of real-time transaction monitoring, AI-driven analytics, evolving legal frameworks, including for cross-border asset recovery and international collaboration in the current global enforcement landscape. 

Have you ever wondered what factors judges consider when making suspension and debarment decisions? This interactive session brings the multilateral development bank sanctions process to life through an engaging moot court. Officers from the World Bank, IDB, EBRD, and AfDB will form the judicial panel, while IBA Anti-Corruption Committee members will advocate as the investigative office and respondent company representatives. The simulated case will tackle critical issues at the frontier of sanctions practice, including attribution of liability within complex corporate structures, balancing punitive measures with development imperatives, and evaluating the true effectiveness of corporate compliance programs. Audience members will have the opportunity to engage directly with the panel and provide their input into the decision-making process as they navigate the nuanced considerations that shape decisions that end in cross-debarment. This interactive approach provides international legal practitioners with insight into how sanctions systems operate in practice while illuminating the different approaches MDBs take when addressing prohibited practices in development finance.