Foreign Bribery Enforcement: A Vital Tool for Building

Democracy
December 14, 2021 1:00 - 2:00 PM EST

Virtual Event | Organized by the Center for International Private Enterprise (CIPE) and
the Coalition for Integrity | Held in English

Corruption has a corrosive effect on society. It impedes economic growth and international
development, undermines democratic institutions and the rule of law, and traps millions in
poverty. It also damages business by distorting competition and presenting serious legal,
financial and reputational risks. Free and fair competition and thriving societies require that
governments, companies, and individuals take meaningful actions to combat corruption.

In this event inspired by the Summit for Democracy, the panelists discuss how foreign
bribery enforcement is an essential element of any serious government effort to combat
corruption, as well as how democratic institutions benefit from enforcement. The panelists,
experts from Africa, Asia, Europe, and the U.S., will discuss current enforcement trends and
the increasingly strong network of national laws with extraterritorial application that make it
more and more difficult for companies to ignore foreign bribery as a significant risk.

Moderator

● Shruti Shah - President & CEO, Coalition for Integrity

Panelists

● David Fuhr - Acting Principal Assistant Chief, FCPA Unit, Criminal Division, Fraud
Section, U.S. Department of Justice
● Drago Kos - Chair, OECD Working Group on Bribery in International Business
Transactions
● Lola Adekanye - Anti-Corruption Lead for Africa, Center for International Private
Enterprise (CIPE)
● Coco Alcuaz - Executive Director, Makati Business Club, Philippines
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Event Notes for Speakers

● Shah frames the discussion in terms of how foreign bribery enforcement can
strengthen democratic institutions whether it is an independent judiciary or
transparency in gov’t spending
● Fuhr speaks on DoJ’s enforcement efforts, trends, recent actions, plans for the
future, perhaps citing 1MDB as a case of empowering a newly democratic gov’t (in
Malaysia)
● Kos speaks on his observations of the impact that the OECD Working Group has had
to date on democracies and the implications of the OECD’s “2021 Recommendation
for Further Combating Bribery of Foreign Public Officials in International Business
Transactions”
● Adekanye speaks about foreign bribery enforcement can be leveraged to reduce
private sector corrupt in emerging markets through Ethics 1st
● Alcuaz speaks about the corrosive effect that foreign bribery, especially from
countries where enforcement is low, can have on a local business environment.

Event Contact: kbernier-chen@cipe.org