Conference programme

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.

After the recent implementation of the EU Whistleblower Directive, enforcement and coordination has increased. This panel will provide an update on the Whistleblower Directive, offer an in-house perspective on how companies are handling the new regulations, and assess its effectiveness.

The wider geo-political developments with the EU funds and European Public Prosecution Office gaining more traction, combined with states' enforcement and the expected reconstruction of Ukraine, where international funds and procurement will play a major role, creates opportunities for the further development of anti-corruption regimes.  

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. 

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. 

How to handle thorny issues when one entity cares more about corruption/culture, or discovers issues during the integration process. 

Cooperation between Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) and law firms in fighting corruption plays a critical role in promoting transparency, accountability, and the rule of law. CSOs, which often work on the ground to raise awareness and advocate for policy change, can collaborate with law firms to leverage legal expertise in investigating and addressing corruption. Law firms bring specialised knowledge of legal frameworks, investigative tools, and litigation processes, which can help CSOs hold corrupt individuals and organisations accountable through the judicial system.