Emirates International Accreditation Centre (EIAC) officially recognises global ABAC® CoE Group’s ability to help ensure that organisations bring management systems into compliance and prevent bribery
Anti-Bribery Anti-Corruption (ABAC® CoE) Center of Excellence certification body was granted the first-ever BS ISO 37001:2016 Anti-Bribery Management Accreditation by Emirates International Accreditation Centre (EIAC).
Corporate Research and Investigations Group (CRI®), the parent brand of ABAC® CoE, announced (1st March 2018) that the EIAC had granted its accreditation for the scope of BS ISO 37001:2016 Anti-Bribery Management System as Conformity Assessment Body (Certificate Number 082-CB-ABMS dated 19/02/2019).
EIAC (previously known as Dubai Accreditation Centre (DAC)) officially recognises a global firm’s ability to help ensure that organisations bring management systems into compliance and prevent bribery. And this accreditation is the first of its kind awarded to a certification body specialising in global anti-bribery and anti-corruption, risk and compliance standards.
Corporate Research and Investigations Ltd. It is accredited by EIAC (Emirates International Accreditation Centre) with Certificate Number 082-CB-ABMS dated 19/02/2019.
About ABAC®
Headquartered in the United Kingdom, ABAC® is the foremost Conformity Assessment Body in ISO 37001:2016 Anti-Bribery Management Systems Certification, providing BS ISO 37001:2016 Certification services and training courses. Through its highly regarded ABAC® Group.
The accreditation empowers ABAC®, an ISO 37001 certification body, to provide the highest level of audit services for multinational organisations seeking to bring their management systems into compliance with global standards (pursuant to the requirements of ISO/IEC 17021-1:2015) while conforming to the ever-evolving levels of standards dictated by multi-jurisdictional regions around the world.
“It is a special honour to be the very first accredited conformity assessment body in the Middle East, Asia and the UK,” said Zafar I. Anjum, Group CEO of CRI® Group, the parent company of ABAC® CoE. “This accreditation is a testament to the expertise of our global network of audit specialists and the result of 30 years providing high-level risk management and compliance solutions to organisations worldwide seeking to combat the detrimental effects of bribery and corruption.”
ISO 37001:2016 Certification helps establish that an organisation has implemented reasonable and proportionate measures to prevent bribery. These measures involve top-level leadership, training, risk assessment, due diligence, financial and commercial controls, reporting, audit and investigation.
“This Certification is not a simple ‘check-the-box’ standard,” said Anjum. “It’s a complex process that requires participating organisations to fully demonstrate their implementation of internal processes, policies and controls throughout an extensive evidence-based, multi-stage audit. To do that requires a highly competent and experienced audit team with years of substantive field experience as investigators, compliance officers and legal professionals.” Anjum added that “ABAC® Group comprises subject-specific experts with diversified speciality areas”.
Global organisations are increasingly seeking ISO 37001:2016 certification as they continue to make significant investments in compliance program enhancements, seeing such certification as a competitive advantage to winning business with major multinationals and as a strategy for avoiding multiple, overlapping compliance efforts with their business partners.
Certification adds a distinct level of credibility to the organisation’s management systems while offering a wealth of additional benefits:
- It ensures that the organisation is implementing a viable anti-bribery management program utilising widely accepted controls and systems.
- It provides assurance to management, investors, business associates, personnel and other stakeholders that the organisation is actively pursuing internationally recognised and accepted processes to prevent bribery and corruption.
- It protects the organisation, its assets, shareholders and directors from bribery.
- It provides acceptable evidence to prosecutors or courts that the organisation has taken reasonable steps to prevent bribery and corruption.
While ISO 37001:2016 Certification does not provide a safe harbour against regulatory enforcement, it is intended to be evidence that a certified company has taken meaningful steps toward effective compliance. Management systems compliance certified by an accredited third-party body can possibly help remove any criminal responsibility under certain juridical systems.
About EIAC
EIAC was established pursuant to Law number (27) for the year 2015, issued by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE, Ruler of Dubai, to become the governmental accreditation body of the Emirate of Dubai.
- The Emirates International Accreditation Center (EIAC) is the official apex accreditation body of Dubai, UAE. Being a pioneer in conformity assessment activities in the Gulf region, EIAC is internationally recognised in most accreditation fields.
- The EIAC is a full member of the International Accreditation Forum (IAF) and signatory to its Multi-Lateral Agreement (MLA) for ISO 17021 accreditation for certification bodies for quality management systems ISO 9001 and environmental management systems ISO 14001 since 2013.
- The EIAC became a signatory to IAF MLA for Product Certification (ISO 17065) in 2016.
- The Emirates International Accreditation Center (EIAC) maintains its IAF MLA through the regional body for the Asia Pacific region, Pacific Accreditation Cooperation (PAC).
- The EIAC is a full member of the Pacific Accreditation Cooperation (PAC) and signatory to its Multi-Lateral Agreement (MLA) for ISO 17021 accreditation for certification bodies for quality management systems ISO 9001 and environmental management systems ISO 14001 since 2013.
- EIAC became a signatory to PAC MLA for Product Certification (ISO 17065) in 2016
Visit http://www.eiac.gov.ae/en/ for more information.
