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  • Governance I Risk I Compliance Management

ISO 37001 ABMS certification: what to expect?

February 17, 2021

Even though the International organisation has developed it for standardisation, many are still wondering what to expect from implementing the ISO 37001:2016 Anti-Bribery Management System (ABMS) in their businesses. Questions that usually arise are related to whether this certification is enough to prevent bribery and corruption in organisations, whether it is a silver bullet or not. We often hear that businesses want to enjoy a great reputation among current and potential partners and customers or that serious business people want to collaborate with serious partners. That means seeking relationships with organisations and people who are reliable, honest, and crime-free.

 

ISO 37001 ABMS certification for honest, transparent businesses

If you are serious about doing business, you want to collaborate with such partners. You don’t want to work with dishonest business people; you want to be sought for cooperation only by other honest businesses, ideally certified. That is why it is of utmost importance to get ISO 370001 Anti-Bribery Management System certified. It will serve you to prove to your prospects that you stand against dishonest business practices and they can expect reliability from your side.

There is an ongoing debate, however, that this certification is not a silver bullet for preventing bribery in business. No law in the world could make a society or a business bulletproof to corruption. Hence standards are not silver bullets either. It is no secret that societies and businesses sometimes fail in preventing bribery and other forms of corruption. Nevertheless, they are responsible for taking all the possible measures to protect themselves against all these practices.

Among other things they could do is certify themselves according to ISO 37001 ABMS certification requirements. As you may know already, not every organisation can be certified. You have to prove that you meet certain standards to get certified. These standards include:

  • Implementing internal anti-bribery controls
  • The top management has an active role in the implementation and maintenance of the anti-bribery management system
  • Measures to secure that everyone in the organisation understands the system and is prepared to execute his or her responsibilities concerning bribery prevention
  • Adequate assessments of risks posed by counterparties
  • The adequate response to violations related to bribery and corruption
  • There are effective mechanisms for raising concerns about bribery issues, etc.

Having all these measures in place, you’ve already done a great job for your organisation. It will let you tackle bribery and corruption as much as possible.

However, no one will know that you’ve put all these procedures and practices in place. You’ll know yourself, but your prospects and partners won’t. This is where a third party certification comes in handy. Having independent and accredited external experts confirm that you don’t allow corrupt practices at your organisation will boost your reputation. It will send a message to others that you are a reliable business who is here to make a good impact on society, not just for lucrative reasons.

Are you ready for ISO 37001 ABMS? Download our eBook to find out!

Internationally recognised standard

A very important fact to know about the ISO 37001 standard is that the International Organisation for Standardisation has developed it. It is an international standard-setting body that works in 162 countries. When ISO was developing this standard, 67 countries participated, and the ISO 37001 has been recognised and accepted globally. In practice, it’s an effective tool for proving an organisation’s dedication to fighting corruption internally and honestly doing business.

No doubt, getting an ISO 37001 ABMS certification by a third party will provide numerous advantages for your organisation. Reasons why you should get certified include, but are not limited to:

  • An independent third party will confirm that you are compliant with anti-bribery regulations
  • You are going to unite your company for a common goal – tackling bribery and corruption
  • You send a message that you are a serious and reliable business partner who is in the business to make an impact and bring good to society, not just for lucrative reasons
  • You’ll protect your organisation, its assets, shareholders and employees from the devastating effects of corruption
  • A proof that your organisation has taken necessary steps for prevention of bribery and corruption on the organisational level

ABAC® can help you in getting an ISO 37001 ABMS certification and prove your compliance with anti-corruption laws. We, as an accredited certification body, will ensure that you meet the highest ethical standards in doing business.

Consider ISO 37001:2016 ABMS as one of the invaluable tools of your Third-Party Risk Management Strategy. Combined with due diligencebackground screeningbusiness intelligence and compliance solutions, ISO  37001 certification and training can lift your risk management process and help your business mitigate risks from third-party affiliations, protecting your organisation from liability, brand damage and harm to the business.

Provided with CRI Group, a global leader in risk management, due diligence and background screening solutions, 3PRM™ program is flexible and responsive to the various risk domains that are most important to your business. With a network of trained professionals positioned across five continents, CRI Group’s 3PRM™ services utilise one of the largest multi-national fraud investigation teams the industry has to offer.

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About ABAC® Center of Excellence

ABAC® Center of Excellence is an independent certification body powered by CRI Group. ABAC® offers a complete suite of services and solutions designed to educate, equip and support the world’s leading business organisations with the latest best-in-practice risk & performance assessments, systems improvement & standards certification. Find out more about ABAC®!

ABAC® programs protect your organisation from damaging litigation & safeguard your business in the global marketplace by providing certification & training in internationally recognised ISO standards, such as ISO 37001 Anti-Bribery Management SystemsISO 37301 Compliance Management Systems and ISO 31000 Risk Management Systems.

Based in London, CRI Group works with companies across the Americas, Europe, Africa, Middle East and Asia-Pacific as a one-stop international Risk ManagementEmployee Background ScreeningBusiness IntelligenceDue DiligenceCompliance Solutions and other professional Investigative Research solutions provider. We have the largest proprietary network of background screening analysts and investigators across the Middle East and Asia. Our global presence ensures that no matter how international your operations are we have the network needed to provide you with all you need, wherever you happen to be. CRI Group also holds BS 102000:2013 and BS 7858:2012 Certifications, is an HRO certified provider and partner with Oracle. Contact CRI Group today for further information on how CRI Group can help your business.

Free webinar: Combatting Corruption, Fraud and Economic Crime

On 11th March, together with CRI Group,  ABAC® presents the anti-corruption webinar, focused on helping businesses to stay protected from the global pandemic of corruption. This FREE “Protecting your company form the global pandemic of corruption” webinar will provide you with the knowledge to identify how to protect your organisation from global corruption and to critically assess the applicability of several recent legislative guidelines to the proactive mitigation of corruption and bribery in corporate administration across the world. Based on recent Airbus and Rolls-Royce cases of multinational, multi-party bribery, the webinar will dive into the consequences of systemic inadequacy, confirming a paradigm shift in corporate oversight and network risk management.

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Prove That Your Business is Ethical for FREE

Complete our FREE Highest Ethical Business Assessment (HEBA) and evaluate your current Corporate Compliance Program. Find out if your organisation’s compliance program is in the line with worldwide Compliance, Business Ethics, Anti-Bribery and Anti-Corruption Frameworks. Let ABAC® experts prepare a complimentary gap analysis of your compliance program to evaluate if it meets “adequate procedures” requirements under UK Bribery Act, DOJ’s Evaluation of Corporate Compliance Programs Guidance and Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission.

The HEBA survey is designed to evaluate your compliance with the adequate procedures to prevent bribery and corruption across the organisation. This survey is monitored and evaluated by qualified ABAC® professionals with Business Ethics, Legal and Compliance background. The questions are open-ended to encourage a qualitative analysis of your Compliance Program and to facilitate the gap analysis process.

The survey takes around 10 minutes to complete. TAKE THE SURVEY HERE!