Anti-Corruption: TUV Rheinland Certifies Companies to ISO 37001

Management system helps companies to take systematic action against corruption and mitigate risks / TUV Rheinland certification documents appropriate action against corruption

COLOGNE, Germany, Dec. 17, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- TUV Rheinland has received accreditation for auditing and certification procedures in accordance with ISO 37001 and is now certifying companies worldwide in accordance with the anti-corruption standard. ISO 37001 is the first global standard for an anti-corruption management system. The requirements of the standard help companies to introduce processes, continuously improve them and thus systematically prevent corruption. If a company has set up a management system in accordance with ISO 37001, it can now be audited by TUV Rheinland and certified following a successful audit process. This makes it clear that the company is taking action against corruption with a globally recognized standard.

Fighting corruption risks

"Bribery is unfortunately a worldwide phenomenon with serious consequences for society and the economy. Companies and organizations of all types and sizes can actively fight corruption and the associated negative effects by establishing a management system in accordance with ISO 37001," explains Erich Grünes, who is responsible at TUV Rheinland for the certification of management systems to combat corruption. Companies are able to mitigate their risks by auditing and subsequently certifying their anti-corruption management systems. This way, they also document the fact that they have taken appropriate measures to prevent bribery. "This is an important signal not just to customers, business partners or investors, but also to the companies' employees," says Grünes.

Diverse requirements of ISO 37001

In order to meet the requirements of ISO 37001, companies or organizations must implement a variety of measures. For example, these include having an anti-corruption policy, monitoring and training employees accordingly and holding management staff accountable. If projects or business partners are exposed to more than a minor risk of corruption, these risks must be carefully examined in a due diligence process.

For certification, appointed auditors from TUV Rheinland use an audit procedure to check whether all the requirements of ISO 37001 have been met. "Great importance is attached to independent certification by us – especially in countries or industries that are subject to high corruption risks," says Erich Grünes.

More information on ISO 37001 and certification by TUV Rheinland can be found at www.tuv.com/Antibribery