ISO 37001

ISO 37001 is designed to help any type of organization establish, implement, maintain, and improve an anti-bribery management system in accordance with relevant legislation and best-practices.

The standard addresses only bribery, and no other forms of corruption, such as fraud or money laundering, though organizations can choose to include this in the scope of their management system. 

Managing risks associated with bribery and other forms of corruption is vital for organisations to succeed commercially in a sustainable society. ISO 37001 certification can be an effective tool to assure stakeholders that you are taking necessary anti-bribery measures. The nature of ISO certification will help ensure that you work to continually improve your efforts. 

ISO 37001 addresses:

• bribery by the organization, or by its personnel or business associates acting on the organization’s behalf or for its benefit.
• Bribery of the organization, or of its personnel or business associates in relation to the organization’s activities.

ISO 37001 requirements for certification

The standard requires that organizations implement a series of measures and controls in a reasonable and proportionate manner to help prevent, detect, and deal with bribery. Such measures include:

• Anti-bribery policy
• Management leadership, commitment and responsibility
• Personnel controls and training
• Risk assessments
• Due diligence on projects and business associates
• Financial, commercial and contractual controls
• Reporting, monitoring, investigation and review
• Corrective action and continual improvement

Certification to ISO 37001 can support the work with your anti-bribery management system by verifying that the above requirements are addressed, that necessary controls are in place both in your own organization and across your entire value chain and that the company has adequate and proportionate procedures in place to actively prevent bribery.

However, certification to ISO 37001 is not a guarantee that bribery will not occur in your organization. It verifies that you have an anti-bribery management system in place to prevent such situations. 

DNV is an accredited certification body for ISO 37001, and provides certification services globally according to the standard.