Introduction
The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development Convention is an intergovernmental agreement, which leads 30 member countries and eight non-member states in the discussion and the introduction of anti-corruption laws. For over a decade, the OECD has remained a primary instrument in the struggle against bribery and extortion on a global scale (Gilbert & Sharman, 2016). So far, the organization has reached significant progress in matters of legislation and the regulation of international business. However, the implementation of the mentioned anti-bribery program is often accompanied by obstacles and challenges that emerge on both local and external levels. Thus, the need to overcome these constantly reoccurring barriers turns a chosen organizational course of action into a difficult policy to implement.
Difficulties in the Implementation of Anti-Corruption Policy Initiated by the OECD
The incidence of bribery is the first factor to consider when analyzing the effectiveness of a discussed action plan and the challenges it may face. As Gilbert and Sharman (2016) admit, signatory countries are currently involved in the investigation of more than 250 cases of crime, which restrains their progress in the further development of policy principles. Along with the mentioned issue, the members of the organization come across the problem of interrelation between the enforcement of law and the coordination of local authorities work. Moene and Søreide (2016) point out that “small local differences in honesty and cooperation may lead to large differencineffectiveive law enforcement and in actual levels of corruption” (p. 147). This statement proves that although high penalties may reduce the occurrence of bribery in some situations, they are still capable of exacerbating the problem and reinforcing corruption schemes in others.
Raising awareness about foreign bribery is yet another challenge to overcome for the convention parties. Recent reports show that the efforts of the members to deliver information about international corruption are often insufficient (Malgwi, 2016). Many corporations remain unaware that foreign bribery is prohibited by law. Reaching small and medium-size businesses represents one of the major difficulties since the number of new enterprises is continually increasing. Detecting criminal activity within their hierarchy poses even more barriers for the organization in fighting corruption.
One last issue to add is the limited resources that law enforcement bodies usually have at their disposal when investigating corrupt practices. A lack of funds, as well as the occurring personnel gaps, prevent the authorities from treating the cases of extortion with determination and force them to refer to nonintervention tactics. This “pattern of willful blindness toward major violations of the OECD Anti-Bribery Convention” questions the efficiency of the discussed crime prevention program and undermines the overall organization’s political weight (Gilbert & Sharman, 2016, p. 74). In its turn, it makes the implementation of a discussed policy a complex task to fulfill.
Conclusion
The policy that the OECD attempts to implement is often subject to criticism from many experts in the sphere of international law. Such factors as the lack of awareness, limited resources, and increasing incidence of violations pose multiple challenges for the members of the organization in their struggle against foreign bribery and extortion. For the prosecutions of corruption cases to have positive outcomes, commitment at a political level is required. Once the convention parties withdraw from the applied strategy of non-interference, their policy will start facing fewer barriers.
References
Gilbert, J. A., & Sharman, J. C. (2016). Turning a blind eye to bribery: Explaining failures to comply with the international anti-corruption regime. Political Studies, 64(1), 74-89.
Malgwi, C. A. (2016). Corollaries of corruption and bribery on international business. Journal of Financial Crime, 23(4), 948-964.
Moene, K., & Søreide, T. (2016). Corruption control. Crime, Law and Social Change, 66(2), 147-163.