Anti-Corruption in Development Cooperation

Preventing and combating corruption as part of promoting good governance is a major goal of Austrian Development Cooperation. Based on international standards, such as the Paris Declaration on Aid Effectiveness, the final document of the High Level Forum in Busan, the UN Convention against Corruption (UNCAC) or the OECD DAC Principles for Donor Action in Anti-Corruption, Austria is engaged in both internally and externally preventing and combating corruption.In-house corruption prevention

In-house corruption prevention

In-house, Austrian Development Cooperation has taken comprehensive precautions for preventing and combating corruption, including:
- Transparency, e.g. publication of allocated funds
- Commitment of the Austrian Development Agency (ADA to the UN Global Compact)
- Our Code of Conduct & Directive on Personal Benefits and Conflicts of Interest
- Whistleblowing System with (anonymous) reporting channels to our Integrity Officers and to the External Ombudsperson
- Regular training of our employees
- Multiple control principle when awarding assistance, declaration of independence and impartiality as well as evaluation committee in calls for tender and funding commissions for individual grants
- Anti-corruption clauses in ADA contracts (General Terms and Conditions) and in budget support; questionnaire/checklist for quality assurance in programmes and projects
- Checking the financial & factual correctness of projects
- Internal audit, auditing of balance sheets and/or annual financial statements and court of audit control, external audit, OECD (Anti-Bribery Convention)

External anti-corruption level 

Austrian Development Cooperation is also engaged in the external prevention and control of corruption in the priority countries:
- Strengthening capacities of governments and civil-society organisations in Africa and in South Eastern Europe in combating corruption and their contribution to implementing the UN Convention against Corruption 
​​​​​​​- Support to the International Organisation of Supreme Audit Institutions (INTOSAI)

By supporting the Global Compact of the United Nations and the Business Anti-Corruption Portal (BACP), ADA contributes to preventing corruption in the private sector. ADA is also actively engaged in international, donor-harmonising processes, particularly the Anti-Corruption Task Team located at the OECD Development Assistance Committee.