Support is being provided to projects that
are committed to joining forces to fight corruption under the "Collective
Action" banner. Collective Action is attracting more and more committed
and well-connected supporters around the world and is playing a key part in
ensuring clean business.
The new project partners will receive
between US$ 800,000 and US$ 2.9 million in funding. As a result, initiatives
will receive funding of up to US$ 30 million in total over a period of three to
five years. More than 140 highly regarded non-profit organizations from about
50 countries have applied for funding.
The Siemens Integrity Initiative is part of
the July 2009 settlement between Siemens and the World Bank and the March 2013
settlement between Siemens and the European Investment Bank (EIB).
"The current funding round continues
the successful work from the first two rounds, in which 55 projects have
already been funded with a volume in excess of
US$ 70 million. It reflects key findings
from the mid-term review conducted at the request of the World Bank with the
independent Canadian evaluator Universalia Management Group. We have been
impressed by the large number of applications and the quality of the
interesting project proposals received from many different countries. We are
delighted to be able to present another portfolio of projects for promoting
fair competition and fighting corruption – a portfolio that is well balanced in
terms of topics and regions," said Sabine Zindera, head of the initiative
and Vice President Legal and Compliance at Siemens.
The application and selection criteria were
set out transparently at
www.siemens.com/integrity-initiative
and published in a press release. An interdisciplinary team of experts from
different regions conducted a careful due diligence exercise before making the
final selection.
Funding will go to international initiatives
and organizations such as:
- the United Nations Global
Compact (UNGC)
- the United Nations Office
on Drugs and Crime (UNODC)
- the Organisation for
Economic Co-Operation and Development (OECD).
These international initiatives and
organizations will cover various countries and regions.
In addition, funding will be provided to local organizations such as:
- the Basel Institute on Governance, Switzerland
- the Beijing New Century Academy on Transnational Corporations (NATC), China
- the Ethics Institute with a focus on South Africa and Mozambique, South Africa
- the Eurocham, Ivory Coastthe
- Polmed Association, Poland
- the TEID Ethics & Reputation Society, Turkey
- the Bulgarian Chapter of Transparency International, Bulgaria
- the Vienna University of Economics and Business with a focus on tax law, Austria.
Both the balance of the range topics covered
and the regional distribution of funding were considered when selecting
projects. To further diversify the portfolio, the Third Funding Round has
focused on projects with activities in the Adriatic region, Angola, Argentina,
Brazil, China, Colombia, Egypt, India, Indonesia, Iraq, Iran, Ivory Coast,
Kenya, Korea, Libya, Morocco, Mozambique, Myanmar, Nigeria, Pakistan, Russia,
Saudi Arabia, Spain, South Africa, Syria, Tunisia, Turkey, Ukraine and the
United Arab Emirates.
As part
of the settlement between Siemens and the World Bank, the World Bank has the
right to audit the use of US$ 100 million in funding over a period of 15 years,
beginning in 2009. It can also use its veto right over Siemens' selection of
projects and organizations receiving funds. As part of the agreement between
Siemens and the European Investment Bank (€13.64 million over five years,
beginning in 2013), the EIB has the right to review and provide a
“no-objection” to the projects proposed.
The First Funding Round, which committed a
sum of around US$ 37.7 million, was launched in December 2009, followed by the
Second Round with US$ 35.554 million in March 2013.
In the period extending into 2020, Siemens
AG will be announcing further projects selected in the Third Funding Round.
These projects will also be published at
www.siemens.com/integrity-initiative.
In addition to the Annual Reports for the First and Second Funding Rounds, this
website also provides access to the independent 2017 mid-term review and to the
profiles of all promoted projects and to further information about the
selection process.