According to the OECD Working Group on Bribery in International Business Transactions, Colombia must urgently reform its foreign bribery framework and enforcement mechanisms. The group’s recently released Phase 4 Report highlights significant deficiencies that have persisted over time, raising concerns about the country’s commitment to combatting corruption in line with international standards.
The report indicates that Colombia has progressively disengaged from its obligations under the OECD Convention on Combating Bribery of Foreign Public Officials in International Business Transactions. Although the country has sanctioned a legal entity for foreign bribery, it has not prosecuted any individuals for such offenses, with detection levels remaining alarmingly low.
Concerns Over Legal Framework and Enforcement
The OECD Working Group emphasizes that mutual legal assistance mechanisms in Colombia are poorly coordinated and underutilized. These issues contribute to ongoing risks regarding the independence of investigations and prosecutions related to foreign bribery. A significant concern is the lack of protection for whistleblowers, which has hampered efforts to report corrupt activities effectively. Additionally, the report notes the fragmentation of agencies tasked with detecting, investigating, and prosecuting foreign bribery, which complicates collaborative efforts in addressing the issue.
The Working Group, comprising 46 countries, has completed its Phase 4 evaluation, which began in 2016 and includes an assessment of Colombia’s specific challenges and achievements. The findings identify several areas where the country can enhance its effectiveness in preventing, detecting, and enforcing foreign bribery laws.
Positive Developments in Anti-Bribery Efforts
Despite the challenges outlined, the report does acknowledge positive developments in Colombia’s approach to combatting foreign bribery. Notably, Bancóldex, the development bank of Colombia, has fully implemented all outstanding recommendations from previous phases of evaluation. Furthermore, Colombia has established a system of compliance checks for anti-money laundering measures, imposing sanctions on private sector entities that fail to adhere to these preventive protocols. This initiative is expected to encourage reporting entities to submit suspicious activity reports more diligently, thereby increasing the likelihood of detecting foreign bribery incidents.
The report serves not only as an evaluation of Colombia’s progress but also as a roadmap for future improvements. Colombia is scheduled to report back to the Working Group in December 2027 regarding its implementation of the recommendations outlined in the Phase 4 Report. An interim report outlining an action plan for five high-priority recommendations will be submitted in December 2026.
Established in 1994, the OECD Working Group on Bribery oversees the implementation of the OECD Anti-Bribery Convention and associated instruments. Through a rigorous peer-review monitoring mechanism, it aims to promote integrity and transparency in international business transactions.
