ABSTRACT
Coming into force in 1999, the OECD Convention on Combating Bribery of Foreign Public Officials in International Business Transactions is a landmark treaty, defining key terms and developing a criminal legal framework for addressing the supply side of the bribery of foreign public officials. To understand the objectives
of the Convention, it is necessary to review the role of the OECD (the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development). The OECD promotes policies that contribute to economic growth and development. Founded in 1961, the OECD is a membership organisation for governments from 34 countries (for a full list of member countries, see footnote 3, on page 37). The OECD has made a significant contribution to corporate responsibility (CR) by developing several principles relating to corporate responsibility, including the OECD Principles of Corporate Governance (see Chapter 18) and the OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises (see Chapter 2).
