Monthly Archives

March 2013

Mar 26
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Asian Development Bank’s crack down on fraud and corruption

By | Bribery, Debarment, Multilateral Development Banks, News | No Comments

The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has recently published its Annual Report that highlights the Bank’s continuing determination to crack down on bribery, fraud and corruption relating to the projects that it finances.

The Bank has announced an increase in its success in combating corruption and fraud.  The Bank puts this increase down to the measures that ADB’s Office of Anticorruption and Integrity (OAI) has put in place to help stop, reduce and monitor anti-integrity, money laundering and other corrupt practices. The report states that in 2012 OAI received 240 complaints, opened 114 new investigations, with sanctions imposed on 42 firms and 38 individuals.

Bretton Woods Law firmly believes that prevention is better than cure, and works with a number of companies that are involved with projects funded by the multilateral development banks, creating and/or improving their internal compliance mechanisms.  Bretton Woods Law has the experience and expertise to put Whistleblower programmes into place and to prepare companies for entry into Voluntary Disclosure Programmes of the kind operated by the World Bank Group, which enable these companies to monitor their staff’s actions and stop corrupt practices occurring before they start. The Asian Development Bank’s report mentions “several major international firms working on ADB-assisted projects voluntarily reported integrity violations to OAI after internal company audits.”  Proving that internal compliance procedures really do have a positive role to play in helping a company protect its interests.

Bretton Woods Law specialises in offering valuable advice and assistance to companies who have been accused of suspected fraud and corruption and are being threatened with possible debarment. Through their skill and experience they can offer these companies a range of appropriate solutions to help defend their interests via resolution or settlement agreements.

Read Bretton Woods Law’s advice on how to avoid sanctions and debarment, or contact your nearest office if you are in need of immediate help and guidance.

Mar 22
0

Bretton Woods Law International Administrative Law seminar at PAHO draws top international civil servants from the Americas

By | Administrative Law, Centre of Excellence, Civil Servants, Employment Disputes, International Administrative Law, News | No Comments

On 28th February, Bretton Woods Law held a seminar at the behest of PAHO (Pan-American Health Organisation) on International Administrative Law – the employment law of international civil servants. The seminar drew 50 attendees from around the Americas, including senior Staff Association members as well as doctors and other medical professionals.

The topics in the agenda were wide and varied and included: clarity of the law, confidentiality of proceedings and the role of lawyers for the organisation. However the point that seemed to cause the most debate was Staff Associations – their independence, the need for dues, industrial action & retaliation.

Some of those present expressed their fear of approaching Staff Associations to discuss their concerns and joining class actions for fear of retaliation and reprisal. There was also an in-depth discussion on the fact that even if employees win their case, they will not automatically be awarded their legal fees – which along with the fear of retaliation creates a strong barrier to some international civil servants taking their grievances to a tribunal.

It was of course agreed that the present situation is unfair and untenable, and change needed to happen, particularly a confidential forum where international civil servants could share their views and experiences without fear of reprisal and retaliation.

In view of these concerns, Bretton Woods Law was delighted to have the opportunity of inviting all attendees to apply for membership to the International Administrative Law Centre of Excellence , a forum whose primary aim is to assist in the global development and improvement of International Administrative Law.

The Centre of Excellence has also been designed to create just what these international civil servants need  – a confidential arena in which they can, without fear, freely express their concerns and views. It is hoped that from these shared experiences, new and thought provoking ideas and concepts will emerge, which, together with promoting international best practices, will enhance and significantly improve the employment law of international organisations worldwide.

 

If you are an International Civil Servant, who wants to help change your employment law, apply today for membership to the International Administrative Law Centre of Excellence.

Mar 13
0

Bretton Woods Law welcomes their new International Organisations Law specialist

By | Administrative Law, Bribery, Employment Disputes, International Administrative Law, News | No Comments

Antje Kunst, who has recently joined Bretton Woods Law, is the perfect fit for this team of International Organisations Law experts, as she bring with her many years of experience working for the United Nations.

Antje, who has worked at the United Nations for 11 years, 5 and a half years of which were spent  at the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA), has an impressive background in matters that relate exactly to Bretton Woods Law’s areas of expertise. These include employment issues relating to international civil servants, anti-corruption cases, and drafting procedures and internal policies for international organisations.

Antje comments: “I was looking to expand my horizons outside of Germany where I have been based for the last three years and wanted to have  experience again with  an internationally focussed law firm  preferably working on issues related to international organisations and so one day I googled: ‘law firms that specialise in International Organisations Law’ and Bretton Woods Law came out top. I looked at their website and liked their integrated approach.”

As an active member of Transparency International in Germany Antje was also keen to continue to draw on her anti-corruption experience. In the past she worked for the founder of Transparency International on an initiative aimed at supporting governments of natural resource-rich countries with national resources contracts,  helping  to overcome corrupt activities in the sector, and ultimately  benefiting the companies who are concluding these contracts with the governments. So it came as an added bonus that Bretton Woods Law advises companies working on projects funded by multilateral development banks, which have been accused of fraud and sanctionable practices.

Antje might have left the United Nations behind her, but it seems her new position with Bretton Woods Law will keep her right at the heart of international organisations for the foreseeable future.

Mar 13
0

2nd Geneva seminar on International Administrative Law

By | Administrative Law, Civil Servants, Employment Disputes, IAL Seminars, International Administrative Law, News | No Comments

Following the success last month of our first Geneva International Administrative Law (IAL) seminar, we have decided, due to popular demand, to hold a second seminar on Wednesday 27th March 2013 and we would like to offer you a complimentary invitation.

Attendees will again benefit from free expert advice from legal specialists, as well as being able to share their own views and opinions with their peers on the following topics:

  1. Effectiveness of internal justice system
  2. Clarity of the law
  3. Confidentiality of proceedings
  4. Staff associations (independence, the need for dues, industrial action & retaliation)
  5. Executive heads reviewing the lawfulness of their own decisions
  6. The role of lawyers for the organisation
  7. Mandatory mediation
  8. The ethics functionCase studies of common staff grievances and how to successfully litigate
  9. Improving IAL (codification of IAL principles, uniform internal justice mechanism, legal expenses insurance for all international civil servants, one Global AT etc)

Join us on 27th March at the Hotel Intercontinental 7-9 Chemin Du Petit-Saconnex Geneva, 1211.

  • Registration: 9.00am
  • Lunch: 1pm
  • Seminar closes: 3.30

Register here

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