On 24 April, the Spanish Association for Standardization, UNE, will publish the new UNE 19601 Standard on Criminal Compliance Management Systems. Requirements with guidance for use, a benchmark for providing organizations with a management model for preventing the commission of crimes within their structure, aligned with the requirements of the Criminal Code and with the best existing international practices.
Originally published in 2017, it has now been revised to adapt to the evolving needs of organizations, align the new version with other relevant market documents, and enhance its content based on insights gained over eight years of implementation.
Javier García, Director General of UNE and Vice-President of ISO, noted that: "Standardization provides an effective response to the challenges of good governance in society and organizations. The new version of the UNE Standard for Criminal Compliance Management Systems, developed with best practices, will strengthen the culture of compliance in Spain and other countries, providing organizations with greater legal certainty and a competitive and reputational advantage".
Among the improvements, the new version of the UNE 19601 Standard aligns the regulation of the roles of the criminal compliance function with modern ISO standards, separates training activities from awareness-raising activities, and streamlines the level of control over financial investments.
It also incorporates changes in the formulation of some of its requirements, with the aim of improving its understanding and usefulness for organizations, taking into account the experience provided by companies, consultants and certification bodies that have worked with the Standard over these eight years.
The body responsible for its revision has been the UNE Committee on Compliance Management Systems and Anti-Corruption Management Systems (CTN-UNE 165 SC3), composed of 25 members representing prominent professionals in compliance, companies, law firms, consulting firms, NGOs, universities, and certification bodies, among others.
This standard sets a precedent and served as a model for other national compliance standards that have emerged in specific areas, such as the UNE 19602, UNE 19603, and UNE 19604 Standards for tax compliance, competition compliance, and labour compliance, respectively.
