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The standard UNE-ISO 37001 establishes requirements and provides guidance for implementing, maintaining, reviewing and improving an anti-bribery management system applicable to all types of organisations, regardless of type, size and nature of activity.
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Among the improvements, the new version incorporates the integration of a culture of compliance, reinforces the handling of conflicts of interest and includes the consideration of climate matters when designing the management system.
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88 countries participated in the review, including Spain, through UNE, the national representative in ISO.
Madrid, 28 July 2025. The Spanish Association for Standardization, UNE, has published the new Spanish version of the standard UNE-ISO 37001 Anti-bribery management systems — Requirements with guidance for use which, since its publication for the first time in 2017, has become an international benchmark for combating bribery in organisations.The UNE-ISO 37001 standard is now a more necessary tool than ever. Bribery is a widespread phenomenon that undermines good governance, hinders development, and distorts competition. It is one of the most complex problems facing organisations and governments around the world. Transparency International's 2024 Corruption Perceptions Index (the most commonly used corruption index worldwide) reveals that two-thirds of the countries included in the index score high on corruption perceptions and that most countries have not improved significantly in recent years.
The Standard specifies requirements and provides guidance for implementing, maintaining, reviewing and improving an anti-bribery management system applicable to all types of organisations, regardless of type, size and nature of activity, whether in the public, private or non-profit sectors. The established system can also be integrated into a global management system.
The document was reviewed by the international committee ISO/TC 309 Governance of organisations, comprising a total of 88 countries (59 participants and 29 observers), with the aim to align the text with the new ISO Harmonised Structure for management system standards and the new compliance standards, and to proceed with the introduction of improvements. This included Spain, through UNE, the national representative within the International Organization for Standardization (ISO).
The translation of the Standard into Spanish has been approved by the ISO/TMG/Spanish Translation Management Group, comprised of 17 Spanish-speaking countries and responsible for overseeing all official translations of ISO Standards into Spanish.
Improvements
Among the improvements, the new version incorporates the integration of a culture of compliance, now considered a critical element in the success or failure of the management system. Culture was mentioned in the previous version, but now it plays a leading role, as in the rest of the rules of compliance.
Also noteworthy is the way in which the new text reinforces conflicts of interest. Because this is an element that can compromise ethical decision-making and governance, it requires greater awareness and the ability to respond to it at all levels of the organisation.
It also incorporates climate issues into the design of the management system, a highly relevant aspect considering that corruption can play a devastating role in managing the climate crisis and jeopardise funds intended for environmental protection. The requirement to consider climate issues in the design of management systems is an element required by ISO as part of the roll-out of ISO's London Declaration, a formal commitment to climate action signed in 2021 that aims to align ISO standards with global sustainability and climate objectives.
The implementation of UNE-ISO 37001 helps prevent, detect and respond to bribery, and improves the organisation's reputation and trust among its internal and external stakeholders.
According to the ISO Survey on management systems (The ISO Survey), Spain is the ninth country in the world with the highest number of workplaces that have implemented and certified the UNE-ISO 37001 standard, with 543.
