Managing Conflict of Interest - Organisation for Economic Co ...

Dealing with conflict-of-interest issues ingovernment and politics: The CanadianexperienceBrian RadfordLegal Counsel, Office of the Public Sector Integrity Commissioner, CanadaPreserving Integrity in the Public Sector: International CommonGroundThe ability to prevent or effectively deal with conflicts of interestis essential to good governance. The link between integrity andgood government, and the resulting need to properly manage conflictsof interest, are international concerns shared by all states. Inits 2003 Guidelines for Managing Conflicts of Interest in the PublicService, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development(OECD) emphasizes this link. The Guidelines read:Serving the public interest is the fundamental mission of governmentsand public institutions. Citizens expect individual publicofficials to perform their duties with integrity, in a fair and unbiasedway. Governments are increasingly expected to ensure thatpublic officials do not allow their private interests and affiliationsto compromise official decision-making and public management.In an increasingly demanding society, inadequately managed conflictsof interest on the part of public officials have the potential toweaken citizen’s trust in public institutions. 1Defining Conflict of InterestConflicts of interest take many forms, ranging from behavior thatdiscredits the individuals concerned, to criminal activities. Whilethere is no single definition of conflict of interest, the Canadian contextdifferentiates between real, potential, and apparent conflicts ofinterest. The Canadian legal framework provides a broad frame of1OECD. 2003. Annex to the Recommendation of the Council on OECD Guidelinesfor Managing Conflicts of Interest in the Public Service. Preface, Article 1.June.ADB/OECD Anti-Corruption Initiative for Asia and the Pacific