Collective Action

What is Collective Action and why is it important?
Collective action is an important tool to help the private sector take proactive steps to tackle corruption. Tackling systemic integrity challenges requires collective action, with companies joining forces and sharing information and approaches, but also engaging governments and civil society. The essence of the MACN collective action approach is that successful, lasting changes in the operating environment will take effect only if they are enabled and supported by and beneficial to key stakeholders. Through collective action, MACN members work in partnership with local authorities to develop solutions that are both beneficial to all and realistic to implement.

In MACN collective action projects, member companies unite with stakeholders including port and customs authorities, NGOs, and local governments to undertake root cause analyses and then implement a range of ’recommended actions’ that tackle corruption in ports and across the maritime supply chain.

What are the outcomes?
MACN’s collective actions have generated major outcomes, including for example: reductions in demands for facilitation payments in the Suez Canal; new regulations in Argentina that make it more difficult for officials to demand bribes (www.youtu.be/leWE3ebfuLE); and improved ease of operations in Nigerian ports, with the implementation of standardized operating procedures and grievance mechanisms.