Principles for managing ethics in the public service. OECD recommendation

Increased concern about decline of confidence in government and corruption has prompted governments to review their approaches to ethical conduct. In response to this challenge, the Public Management Committee agreed to a set of Principles for Managing Ethics in the Public Service to help countries review the institutions, systems and mechanisms they have for promoting public service ethics. These principles, which are listed in the document, identify the functions of guidance, management and control against which public ethics management systems can be checked. Among those twelve principles, one can mention the following: ethical guidance should be available to public servants; the decision-making process should be transparent and open to scrutiny; there should be clear guidelines for interaction between the public and the private sectors. All of them draw on the experience of OECD countries, and reflect shared views of sound ethics management. They are intended to be an instrument for countries to adapt to national conditions.