Key facts
On 25 November 2020, the Federal Council set an important milestone in the federal government’s fight against corruption with its first anti-corruption strategy for 2021 to 2024 (strategy). An interdepartmental working group on combating corruption (IDWG) has existed for this purpose since 2008. It has developed the strategy with the involvement of business, science and civil society. The IDWG is composed of nine federal units, chaired by the Prosperity and Sustainability Division of the State Secretariat for the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs (FDFA). The strategy contains four visions of an administration that is as corruption-free as possible and of a good international reputation for Switzerland in the fight against corruption. The core element of the strategy is the formulation of 11 goals, and a total of 42 measures which have been defined to achieve them.
At the request of the IDWG chair, the Swiss Federal Audit Office (SFAO) evaluated the implementation status of the strategy between April and September 2024, outside of its annual programme. In doing so, it took into account the existing framework and processes for combating corruption at the federal level and analysed the suitability of the existing organisational structure. Since the strategy was only implemented three years ago, the SFAO has deliberately refrained from evaluating its impact for the time being.
In its analysis, the SFAO came to the conclusion that the new version of the 2025-2028 strategy that is already planned requires significant adjustments. Based on a thorough situation and risk analysis, existing gaps in the legal framework and the public perception of the fight against corruption must be identified. The goal, purpose and ambition of the strategy can then be formulated on this basis. The objectives of the strategy are to be defined in such a way that they are achievable and measurable within the federal government’s sphere of influence. Furthermore, it is important that the responsibilities for implementing the objectives be assigned in a manner which means they are compulsory. The SFAO also sees potential synergies and possible efficiency gains to be made from closer cooperation between the existing committees in the wider area of the federal government’s fight against corruption.