Silknodes is committed to ethical business practices.
Suggestions that Silknodes Limited is linked to corruption can be damaging to reputation – undermining the morale of staff and the trust and support of beneficiaries, partners, the wider public and investors.
Corruption also poses legal risks both for the organisation and individuals involved.
Finally, corruption has been identified as one of the strongest predictors of poverty in Africa.
We must act, and be seen to act, in a way that is honest and transparent.
This policy supports existing partnership policies and standards, reinforcing Silknodes Limited’s commitment to foster an organizational culture in which corruption is never acceptable. It further clarifies standards of conduct for the prevention of corruption and provides a common foundation for the development of procedures to manage Silknodes Limited’s corruption risk across the partnership.
POLICY: Policy statement
- Corruption on the part of any Silknodes Limited employee, board member or volunteer (collectively “Silknodes Limited Persons”) or any third party (consultant, vendor, partners, etc.) in their engagement with Silknodes entities, is prohibited.
- No Silknodes Limited Person, or any third party acting on behalf of Silknodes Limited or dealing with Silknodes Limited, shall offer to pay a bribe, or pay a bribe, nor shall they solicit the payment of a bribe, or accept a bribe in conjunction with any aspect of Silknodes Limited’s activities.
- Payments otherwise prohibited should be considered only if there is immediate threat to personal safety in which case the payment must be immediately reported to management and clearly identified in the accounting records as such.
- All Silknodes Limited entities will perform a corruption risk assessment to inform the development of a corruption aware workforce and foster an organizational culture in which corruption is never acceptable.
- All Silknodes Limited entities will ensure employees, board members, volunteers, and third parties that engage with Silknodes Limited are made aware of the Anti- corruption Policy.
- All Silknodes Limited entities will implement a “whistleblower” policy and procedures to provide employees, board members, volunteers, and third parties with a mechanism to report evidence of misconduct, including corruption, and to encourage such reporting.
- All Silknodes Limited entities will develop a corruption response plan documenting how incidents will be investigated, reported and closed.
- Employees of Silknodes Limited who commit a corrupt act, fail to report knowledge of corruption or fail to manage the risk of corruption will be subject to disciplinary action up to and including termination of employment.
Members of our board who fail to comply with this policy are subject to removal. Third parties who fail to comply with this policy will have their agreements and/or contracts with Silknodes Limited terminated. Silknodes Limited may also seek restitution or prosecution or other legal remedies.
- Silknodes Limited entities will immediately report all instances of suspected and actual corruption to the local governing board, where one exists (except in cases where the allegation is directed at that body), which is responsible and accountable for ensuring the incident is investigated appropriately.
- SCOPE: Each entity in any Silknodes Limited Partnership will ensure that it implements this policy
either by referencing it directly, or by adopting its own local policy which is in accordance with this policy and any management policy that supports it. - DEFINITIONS: Corruption is defined as ‘the abuse of entrusted power for gain’. It includes practices such as bribery, fraud, extortion, collusion and money laundering. It also includes an offer or receipt of any gift, loan, fee, reward, or other advantage to or from any person as an inducement to do something that is dishonest, illegal, or a breach of trust in the conduct of the organization’s activities. This may include cash or in-kind benefits, such as free goods, gifts, and holidays, or special personal services provided for the purpose of an improper advantage or that may result in moral pressure to receive such an advantage.1 Occasional minor gifts and entertainment should be handled in accordance with the applicable Conflicts of Interest Policy or other related policies.
- It is noted that the United States, United Kingdom, and other countries have adopted laws prohibiting the bribery of government officials, and in some cases commercial bribery as well, even when such activity is conducted in other countries. Violations of the anti-bribery laws can lead to costly enforcement actions, damage to the organization’s reputation, and civil and criminal fines and penalties (including imprisonment) against both the individuals involved and the organization.
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