Rio de Janeiro law demonstrates

The time is quickly coming to an end when companies could expect to be successful in business without having a strong emphasis on compliance and ethics. The latest evidence of that is the fact that in Brazil, which has been stricken with high-profile fraud scandals in recent years, a new rule requires any companies doing business with the state of Rio de Janeiro to implement an integrity program.

This goes a clear step further than more broad regulations that require compliance programs as a factor of consideration. The Rio de Janeiro law mandates that companies have such programs in place if they contract with the state, or face legal consequences.

According to an article at Global Compliance News, “Brazil: New mandatory compliance programs between companies and Rio de Janeiro State,” the new measure has the following aims:

The law sets forth that its goal is to protect the public administration from irregularities, guarantee that the contracts are executed in compliance with the applicable laws, minimise risks, bring more transparency to contracts and improve the quality of contractual relations.

The law follows the Brazilian Anti-Bribery Law, and “mandates the existence of a compliance program in companies which enter into contracts, partnerships, concessions, or public-private partnerships, with the public administration of the state of Rio de Janeiro, in amounts higher than the legal threshold for the public tender category of competitive tender …” It applies to the following:

• Business organisations and sole proprietorships, incorporated or not, regardless of the type of organisation or the corporate model adopted.
• Foundations, associations of entities or persons.
• Foreign companies with headquarters, branch or representation in the Brazilian territory, incorporated legally or not, even if temporarily.

There is no reason to think that the State of Rio de Janeiro will be the last to institute a strict law of this nature. That is just one of the reasons why CRI Group is helping organisations around the world develop and enhance their own compliance and due diligence programs.

Our CRI Certification program provides certification and continuous training to constantly enhance your knowledge and expand your employees’ skills and understanding of third-party risk management, compliance, anti-bribery and anti-corruption methods and best practices, and helps you stay in compliance with international laws and regulations, as well as local rules such as Rio de Janeiro’s mandatory compliance requirement.

Accredited certification and training

CRI’s Certification body, ABAC Center of Excellence, provides certification and training to businesses seeking to validate or expand their existing compliance frameworks by implementing the latest in best practice due diligence processes and procedures necessary for pursuing and maintaining global third-party affiliations.

• ISO 37001:2016 Anti-Bribery Management System Certification
• ISO 31000:2009 Risk Management Standard
• ISO 19600:2014 Compliance Management Standard

ISO 37001 Training options

The ABAC Center of Excellence is made up of experienced experts that have tailored many of the world’s prominent standards and our tutors will turn you into a professional in embedding it to boost your company to its peak in performance. At ABAC Center of Excellence, we provide you training to constantly enhance your knowledge and task your agents to improve more with following subjects:

• ISO 37001:2016 Lead Auditor Training
• ISO 37001:2016 Internal Auditor Training
• ISO 37001:2016 Introductory Course
• ISO 37001:2016 Impact on Business

ISO 37001 Benefits to You

• Provides training with cutting-edge methods and best practices for your team
• Curriculum is tailored to your organisation’s needs, and on your schedule
• Increases your organisation’s reputation and transparency among stakeholders and partners

Be proactive in keeping your organisation ahead of the curve with new laws and regulations everywhere – and anywhere – you conduct business. Contact ABAC Center of Excellence today and learn how we can help.