Corruption represents a significant cost to the economy and a brake on the competitiveness of our country's manufacturing system.In Transparency International's 2024 Corruption Perceptions Index, Italy achieved a score of 54 out of 100, placing it 52nd out of 180 countries: a slight decline compared to 2023, but part of a progressive improvement curve, begun in 2012, which demonstrates a growing focus on integrity and transparency.
Confirming this trend, data from the latest ISO Survey 2024 , published in October 2025, highlight that Italy ranks first in the world for the number of accredited certifications according to the ISO 37001 “Anti-bribery management systems” standard , with 2,788 certificates issued and 7,576 certified sites.
In this context, bodies accredited according to ISO/IEC 17021-1 can help strengthen, through certifications for the new revision of UNI ISO 37001:2025 , the effectiveness of companies' and organizations' anti-corruption management systems and their alignment with international best practices.
What's new in leadership, integration, and measurement?
The 2025 edition of UNI ISO 37001 introduces a Updated framework for accredited certification in the field of corruption prevention as a governance and trust tool for businesses and institutions.Accredited bodies that certify management systems in accordance with the new version foster an organizational approach to risk management that further enhances leadership accountability and transparency in decision-making processes.
The new certification path also facilitates integration with other management system standards, particularly ISO 9001 and ISO 37301, through:
- promoting a consistent approach to quality, compliance and organizational ethics
- Strengthening the link between strategic objectives and organizational behaviors.
Accreditation as a guarantee of integrity and reputation
The accredited certification according to UNI ISO 37001 affirms the centrality of the culture of integrity as the foundation of every organization , transforming corruption prevention from an episodic intervention to an integral part of the management system.Upstream, accreditation guarantees the competence and independence of certification bodies, ensuring that assessments are conducted according to clear, verifiable, and recognized criteria.
In this way, certified organizations demonstrate that they have control processes in place that are proportionate to their risks , constant monitoring tools , and effective procedures for preventing violations and conflicts of interest.
Certified companies can equip themselves with a new strategic lever to consolidate their credibility and reputation, while reducing the legal, economic, and reputational risks associated with non-compliant behavior.
International recognition of corporate responsibility
The value of accredited certification extends beyond national borders, thanks to the fact that Accredia is a signatory to all the Multilateral Agreements (MLA) managed in Europe by the European Co-operation for Accreditation (EA) and worldwide by the International Accreditation Forum (IAF).The EA and IAF MLA ensure that accredited certifications issued in this area in Italy enjoy mutual international recognition, guaranteeing their full validity in all major economies worldwide.
In this way, the accredited certification to the new UNI ISO 37001 standard allows companies to operate in global contexts with comparable and transparent guarantees, strengthening the competitiveness of the Italian production system and promoting a culture of responsibility as a structural element of the country's economic development. (Source: https://www.accredia.it/ )