Anti-corruption efforts

As in many other countries, corruption is a problem present also in Finland. Studies show that instead of street-level corruption, Finland is characterised by larger-scale structural corruption that is more difficult to detect. Such corruption often occurs in the interface between the public and the private sectors. High-risk areas for corruption are the construction sector, public procurement and competitive tendering, urban planning, political decision-making, and party and campaign funding. Corruption typically takes the form of giving and accepting undue advantages, conflicts of interest and favouritism.

The Ministry of Justice functions as the national coordinating body for anti-corruption work in Finland. In this capacity, the Ministry coordinates development projects related to the combating and prevention of corruption, supports other authorities in their anti-corruption efforts and coordinates the anti-corruption cooperation network which promotes anti-corruption work at the national level.

The Ministry of Justice also participates in the international cooperation related to the combating and prevention of corruption for example within the framework of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), the Council of Europe, the United Nations, and the European Union. Finland is a state party to the anti-corruption conventions of the above mentioned international organisations, and the Ministry of Justice is the designated central authority for the purposes of these conventions in Finland.

The combating and prevention of corruption require extensive cooperation. In addition to the Ministry of Justice, other key actors in this field are the Ministry of the Interior, the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry for Foreign Affairs as well as the National Prosecution Authority and the court system.