ICC 2022 Guidelines on Whistleblowing

Providing practical guidance to help enterprises establish and implement a Whistleblowing Management System, the ICC 2022 Guidelines on Whistleblowing are a revision of the first, 2008 version of these ICC Guidelines. They incorporate current practice of ICC member enterprises across a wide range of sectors and jurisdictions worldwide. The 2022 edition aligns with key international legal instruments as well as global standards and best practice such as the 2021 ISO 37002 Guidelines on Whistleblowing Management Systems and the 2019 European Directive on Whistleblower Protection.

Employees of an Enterprise and those in close contact with them are often the first to recognize a potential wrongdoing or risk of harm.  Whistleblowing is the act of reporting a potential wrongdoing

A well-functioning and trusted whistleblowing management system supports Enterprises’ ambitions for sound risk management, internal control and effective compliance, and promotes a culture of transparency, integrity and accountability.

The ICC 2022 Whistleblowing Guidelines make clear that there is no “one-size-fits-all” solution and that the Whistleblowing Management System must be made part of the cultural environment and the governance of the Enterprise.

Underscoring that non-retaliation against the whistleblower is the bedrock for an effective and trusted whistleblowing system, the ICC Guidelines help enterprises evaluate whether to allow anonymous reporting, whether to accept reporting by third parties and/or the general public and other criteria.