The Basel Institute on Governance as a governance brand

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Part E, Chapter III introduced the Basel Institute on Governance from the perspective of anti-money laundering law. It described the founding of the Institute in 2003 under the leadership of Mark Pieth, the International Centre for Asset Recovery and the Basel AML Index. The present section looks at the same institution from a different angle. Its interest here lies in the way the Institute has carried the name of the city into the wider field of public governance, anti-corruption policy and integrity in business, and in the way it has turned "Basel" into a reference for good governance in countries that have no connection with Swiss banking.¹

The Institute describes itself as an independent non-profit organisation dedicated to countering corruption and other financial crimes and to strengthening governance around the world. It is an associated institute of the University of Basel, a status that links it to the academic community of the city while preserving its autonomy. Its work is organised in several divisions or programmes, which in recent years have included asset recovery, public governance, collective action, green corruption and a programme on governance research and the Basel AML Index. The organisation is financed by a mix of grants from governments and development agencies, contributions from foundations, fees for services and income from projects with companies. The governments of Switzerland, the United Kingdom, Norway, Liechtenstein, Jersey and the United States have appeared among its donors at various times.²

The Institute's staff has grown from a small team to an organisation of considerable size, with specialists working in Basel and in partner countries in Africa, Latin America, Eastern Europe and Asia. A considerable part of its work takes place far from the Rhine, in ministries of finance, prosecutors' offices and financial intelligence units that receive advice and training. The effect on the name of the city is similar to that of the Basel Mission two centuries earlier. Officials in Tanzania, Peru, Ukraine or Malawi encounter "Basel" as the name of a partner that helps them strengthen their institutions.³

Notes

On the Basel Institute on Governance (founded 2003, Mark Pieth, International Centre for Asset Recovery, Basel AML Index), see Part E, Chapter III, and the annual reports of the Basel Institute on Governance. To be verified. ↩
On the self-description, the status as associated institute of the University of Basel, the divisions and programmes and the sources of funding of the Basel Institute on Governance, see its annual reports and the information published on its website. Details of donors and organisational structure to be verified. ↩
On the growth of the staff of the Basel Institute on Governance and its activities in partner countries, see its annual reports. Figures and country examples to be verified. ↩

For general information only. This article does not constitute legal or tax advice, does not replace advice on an individual case and creates no lawyer-client relationship. It reflects the legal position as of August 2025.

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The Basel Institute on Governance as a governance brand

Notes

Setting up or expanding in Switzerland?