Recognising the role of whistleblowing in corruption-fighting efforts, many countries have pledged to enact whistleblower protection laws through international conventions. And, ever more governments, corporations and non-profit organisations around the world are putting whistleblower procedures in place. It is essential, however, that these policies provide accessible disclosure channels for whistleblowers, meaningfully protect whistleblowers from all forms of retaliation, and ensure that the information they disclose can be used to advance needed reforms.
To help ensure that whistleblowers are afforded proper protection and disclosure opportunities, the principles presented here serve as guidance for formulating new and improving existing whistleblower legislation. They should be adapted to an individual country’s political, social and cultural contexts, and to its existing legal frameworks. They take into account lessons learned from existing laws and their implementation in practice, and have been shaped by input from whistleblower experts, government officials, academia, research institutes and NGOs from all regions. These principles will be updated and refined as experiences with legislation and practices continue to unfold.
