Anti-bribery management · ABMS
ISO 37001:2025
Requirements and guidance for an anti-bribery management system to prevent, detect and respond to bribery and comply with anti-bribery laws. The 2025 edition adds anti-bribery culture and conflicts of interest.
1 What it covers
ISO 37001 covers bribery in public, private and not-for-profit settings, direct and indirect, by and against the organisation. Typical controls include an anti-bribery policy, an anti-bribery compliance function, bribery risk assessment, due diligence on business partners and staff, financial and non-financial controls, gifts and hospitality rules, raising concerns, and investigating and dealing with bribery.
According to DQS, the 2025 edition adopts the Harmonized Structure (including 6.3 Planning of changes), adds a dedicated clause on anti-bribery culture (5.1.3), addresses conflicts of interest, adds training for business partners, treats mergers and acquisitions as a risk area, and adds climate-change considerations to clause 4.
2 Who uses it
Organisations with bribery exposure — construction and engineering, defence, extractives, pharmaceuticals, international trade and public-sector suppliers — and compliance, legal and audit teams. In the UK it is often discussed alongside the Bribery Act 2010.
3 Structure and key clauses
Clauses 4–10 follow the Harmonized Structure. Areas courses spend most time on: bribery risk assessment (clause 4), leadership and the anti-bribery compliance function and anti-bribery culture (clause 5), training and awareness (clause 7), and the operational controls in clause 8 — due diligence, financial and non-financial controls, gifts and hospitality, raising concerns and investigations.
4 Key facts for courses and exams
- Current edition: ISO 37001:2025 (February 2025).
- New in 2025 (per DQS): 5.1.3 anti-bribery culture; 6.3 planning of changes; conflicts of interest; business-partner training; mergers and acquisitions; reversed order of 10.1 and 10.2.
- Certification is not proof that bribery cannot occur — the standard is about reasonable and proportionate measures.
5 ISO 37001 qualifications
| Qualification | UK courses listed |
|---|---|
| ISO 37001 Foundation / requirements | 3 |
S Sources
Facts on this page last checked 3 October 2026.
- iso.org, ISO 37001:2025 page — https://www.iso.org/standard/37001
- DQS, Revision 2025 of ISO 37001 — https://www.dqsglobal.com/en/learn/blog/revision-2025-of-iso-37001