Since the revolution of 14 January 2011, the Tunisian people have embarked upon a new path towards more inclusive and fairer political, economic and social development, based on the rule of law, good governance, and transparency. The adoption of a roadmap of political reforms led to the election of a Constitutional Assembly in October of 2011, in charge of drafting a new constitution. The new government formed out of these elections has made the fight against corruption a national priority. A permanent governmental agency aimed at fighting corruption was established, and a minister in charge of governance and the fight against corruption was appointed to serve under the head of government in coordinating anti-corruption policies within the public sector.

In the aftermath of the Revolution of 14 January 2011 and at the request of the Tunisian authorities, the current report assesses the public sector integrity framework in order to illuminate the kinds of measures that need to be implemented. This assessment is mainly based on the 1998 OECD Recommendation on Improving Ethical Conduct in the Public Service and the 2008 OECD Principles for Enhancing Integrity in Public Procurement, which brings together the best practices and findings from OECD member countries. This report also includes references to the experiences of Middle East and North African (MENA) countries in establishing policies to promote integrity and prevent corruption.

The OECD project to support the establishment of an integrity framework in Tunisia was launched immediately after the Revolution in order to assist efforts to develop a permanent anti-corruption mechanism in Tunisia. This support took several different forms, including…

Although provisions in the Tunisian Criminal Code and Civil Service law pertaining to corruption prevention do exist, there is no coherent legal framework to ensure transparency and accountability and to prevent corruption in the public sector in Tunisia.

In the aftermath of the Revolution of January 2011 and to respond to widespread public demands for transparency and for anti-corruption efforts, the Tunisian government has launched a programme to reform the public sector integrity framework with a view to reinforcing transparency, integrity, and the prevention of corruption. This chapter examines the existing legal and institutional arrangements, and proposes a roadmap of the main elements to be taken into account in the development of an integrity framework in order to guarantee its actual implementation.

Public procurement represents 18% of Tunisia’s GNP and almost 35% of the State’s budget. This area was particularly affected by corruption during the previous regime. The government was therefore forced to react immediately after the Revolution to make the public procurement system more transparent and efficient. A new Decree governing public procurement was adopted on 14 January 2011. This chapter examines the existing mechanisms for enhancing the transparency and integrity of public procurement in Tunisia, and proposes additional measures the Tunisian authorities could consider implementing.