The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has upgraded its whistleblower policy to encourage and protect those who report fund abuses. The lender's Whistleblower and Witness Protection administrative order – which took effect last Dec. 11 – consolidates earlier policies into a seven-page document and details how informants' anonymity and data confidentiality will be shielded. Governments including that of the Philippines, the ADB's fifth largest borrower, may also be roped in to secure whistleblowers. "ADB does not tolerate corruption in any form. By improving the information and protections available to whistleblowers and others who also provide evidence of misconduct, ADB is strengthening its ongoing efforts to combat fraud and corruption," Peter E. Pedersen, head of ADB's Office of Anticorruption and Integrity, said in a statement. The order's provisions were consulted with experts before being presented for public comment last year. The order clarifies, among others, that informants may remain anonymous and also details which ADB officials will have access to confidential data from the exposes.
